More Muslims will join anti-U.S. forces

More Muslims will join anti-U.S. forces

MALAYSIA: A fundamentalist Islamic leader in Malaysia warned on Thursday that the longer U.S.-led forces bomb Afghanistan, the more Muslims around the world will be "compelled" to join pro- Taliban forces.

Nasaruddin Mat Esa, secretary-general of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, said support for Afghanistan's hardline Taliban rulers would increase if the strikes on its positions in Afghanistan continued into the holy month of Ramadhan, which starts in mid-November.

Muslims observe Ramadhan with monthlong special prayers and fasting from dawn to dusk. U.S. officials have indicated that its strikes against Taliban positions in Afghanistan will continue into Ramadhan.

Nasaruddin said his party, which is Malaysia's largest opposition group and claims more than 800,000 members, had received unconfirmed reports that several Malay Muslims had crossed into Afghanistan to join the war. --AP