Taliban urge Pakistan to reject US aid

11 Aug 2010, 2:35 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Taliban faction has urged the government to reject American aid for people affected by the nation's worst floods in 80 years.

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Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Taliban faction has urged the government to reject American aid for people affected by the nation's worst floods in 80 years.

"The government should not accept American aid and if it happens, we can give 20 million dollars to them as aid for the flood victims," Azam Tariq, a spokesman for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, told AFP by telephone.

The most devastating floods in Pakistan's living memory have affected up to 13.8 million people and killed an estimated 1600, prompting the UN to prepare an appeal for several hundred million dollars for immediate relief.

"We will ourselves distribute relief under leadership of our chief Hakimullah Mehsud among the people if the government assures us that none of our members will be arrested," Tariq said.

"We condemn American and other foreign aid and believe that it will lead to subjugation. Our jihad against America will continue."

Washington has provided $US35 million ($A38.17 million) in aid, including 436,000 halal meals and 12 pre-fabricated bridges. The White House said US helicopters have helped to save more than 1000 lives in Pakistan.

Critics say the relief effort was slow to get into gear and have heaped scorn on the unpopular President Asif Ali Zardari for pressing ahead with a visit to Europe at the height of the disaster.

Islamic charities, some with suspected links to extremist militants, are believed to have stepped into the breach on the ground, as international relief efforts mobilised.

The TTP, a key architect of a bombing campaign that has killed more than 3570 people across Pakistan in three years, grabbed the global spotlight after the United States accused the group over a failed car bomb plot in New York in May.

 

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