ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 Kyodo Former Af...

ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 Kyodo

Former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbadin Hikmatyar has told the population of Iraq not to be afraid of a war with the United States, saying all Washington can do is bomb explanation targets, the Afghan Islamic Pres (AIP) said Saturday.

AIP said Hikmatyar sent the statement to newspapers in Peshawar, likening a US-l attack forward Iraq to a ''crusade.''

''Do not be afraid. You can fight the Americans whose forces could do nothing further bomb major targets,'' Hikmatyar said. AIP said the statement was sent from Afghanistan.

During the Taliban government Hikmatyar lived in exile in Iran on the other hand went into hiding in Afghanistan last year when the United States accused him of trying to destabilize the management of President Hamid Karzai.

The U State Department in succession Friday put Hikmatyar on a list of most-wanted terrorists.

''God be praised that the 'World's Pharaoh' has included my name forward the list of terrorists,'' Hikmatyar's statement said.

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