It's too late to stop us now, says Taliban

It's too late to stop us now, says Taliban
AGENCIES

Islamabad/Kabul, March 3: As the heads and legs of the towering Buddhas of Bamiyan were blown to bits, the Taliban today said its religious edict directing the demolition of ancient statues across Afghanistan was ``irreversible''.

What hasn't been destroyed will be destroyed tomorrow and Monday, the Taliban's Information Minister Quadratullah Jamal told the Associated Press. ``Two-thirds of all statues in Afghanistan have already been destroyed, the remaining will be destroyed over the next two days.''

UNESCO's special emissary Pierre Lafrance, who met the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Mulla Zaeef in Islamabad today, was told that the decision to destroy the statues was ``irreversible'' as it had been taken by Muslim scholars and not by the Taliban.

``We realise the importance of Afghanistan's cultural heritage and know that its destruction may create problems for us. But the decision to demolish the statues has been taken by Afghanistan's ulema, not by the Taliban government. The government is bound to enforce any religious scholar's decision,'' Zaeef told reporters.

Lafrance has been granted a visa to Afghanistan to meet foreign minister Wakil Ahmed Muthawakil. However, he has been denied a meeting with the militia's chief, Mulla Mohammed Omar.

Interestingly, Zaeef said he told Lafrance that preparations were underway to destroy the statues, whereas reports from Kabul said the destruction has already begun.

Statements emanating from Kabul claimed that the Bamiyan Buddhas were being destroyed by mortars and cannon. ``They are using any weapon they have got at the Buddhas,'' said a Taliban official in Kabul. ``Explosives, such as gunpowder, have also been placed beneath the statues for more effective action.''

Jamal added that several dozen wooden and clay ``idols'' had been demolished at Herat, Ghazni, Kabul and Jalalabad since Thursday.