The Taliban said today that two attacks on Dutch forces in Afghanistan were in retaliation for an anti-Islamic film by a Dutch politician.In a message on militant websites, its leadership announced reprisals against Dutch forces because “one of the members of the Dutch parliament produced a film that hurts Islam, and he published it with bad intentions”.
Dutch MP Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration Freedom Party, launched the anti-Koran film Fitna – Arabic for “strife” – on the internet last week.
The film urges Muslims to tear out “hate-filled” verses from the Koran, and starts and ends with a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad with a bomb under his turban, accompanied by the sound of ticking.
It was condemned by Muslim nations as a provocation, while Dutch Muslim leaders urged restraint. The Dutch government has said the film in no way reflects its own views.
Nato had warned that the film might endanger coalition forces in Afghanistan, which include 1,650 Dutch troops.
Five Dutch soldiers from Nato-led forces were wounded in two separate incidents on Sunday. One lost both legs in an explosion.
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