International

Cache 'belonged' to Afghan ally

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON MAY 14. In one of the most embarrassing episodes in the ongoing `war' against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, a huge cache of arms destroyed by British marines a few days ago in what was claimed to be a major blow to the `enemy' forces actually belonged to an Afghan ally of the U.S.-led coalition, according to British media reports.

Last weekend, the marines blew up four caves in the Gerdaserai area in Paktia province amid claims that they contained a vast quantity of ammunition abandoned by the fleeing Taliban and al-Qaeda forces. British journalists were flown to the site to underline the significance of what was described as the biggest controlled explosion by the army since the second World War. It was also claimed that the arms had been stored recently.

But Ibrahim Omari, an ally of the Afghanistan's Interim Government, told The Daily Telegraph that the weapons belonged to him and that both American and British officers in Afghanistan knew this. Reports quoted Mr. Ibrahim, who is head of tribal affairs in Gardez city, as saying that it was he who led British marines to the caves and told them what was in them, but he did not expect them to blow up his ammunition which, he said, had been there for nearly 15 years. According to the Daily Telegraph, it was "common knowledge'' in the area that the weapons belonged to Mr. Ibrahim. British claims were seen as an attempt to back the Marines Commander Roger Lane's remarks that the war against al-Qaeda was "all but won''.

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