Taliban leaders set up fundraising hotlines, plead for donations

Taliban leaders are appealing to Muslims worldwide to support their war effort and have set up fundraising hotlines for donations. In a rare move for the cloistered leadership of the group, Taliban leaders posted telephone hotlines and e-mail addresses where sympathizers in the Muslim world can donate money, according to recent news reports.

The contact and donation information was posted on one of the group's websites on Wednesday, according to Agence France Presse.

Muslims across the globe are "duty-bound to join the Jihad" against U.S. and coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan, according to the website.

"[The Taliban] are still waging legitimate Jihad single-handedly with mere help from common sincere Islam-loving masses and is in dire need of financial assistance from the Muslim brothers worldwide for its military and non-military expenditures,” it added. (...)