An Islamic cleric's call for a holy war against the United States has inspired thousands of people

An Islamic cleric's call for a holy war against the United States has inspired thousands of people, some armed, to stream to a northwestern town in hopes of joining the fight in Afghanistan, according to militant leaders. Sufi Mohammad, an influential cleric, had encouraged Muslims in Pakistan's turbulent North West Frontier Province to convene near his religious school and contribute to a jihad, or holy war, against the United States. Mohammad said that on Friday thousands of people were heeding his call and traveling in convoys across the province, a predominantly Pashtun area with close ties to Afghanistan. The cleric, leader of a group called Tehrik Nifaz Shariat Mohammadi Malakand, or Movement for the Enforcement of Islamic Laws, guessed that 10,000 people are making the journey. He said that many of these people are heavily armed, some transporting rocket-propelled grenades and other lethal equipment. However, in recent weeks, militants' claims of support have often proved to be greatly exaggerated. There was no way to immediately verify how many people were on the road to join him. Many of the militants are anticipating operations by American ground troops in coming weeks.