The News International
April 14, 2011
PESHAWAR: The Taliban on Wednesday said the basic solution to the Afghan issue lies in the immediate withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and not in setting up Taliban offices in other countries.
Talking to the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) by telephone, Taliban spokesman Qari Muhammad Yousaf Ahmadi said the current issue of Afghanistan was triggered by the military invasion and interference of foreign forces and this issue couldn’t be resolved unless the foreign forces pull out of the country.
About the claims of High Peace Council’s officials that Turkey and several other countries of the region had offered to allow Taliban to open offices in these countries, he said: "As we said in the past, Taliban are not ready to any kind of negotiation in presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan. So it is meaningless to offer Taliban to open political offices. We know well that these are all useless efforts. We have never budged from our stand of unconditional withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan as real issue is the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan."
Ahmadi said: "We demand all those individuals and parties, who want solution to the Afghan problem, to use their abilities in the withdrawal of foreign forces. They should convince the foreigners to leave Afghanistan as the problem started due to their occupation and the Afghan issue can never be resolved unless and until the occupation is practically ended," he added.
The purported Taliban spokesman also demanded of Afghans, who were sincere in seeking solution to the ongoing problem, to use their abilities for the ouster of foreign forces so that peace could be restored to the war-ravaged country. He added that they did not need to open office in Turkey or any other country, as they were not ready to held talks in the current circumstances.
Afghanistan’s High Council for Peace Deputy Chief Abdul Hakim Mujahid told the AIP that Turkey had offered to allow Taliban to open political office in their country so that Taliban could be engaged in talks. He continued that Saudi Arabia, UAE and Turkmenistan had also offered to allow Taliban to open offices on their soil, if Taliban extended them a formal request.
Showing posts with label Taliban. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Taliban. Show all posts
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Theunjustmedia Interview with a commander of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Kandahar Tahir Afghan
Rabi ul Sani 25, 1431 A.H, Sunday April 11, 2010
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Theunjustmedia.com: We are now hearing from the invaders forces that they are going to be launching an operation in Kandahar, just as they had launched one in Marjah, how do you see this move of the invaders forces.
commander Tahir Afghan: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
Alhumduillaah (All praises belong to Allaah), the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Mujahideen have a strong base in Kandahar province, groups of Mujahideen have been disperse in all the districts of Kandahar, specially a strong contingent of Mujahideen have been assigned to the city of Kandahar. The puppet administration plays no role in Kandahar, except sitting in their fortified administrative buildings, while the Mujahideen are freely move in Kandahar.
When we first head from American and NATO forces commander General Stanley McChrystal that they will soon be launching an operation in Kandahar, in response to this news the Mujahideen launched a major operation in Kandahar city, in which the puppets and invaders administration buildings where attacked, this attack was launched to send a clear warning to the invaders that the Mujahideen are ready to face any type of operation launched by the invaders and their puppets; because the help of Allaah (SWT) is with them.
If you remember in 2009, the Mujahideen took control of many areas in Kandahar, which were under the control of the invaders and their puppets, the enemy launched many operations to retake those areas but they failed, with the passing of time Mujahideen hold on Kandahar expanded and fortified.
On the other hand, the world as witnessed the heavy physicals and materials losses which the Mujahideen have inflicted on the invaders in Kandahar, which has forced some of the invading countries to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan, an example of this is Canada, which has indicated that it will be withdrawing its forces in 2011, this is a major accomplishment of the Mujahideen who’s ferociousness have forced the invaders to withdrawn, it is not out of their own whims.
The indication by General McChrystal that they will soon launch a same type of operation as they have lunched one in Marjah is just a propaganda of the invaders to divert peoples attention from their failures in Marjah, because they have not accomplished anything in Marjah, the flag waving drama which was stage by the invaders to dupe people that they have taking control of Marjah, however the reality is that the Mujahideen are in control of Marjah, and to prove this to the world the Mujahideen had invited journalists to come and see for themselves to who really is in control of Marjah, but to hide this truth from the world the invaders have blocked journalists from entering Marjah, only those journalists are allowed by the invaders who are on their payroll.
Theunjustmedia: We repeatedly hear from the invaders that the Mujahideen are involved in the opium trade.
Commander Tahir Afghan: Not to long ago the Americans permitted the local farms to grow poppy in their fields, to which Russia protested, because a lot of the Afghanistan opium, which is growing under the watchful eyes’ of the invaders is making its way to Russia. In this regards a complain was launched by the Russians to the NATO about the acceleration in the growth of Afghan opium since the invasion of Afghanistan, the invaders response to the Russian complain was that, if they stop the farmers from growing poppy as this was their only means to provide for their families would create a backlash against the invading forces.
This is an absurd logic giving by America and NATO, to this I ask, does not the cowardly bombardment of the invaders in which thousands of innocent lives have vanished, hundreds and hundreds of villages have disappeared, the daily raids on peoples homes in which invading soldiers have disrespected our mother's, wife's and daughter's, bombing Afghans homes with depleted uranium from which our future generation and land have been contaminated, doesn't all this create backlash for the invaders?.
The reality is that, that the invaders are producing and exporting opium, we have obtain information from our Mujahideen who have infiltrated enemy ranks and translators who are working with the invaders, that when the American invading soldiers are leaving from Afghanistan, they are taking opium in their suit cases, and the world also knows about Ahmed Wali Karzai who is the brother of the puppet president Karzai, that he is a key member of the world drug mafia, which is run by the CIA, these are the realities of the opium trade in Afghanistan, the Mujahideen are not involved in the drug trade, that is invaders propaganda.
To refresh peoples memory, during the Taliban administration the opium trade was completely prohibit, and now under the puppet Karzai and his American bosses Afghanistan is producing 90% of the world opium, so thus, it is crystal clear who are the real beneficiaries of the Afghanistan opium trade.
Theunjustmedia: So, if the Mujahideen are not involved in the drug trade, where are they getting the money to fight the invaders.
Commander Tahir Afghan: As you know the Mujahideen who are fighting the invader are Afghans, for example the Mujahideen who are fighting the invaders in Helmand are from Helmand and the Mujahideen who are fighting the invaders in Zabul are from Zabul, which means that these Mujahideen come out of their homes and launch operations against the invaders and then return home, the Mujahideen have adapted a guerrilla warfare tactics which means hit and run, thus the Mujahideen do not need a lot of money to continue their Jihad against the invaders and their puppets.
Theunjustmedia: Where are you getting your weapons’, we keep hearing that Iran and China are providing you weapons.
Commander Tahir Afghan: Lets go back in history when the USSR invaded Afghanistan, at that time USSR brought so much weapons into Afghanistan, during that time the Mujahideen during fighting booty large stocks of weapons, plus when the USSR where kick out of Afghanistan by the Mujahideen they left behind very large stocks of their weapons, which included rockets, rocket-launchers, Kalashnikovs, Sakeel guns, anti-air craft guns, bullets, landmines and tanks, also in the last nine years of the current invasion, the Mujahideen have booty many invaders and their puppets weapons, like tanks, rockets, military vehicles, small and large guns.
In today’s fighting in Afghanistan, the main weapon of the Mujahideen is the Improvise explosive device (IED), which has inflicting the most losses to the ranks of the invaders, and these IED's are being manufactured in Afghanistan by the Mujahideen themselves.
Recently, the Mujahideen have made a new IED called Omar which is remotely detonated, this IED has few specialties, on one hand its manufacturing cost is very minimal, while on the other hand it is very destructive, the manufacturing cost of this landmine is only US $100, but it can destroy the invaders million dollar worth military vehicle and one more specialty of this IED is that, the invaders IED detecting vehicles and equipment can not detect this IED, so the allegation against the Mujahideen that they are getting help from Iran or China is a mere propaganda, with a hidden agenda.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan invites journalists to come and see for themselves the weapons which the Emirate Mujahideen are using to fight the invaders and their puppets, this way the fraud of the fraudster can be exposed and the truth can manifest it self.
Theunjustmedia: Thanks for speaking with us.
Commander Tahir Afghan: No problem, May Allaah (SWT) help you in your propagation of the truth.
Theunjustmedia.com
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Theunjustmedia.com: We are now hearing from the invaders forces that they are going to be launching an operation in Kandahar, just as they had launched one in Marjah, how do you see this move of the invaders forces.
commander Tahir Afghan: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions.
Alhumduillaah (All praises belong to Allaah), the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Mujahideen have a strong base in Kandahar province, groups of Mujahideen have been disperse in all the districts of Kandahar, specially a strong contingent of Mujahideen have been assigned to the city of Kandahar. The puppet administration plays no role in Kandahar, except sitting in their fortified administrative buildings, while the Mujahideen are freely move in Kandahar.
When we first head from American and NATO forces commander General Stanley McChrystal that they will soon be launching an operation in Kandahar, in response to this news the Mujahideen launched a major operation in Kandahar city, in which the puppets and invaders administration buildings where attacked, this attack was launched to send a clear warning to the invaders that the Mujahideen are ready to face any type of operation launched by the invaders and their puppets; because the help of Allaah (SWT) is with them.
If you remember in 2009, the Mujahideen took control of many areas in Kandahar, which were under the control of the invaders and their puppets, the enemy launched many operations to retake those areas but they failed, with the passing of time Mujahideen hold on Kandahar expanded and fortified.
On the other hand, the world as witnessed the heavy physicals and materials losses which the Mujahideen have inflicted on the invaders in Kandahar, which has forced some of the invading countries to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan, an example of this is Canada, which has indicated that it will be withdrawing its forces in 2011, this is a major accomplishment of the Mujahideen who’s ferociousness have forced the invaders to withdrawn, it is not out of their own whims.
The indication by General McChrystal that they will soon launch a same type of operation as they have lunched one in Marjah is just a propaganda of the invaders to divert peoples attention from their failures in Marjah, because they have not accomplished anything in Marjah, the flag waving drama which was stage by the invaders to dupe people that they have taking control of Marjah, however the reality is that the Mujahideen are in control of Marjah, and to prove this to the world the Mujahideen had invited journalists to come and see for themselves to who really is in control of Marjah, but to hide this truth from the world the invaders have blocked journalists from entering Marjah, only those journalists are allowed by the invaders who are on their payroll.
Theunjustmedia: We repeatedly hear from the invaders that the Mujahideen are involved in the opium trade.
Commander Tahir Afghan: Not to long ago the Americans permitted the local farms to grow poppy in their fields, to which Russia protested, because a lot of the Afghanistan opium, which is growing under the watchful eyes’ of the invaders is making its way to Russia. In this regards a complain was launched by the Russians to the NATO about the acceleration in the growth of Afghan opium since the invasion of Afghanistan, the invaders response to the Russian complain was that, if they stop the farmers from growing poppy as this was their only means to provide for their families would create a backlash against the invading forces.
This is an absurd logic giving by America and NATO, to this I ask, does not the cowardly bombardment of the invaders in which thousands of innocent lives have vanished, hundreds and hundreds of villages have disappeared, the daily raids on peoples homes in which invading soldiers have disrespected our mother's, wife's and daughter's, bombing Afghans homes with depleted uranium from which our future generation and land have been contaminated, doesn't all this create backlash for the invaders?.
The reality is that, that the invaders are producing and exporting opium, we have obtain information from our Mujahideen who have infiltrated enemy ranks and translators who are working with the invaders, that when the American invading soldiers are leaving from Afghanistan, they are taking opium in their suit cases, and the world also knows about Ahmed Wali Karzai who is the brother of the puppet president Karzai, that he is a key member of the world drug mafia, which is run by the CIA, these are the realities of the opium trade in Afghanistan, the Mujahideen are not involved in the drug trade, that is invaders propaganda.
To refresh peoples memory, during the Taliban administration the opium trade was completely prohibit, and now under the puppet Karzai and his American bosses Afghanistan is producing 90% of the world opium, so thus, it is crystal clear who are the real beneficiaries of the Afghanistan opium trade.
Theunjustmedia: So, if the Mujahideen are not involved in the drug trade, where are they getting the money to fight the invaders.
Commander Tahir Afghan: As you know the Mujahideen who are fighting the invader are Afghans, for example the Mujahideen who are fighting the invaders in Helmand are from Helmand and the Mujahideen who are fighting the invaders in Zabul are from Zabul, which means that these Mujahideen come out of their homes and launch operations against the invaders and then return home, the Mujahideen have adapted a guerrilla warfare tactics which means hit and run, thus the Mujahideen do not need a lot of money to continue their Jihad against the invaders and their puppets.
Theunjustmedia: Where are you getting your weapons’, we keep hearing that Iran and China are providing you weapons.
Commander Tahir Afghan: Lets go back in history when the USSR invaded Afghanistan, at that time USSR brought so much weapons into Afghanistan, during that time the Mujahideen during fighting booty large stocks of weapons, plus when the USSR where kick out of Afghanistan by the Mujahideen they left behind very large stocks of their weapons, which included rockets, rocket-launchers, Kalashnikovs, Sakeel guns, anti-air craft guns, bullets, landmines and tanks, also in the last nine years of the current invasion, the Mujahideen have booty many invaders and their puppets weapons, like tanks, rockets, military vehicles, small and large guns.
In today’s fighting in Afghanistan, the main weapon of the Mujahideen is the Improvise explosive device (IED), which has inflicting the most losses to the ranks of the invaders, and these IED's are being manufactured in Afghanistan by the Mujahideen themselves.
Recently, the Mujahideen have made a new IED called Omar which is remotely detonated, this IED has few specialties, on one hand its manufacturing cost is very minimal, while on the other hand it is very destructive, the manufacturing cost of this landmine is only US $100, but it can destroy the invaders million dollar worth military vehicle and one more specialty of this IED is that, the invaders IED detecting vehicles and equipment can not detect this IED, so the allegation against the Mujahideen that they are getting help from Iran or China is a mere propaganda, with a hidden agenda.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan invites journalists to come and see for themselves the weapons which the Emirate Mujahideen are using to fight the invaders and their puppets, this way the fraud of the fraudster can be exposed and the truth can manifest it self.
Theunjustmedia: Thanks for speaking with us.
Commander Tahir Afghan: No problem, May Allaah (SWT) help you in your propagation of the truth.
Theunjustmedia.com
Monday, December 7, 2009
A Message From The Taliban Who Is Responsible for the Anarchy in Afghanistan?
By Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
December 06, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- Dec, 04, 2009 -- Obama’s new strategy which is the result of the same mentality that wants to continue the occupation of Afghanistan by military means, will add to the anarchy prevailing in the country. In fact, Americans are responsible for the chaotic situation. They handed over power to notorious warlords, venal officials and mafia-linked governors;
But still, they claim that they want a clean government in Kabul while their convoys of logistics are escorted by some murderous militias involved in kidnapping and extortion of arbitrary taxes. There are hundreds of private unregistered militias in Afghanistan under the name of security guards who carry heroin in official vehicles. These militias have links with warlords who have hold over high government positions. They carry out their criminal activities with impunity.
The warlords usurp government and people’s lands and buildings. No one can ask them why. A government land in Shirpur, located to the north-east of the Kabul city is a good example on hand. Once a property of the Ministry of Defense, now it is a posh area usurped by the warlords who have built luxurious houses there. Karzai himself has granted 6000-7000 acres of lands to his favorites. Many drug-smugglers who had been sentenced to prison by court have been released by decrees of the President.
General Khudaidad, Minister of the Narcotic Campaign of the Kabul Administration has acknowledged in a press conference that US military officers had hands in drug trafficking. Abdul Jabbar Sabit, former attorney-general of the Kabul Administration, says he was not able to lay his hand on some notorious governors involved in drug-trafficking and bribery because they were protected by high-ups in the government. Ultimately, Abdul Jabar Sabit was forced to resign. American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, many times has referred to Afghanistan as a Mafia State but she did not say that the Mafia State was their handiwork.
Independent analysts around the world believe that USA wants to keep a corrupt government installed in Kabul because this will provide a justification to maintain American military presence in the country. Similarly, on the one hand, the White House Security Advisor James Jones says there are fewer than 100 Al-qaeda members in Afghanistan and on the other hand, Obama sends 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. This high gap between words and deeds shows that America has other colonialist objectives in Afghanistan and in the region, ostensibly under the name of the so-called War on Terror. Furthermore, they claim that they want to resolve the Afghan issue through negotiation and reconciliation; but practically, they want Mujahideen to lay down arms and accept the Constitution conceived and framed by America and want to keep their bases in Afghanistan for a longer period. Thus under the ploy of negotiation, the White House wants to find a pretext to continue their occupation of Afghanistan.
The Afghans, particularly the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has no agenda of meddling in the internal affairs of other countries and is ready to give legal guarantee if the foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan. But the Mujahideen are not ready to allow foreign bases in Afghanistan or trade on the independence of the country. Ironically, after American invasion of Afghanistan, the country has been turned into a battle ground of rival intelligence agencies which are linked with the regime in Kabul and have hidden agendas against surrounding countries.
Bomb blasts in public places are the work of these agencies. The more the foreign troops stay in Afghanistan, the more such gruesome events will take place. In the present time, the Mujahideen are the only force which wants to release the Afghans and the country from being hostage in the cobweb of foreign agencies. With the victory of Mujahideen in Afghanistan, the whole region will take a breath of relief and the current bloodshed will come to an end. But it is responsibility of all who have free conscious to morally help Mujahideen to free the region from the vortex of the colonialist machinations.
Official website of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban).
December 06, 2009 "Information Clearing House" -- Dec, 04, 2009 -- Obama’s new strategy which is the result of the same mentality that wants to continue the occupation of Afghanistan by military means, will add to the anarchy prevailing in the country. In fact, Americans are responsible for the chaotic situation. They handed over power to notorious warlords, venal officials and mafia-linked governors;
But still, they claim that they want a clean government in Kabul while their convoys of logistics are escorted by some murderous militias involved in kidnapping and extortion of arbitrary taxes. There are hundreds of private unregistered militias in Afghanistan under the name of security guards who carry heroin in official vehicles. These militias have links with warlords who have hold over high government positions. They carry out their criminal activities with impunity.
The warlords usurp government and people’s lands and buildings. No one can ask them why. A government land in Shirpur, located to the north-east of the Kabul city is a good example on hand. Once a property of the Ministry of Defense, now it is a posh area usurped by the warlords who have built luxurious houses there. Karzai himself has granted 6000-7000 acres of lands to his favorites. Many drug-smugglers who had been sentenced to prison by court have been released by decrees of the President.
General Khudaidad, Minister of the Narcotic Campaign of the Kabul Administration has acknowledged in a press conference that US military officers had hands in drug trafficking. Abdul Jabbar Sabit, former attorney-general of the Kabul Administration, says he was not able to lay his hand on some notorious governors involved in drug-trafficking and bribery because they were protected by high-ups in the government. Ultimately, Abdul Jabar Sabit was forced to resign. American Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, many times has referred to Afghanistan as a Mafia State but she did not say that the Mafia State was their handiwork.
Independent analysts around the world believe that USA wants to keep a corrupt government installed in Kabul because this will provide a justification to maintain American military presence in the country. Similarly, on the one hand, the White House Security Advisor James Jones says there are fewer than 100 Al-qaeda members in Afghanistan and on the other hand, Obama sends 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. This high gap between words and deeds shows that America has other colonialist objectives in Afghanistan and in the region, ostensibly under the name of the so-called War on Terror. Furthermore, they claim that they want to resolve the Afghan issue through negotiation and reconciliation; but practically, they want Mujahideen to lay down arms and accept the Constitution conceived and framed by America and want to keep their bases in Afghanistan for a longer period. Thus under the ploy of negotiation, the White House wants to find a pretext to continue their occupation of Afghanistan.
The Afghans, particularly the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has no agenda of meddling in the internal affairs of other countries and is ready to give legal guarantee if the foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan. But the Mujahideen are not ready to allow foreign bases in Afghanistan or trade on the independence of the country. Ironically, after American invasion of Afghanistan, the country has been turned into a battle ground of rival intelligence agencies which are linked with the regime in Kabul and have hidden agendas against surrounding countries.
Bomb blasts in public places are the work of these agencies. The more the foreign troops stay in Afghanistan, the more such gruesome events will take place. In the present time, the Mujahideen are the only force which wants to release the Afghans and the country from being hostage in the cobweb of foreign agencies. With the victory of Mujahideen in Afghanistan, the whole region will take a breath of relief and the current bloodshed will come to an end. But it is responsibility of all who have free conscious to morally help Mujahideen to free the region from the vortex of the colonialist machinations.
Official website of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban).
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Afghan Resistance Statement Why the UN is so disturbed at the Murder of the Western Nationals?
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
November 5, 2009
A few days ago, a strong reaction came from the United Nations Security Council following the killings of Western nationals whom the United Nations calls its staff members but Mujahideen say, they were organizers of the runoff election. The UN Secretary General said that he would join efforts with other members of the Security Council to find those behind this incident and give them punishment. On the other hand, we have hundreds of examples in which we find the United Nations behaving with the Islamic Ummah unfairly, improperly and pitilessly as far as global and regional issues are concerned.
When it comes to the protection of the rights of the Ummah, this World Body, particularly, the Security Council becomes silent at once. They have chosen the way of suppressing and oppressing the Ummah and supporting the arrogant, the invaders and the brutals.
If we have a glimpse at events in Palestine, Iraq and other issues and the bloodbath now going on at the level of the Ummah, we will readily know that how callously and brutally the invading colonialists kill common Muslims collectively and invade Islamic lands flagrantly. If we look at the horrendous events in our country , Afghanistan during the past eight years, we will see clearly that the Security Council with its full strength is siding with America and the coalition forces. They have their share in the mass murders of the Afghan people and are the cause of the tragedies and sufferings of the Afghans. During the past eight years, never a day has passed without the Americans and Western brutal forces not committing crimes, murder, or torture against our people or not encroaching on our national and religious values. The blind bombardment on civilian targets, night raids on people houses, murders, tortures, bombardments on funeral and wedding ceremonies are some of the crimes, the invaders have perpetrated during the past eight years. But the United Nations has turned a blind eye to these crimes and not acted as per its responsibilities and caliber as a universal body. Throughout this period, they only ratified and approved resolutions allowing prolongation of occupation of Afghanistan and reinforcement there.
Ironically, they have called for more brutality under the leadership of USA. We have not seen any resolution by the Security Council, which speaks of grace, tolerance and altruism. Contrarily, when American and Western targets are attacked, or their interests are targeted or Western nationals are assassinated and similarly, when the interests of the Christian world come under danger, then the Security Council holds emergency meetings and issues serious response and reaction.
The strong reaction shown by the Security Council following the murder of a few Western staff members, portray that this organization has taken upon itself as its only duty to exclusively protect Western nationals and their interests. If hundreds of people other than the Western nationals are killed in the world in a single day, they do not take any notice because in their eyes they are less than human beings and the United Nations does not feel to be morally bound to protect their rights.
:: Article nr. 59757 sent on 05-nov-2009 13:56 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=59757
Link: www.alemarah.info/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=438:why-t
he-un-is-so-disturbed-at-the-murder-of-the-western-nationals&cati
d=1:afghanistan&Itemid=2
November 5, 2009
A few days ago, a strong reaction came from the United Nations Security Council following the killings of Western nationals whom the United Nations calls its staff members but Mujahideen say, they were organizers of the runoff election. The UN Secretary General said that he would join efforts with other members of the Security Council to find those behind this incident and give them punishment. On the other hand, we have hundreds of examples in which we find the United Nations behaving with the Islamic Ummah unfairly, improperly and pitilessly as far as global and regional issues are concerned.
When it comes to the protection of the rights of the Ummah, this World Body, particularly, the Security Council becomes silent at once. They have chosen the way of suppressing and oppressing the Ummah and supporting the arrogant, the invaders and the brutals.
If we have a glimpse at events in Palestine, Iraq and other issues and the bloodbath now going on at the level of the Ummah, we will readily know that how callously and brutally the invading colonialists kill common Muslims collectively and invade Islamic lands flagrantly. If we look at the horrendous events in our country , Afghanistan during the past eight years, we will see clearly that the Security Council with its full strength is siding with America and the coalition forces. They have their share in the mass murders of the Afghan people and are the cause of the tragedies and sufferings of the Afghans. During the past eight years, never a day has passed without the Americans and Western brutal forces not committing crimes, murder, or torture against our people or not encroaching on our national and religious values. The blind bombardment on civilian targets, night raids on people houses, murders, tortures, bombardments on funeral and wedding ceremonies are some of the crimes, the invaders have perpetrated during the past eight years. But the United Nations has turned a blind eye to these crimes and not acted as per its responsibilities and caliber as a universal body. Throughout this period, they only ratified and approved resolutions allowing prolongation of occupation of Afghanistan and reinforcement there.
Ironically, they have called for more brutality under the leadership of USA. We have not seen any resolution by the Security Council, which speaks of grace, tolerance and altruism. Contrarily, when American and Western targets are attacked, or their interests are targeted or Western nationals are assassinated and similarly, when the interests of the Christian world come under danger, then the Security Council holds emergency meetings and issues serious response and reaction.
The strong reaction shown by the Security Council following the murder of a few Western staff members, portray that this organization has taken upon itself as its only duty to exclusively protect Western nationals and their interests. If hundreds of people other than the Western nationals are killed in the world in a single day, they do not take any notice because in their eyes they are less than human beings and the United Nations does not feel to be morally bound to protect their rights.
:: Article nr. 59757 sent on 05-nov-2009 13:56 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=59757
Link: www.alemarah.info/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=438:why-t
he-un-is-so-disturbed-at-the-murder-of-the-western-nationals&cati
d=1:afghanistan&Itemid=2
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Afghan Resistance Statement Who are Behind the Chaos in Afghanistan?
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Monday, 02 November 2009
The Americans follow contradicting programs in Afghanistan. These contradictions have greatly contributed to the chaos and corruption now rampant in the country. After invasion in 2001, Americans announced the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reconstruction (DDR) program which was aimed at encouraging former warlords and gunmen to surrender their arms for cash incentives, employment opportunities and vocational training. After a time, they left the program uncompleted, and opted to raise their own militias under the name of Campaign and Security Guards. These so-called security guards escort American and other NATO member countries military and logistical convoys from one province to another, particularly to Urozgan, Helmand, Farah and other provinces in the south. Some militias are used to detain suspected Afghans. Recently, New York Times disclosed that following the American invasion of Afghanistan, Wali Karzai created the Kandahar Task Force which is involved in various human rights violations. According to the Times Weekly, Wali Karzai frequently used the Kandahar Task Force against his opponents and on one occasion, they killed police chief of Kandahar province. Similarly, Americans pay tens of millions of dollars to private militia annually for escorting their convoys.
The private militias extort money from common people and levy agricultural tax on farmers named Ushar. They are involved in burglary, kidnapping and other unscrupulous activities. All these are overlooked by the invaders as the militia support them in their fight against so-called terrorism.
Applying The Sons of Iraq replica to Afghanistan, the invading Americans have created militia from among the Afghan minorities in the north of the country. Recently, they created such militia in Qazal Qila and appointed a Turkmen as commander. The Turkmen and Uzbek are ethnical minorities and their militias are notoriously known for human rights violations during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.
To many observers who closely monitor developments in Afghanistan, these moves by the invading Americans can be part of plan dubbed as Chaostan, which was unveiled by Mc Crystal, American top commander in Afghanistan during his recent speech in London. According to this plan, the Americans want to create chaos in Afghanistan by plunging the country into geographical, racial and religious fighting once again.
Mullah Brader Akhund, Deputy-Amir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in one of his interviews said that Mujahideen had captured several groups of armed men who were involved in destroying schools and bridges. They admitted that they were paid by foreign intelligence agencies to do so. In this year Eid ul Fitre message, the Amir ul Momineen, Mullah Omar Mujahid instructed all Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate to disarm armed groups who are involved in encroachment on people’s life, property and honor on the provocation of the enemy.
Similarly, the bomb blasts in congested places, which have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, is of great concern to the Mujahideen and the Afghan people. This year in the holy month of Ramadan, a bomb went off in Kandahar just at the time when people were to break their fast. More than 50 people were killed in the explosion. The Islamic Emirate denied having hand in the explosion and condemned it as a horrendous and despicable event. Later Dawa Khan Mina pal, a Radio Liberty reporter was detained by police of the Kabul puppet regime when he was trying to investigate the blast to find out who were behind this gruesome event.
Many observers agree that foreign intelligence agencies are involved in anti-human activities to malign the good name of the armed Mujahideen who are fighting Americans and other forces of the NATO member countries. Recently, the Afghan surrogate president Karzai complained in a press conference that unknown helicopters were airdropping armed men in the north. According to him, these armed men disturb peace and security there. But Mujahideen in the area say, the foreign invaders airdrop the militia there to target Mujahideen hide-outs during the night and they also attack ethnically sensitive areas in order to provoke racial fighting.
The Americans think, by doing so, they can justify the presence of their troops and enlist supporters from among Afghan minorities against Taliban. These hidden agendas are driving our country into an unknown direction. Unequivocally, the foreign military presence in Afghanistan is part of the Afghan problem. The more they stay in our country, the more, they will plunge our country into chaos and uncertainly. The only solution is that the invaders leave Afghanistan and let the Afghans to form an Islamic government where people from all ethnicities can participate in the government making on the basis of their talent and services to the people. This will vault out the country from the current vortex of conspiracies and ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan and the whole region.
:: Article nr. 59639 sent on 02-nov-2009 17:29 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=59639
Link: www.alemarah.info/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=393:who-a
re-behind-the-chaos-in-afghanistan&catid=2:articles&Itemid=3
Monday, 02 November 2009
The Americans follow contradicting programs in Afghanistan. These contradictions have greatly contributed to the chaos and corruption now rampant in the country. After invasion in 2001, Americans announced the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reconstruction (DDR) program which was aimed at encouraging former warlords and gunmen to surrender their arms for cash incentives, employment opportunities and vocational training. After a time, they left the program uncompleted, and opted to raise their own militias under the name of Campaign and Security Guards. These so-called security guards escort American and other NATO member countries military and logistical convoys from one province to another, particularly to Urozgan, Helmand, Farah and other provinces in the south. Some militias are used to detain suspected Afghans. Recently, New York Times disclosed that following the American invasion of Afghanistan, Wali Karzai created the Kandahar Task Force which is involved in various human rights violations. According to the Times Weekly, Wali Karzai frequently used the Kandahar Task Force against his opponents and on one occasion, they killed police chief of Kandahar province. Similarly, Americans pay tens of millions of dollars to private militia annually for escorting their convoys.
The private militias extort money from common people and levy agricultural tax on farmers named Ushar. They are involved in burglary, kidnapping and other unscrupulous activities. All these are overlooked by the invaders as the militia support them in their fight against so-called terrorism.
Applying The Sons of Iraq replica to Afghanistan, the invading Americans have created militia from among the Afghan minorities in the north of the country. Recently, they created such militia in Qazal Qila and appointed a Turkmen as commander. The Turkmen and Uzbek are ethnical minorities and their militias are notoriously known for human rights violations during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan.
To many observers who closely monitor developments in Afghanistan, these moves by the invading Americans can be part of plan dubbed as Chaostan, which was unveiled by Mc Crystal, American top commander in Afghanistan during his recent speech in London. According to this plan, the Americans want to create chaos in Afghanistan by plunging the country into geographical, racial and religious fighting once again.
Mullah Brader Akhund, Deputy-Amir of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in one of his interviews said that Mujahideen had captured several groups of armed men who were involved in destroying schools and bridges. They admitted that they were paid by foreign intelligence agencies to do so. In this year Eid ul Fitre message, the Amir ul Momineen, Mullah Omar Mujahid instructed all Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate to disarm armed groups who are involved in encroachment on people’s life, property and honor on the provocation of the enemy.
Similarly, the bomb blasts in congested places, which have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, is of great concern to the Mujahideen and the Afghan people. This year in the holy month of Ramadan, a bomb went off in Kandahar just at the time when people were to break their fast. More than 50 people were killed in the explosion. The Islamic Emirate denied having hand in the explosion and condemned it as a horrendous and despicable event. Later Dawa Khan Mina pal, a Radio Liberty reporter was detained by police of the Kabul puppet regime when he was trying to investigate the blast to find out who were behind this gruesome event.
Many observers agree that foreign intelligence agencies are involved in anti-human activities to malign the good name of the armed Mujahideen who are fighting Americans and other forces of the NATO member countries. Recently, the Afghan surrogate president Karzai complained in a press conference that unknown helicopters were airdropping armed men in the north. According to him, these armed men disturb peace and security there. But Mujahideen in the area say, the foreign invaders airdrop the militia there to target Mujahideen hide-outs during the night and they also attack ethnically sensitive areas in order to provoke racial fighting.
The Americans think, by doing so, they can justify the presence of their troops and enlist supporters from among Afghan minorities against Taliban. These hidden agendas are driving our country into an unknown direction. Unequivocally, the foreign military presence in Afghanistan is part of the Afghan problem. The more they stay in our country, the more, they will plunge our country into chaos and uncertainly. The only solution is that the invaders leave Afghanistan and let the Afghans to form an Islamic government where people from all ethnicities can participate in the government making on the basis of their talent and services to the people. This will vault out the country from the current vortex of conspiracies and ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan and the whole region.
:: Article nr. 59639 sent on 02-nov-2009 17:29 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=59639
Link: www.alemarah.info/english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=393:who-a
re-behind-the-chaos-in-afghanistan&catid=2:articles&Itemid=3
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Taliban Chief Blames Blackwater for Peshawar Blast
OutlookIndia
October 29, 2009
Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud has claimed that the controversial American security firm Blackwater was behind the deadly bomb attack on a market in Peshawar that killed over 100 people.
Hakimullah questioned why the Taliban should target the public when it was capable of carrying out attacks in Islamabad and targeting the army's General Headquarters.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, he claimed Blackwater and "Pakistani agencies" were involved in attacks in public places to discredit the militants.
A powerful car bomb exploded at a crowded market in Peshawar yesterday, killing more than 100 and injuring 200 more. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan had earlier said it was behind an attack on the army's headquarters earlier this month.
About 15 people were killed during that attack. A group of militants took nearly 50 people hostage before they were gunned down or blew themselves up.
Reports in the Pakistani media have claimed that Blackwater has established a presence in the country by tying up with local security firms but these allegations have been rejected by the US administration.
When Hakimullah was asked about the perception among people that militants are involved in attacks on public places, he said: "Our war is against the government and the security forces and not against the people. We are not involved in blasts."
Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq, who was present along with Hakimullah, warned that the militants could target media organisations that are "defaming" the Taliban.
North West Frontier Province Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas have blamed militants for the blast in Peshawar.
They said militants are targeting the people because they are facing defeat in South Waziristan tribal region, where the army has launched a major ground offensive.
October 29, 2009
Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud has claimed that the controversial American security firm Blackwater was behind the deadly bomb attack on a market in Peshawar that killed over 100 people.
Hakimullah questioned why the Taliban should target the public when it was capable of carrying out attacks in Islamabad and targeting the army's General Headquarters.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, he claimed Blackwater and "Pakistani agencies" were involved in attacks in public places to discredit the militants.
A powerful car bomb exploded at a crowded market in Peshawar yesterday, killing more than 100 and injuring 200 more. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan had earlier said it was behind an attack on the army's headquarters earlier this month.
About 15 people were killed during that attack. A group of militants took nearly 50 people hostage before they were gunned down or blew themselves up.
Reports in the Pakistani media have claimed that Blackwater has established a presence in the country by tying up with local security firms but these allegations have been rejected by the US administration.
When Hakimullah was asked about the perception among people that militants are involved in attacks on public places, he said: "Our war is against the government and the security forces and not against the people. We are not involved in blasts."
Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq, who was present along with Hakimullah, warned that the militants could target media organisations that are "defaming" the Taliban.
North West Frontier Province Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain and chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas have blamed militants for the blast in Peshawar.
They said militants are targeting the people because they are facing defeat in South Waziristan tribal region, where the army has launched a major ground offensive.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Taliban denies Peshawar blast role
Aljazeera.net
October 29, 2009
The Taliban and al-Qaeda have distanced themselves from Wednesday's deadly market blast in Peshawar that claimed 105 lives, saying "their main targets are the security forces, and not innocent civilians".
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in a statement sent to the media on Thursday, condemned the car bomb attack that tore through a crowded market and denied any involvement in the explosion.
However, Pakistani government officials have said the attack was in revenge for the army's offensive against Taliban fighters in South Waziristan, and that the military campaign would go on.
The attack on the busy Mina Bazaar, which also injured more than 200 people, was the deadliest to hit Pakistan this year.
Many of those killed were women and children and on Thursday, residents of the troubled city began burying the dead.
'Rogue elements'
Lieutenant-General Asad Durrani, the former head of Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence (ISI), told Al Jazeera the current situation in the country was grim and that it could take years for the situation to be brought under control.
Durrani said that rising civilian casualties were also eroding the support for the anti-government groups.
"The most dangerous category of groups are the so-called rogue elements, their agenda is neither Afghanistan-oriented nor Pakistan. They carry out certain acts and atrocities which makes the situation even more complex," he said.
Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner to the UK, told Al Jazeera: "The Taliban are losing the war, losing history. And while doing that they will kill as many as they would like to.
"But I can tell you, as our foreign minister said, we'll not buckle down. We fight them and we'll destroy them."
Clinton visit
The attack came as Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, touched down in Islamabad for talks with government officials.
Speaking in the Pakistani capital, she expressed her support for the military's offensive against the Taliban and pledging continued US assistance.
The blast hit a crowded market in the
old part of the city [AFP]
"These extremists are committed to destroying that which is dear to us, as much as they are committed to destroying that which is dear to you, and to all people," Clinton said.
"So this is our struggle as well, and we commend the Pakistani military for their courageous fight, and we commit to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistani people in your fight for peace and security."
Imran Khan, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Islamabad, said officials had told him that a car drove into a narrow and packed market place before exploding.
"The bomb disposal squad are at the location and are looking for clues as to what type of explosive was used," he said.
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, condemned the "appalling bomb attack".
"I want to express my outrage at the loss of so many innocent lives," he told a news conference in New York.
The blast comes as Pakistan's military is fighting members of the TTP in the country's semi-autonomous tribal region of South Waziristan.
The military launched its offensive nearly two weeks ago, pitting about 30,000 Pakistani troops against an estimated 10 to 12,000 Taliban fighters in South Waziristan.
'Reckless acts'
Tariq Azeem Khan, a Pakistani senator and a former minister of state for information, told Al Jazeera that the attack showed the Taliban were becoming "reckless" in their choice of targets.
"There's very little the government can do to try to protect every single shopping mall. It's a difficult task, but they are doing their best. Pakistan is paying a very high price at the moment.
Since the South Waziristan assault began, the military says it has killed at least 231 fighters, and lost 29 soldiers.
However, independent figures are impossible to come by as journalists and aid agencies are barred from the conflict zone.
More than 125,000 people have been registered as displaced by Pakistan's offensive since October 13, United Nations officials have said.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has said that humanitarian access to people in need remains the key challenge for agencies, given the volatile security environment in the displacement areas.
The military has given no figures for civilian casualties, but those fleeing say many people caught in the crossfire have been killed.
October 29, 2009
The Taliban and al-Qaeda have distanced themselves from Wednesday's deadly market blast in Peshawar that claimed 105 lives, saying "their main targets are the security forces, and not innocent civilians".
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in a statement sent to the media on Thursday, condemned the car bomb attack that tore through a crowded market and denied any involvement in the explosion.
However, Pakistani government officials have said the attack was in revenge for the army's offensive against Taliban fighters in South Waziristan, and that the military campaign would go on.
The attack on the busy Mina Bazaar, which also injured more than 200 people, was the deadliest to hit Pakistan this year.
Many of those killed were women and children and on Thursday, residents of the troubled city began burying the dead.
'Rogue elements'
Lieutenant-General Asad Durrani, the former head of Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence (ISI), told Al Jazeera the current situation in the country was grim and that it could take years for the situation to be brought under control.
Durrani said that rising civilian casualties were also eroding the support for the anti-government groups.
"The most dangerous category of groups are the so-called rogue elements, their agenda is neither Afghanistan-oriented nor Pakistan. They carry out certain acts and atrocities which makes the situation even more complex," he said.
Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner to the UK, told Al Jazeera: "The Taliban are losing the war, losing history. And while doing that they will kill as many as they would like to.
"But I can tell you, as our foreign minister said, we'll not buckle down. We fight them and we'll destroy them."
Clinton visit
The attack came as Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, touched down in Islamabad for talks with government officials.
Speaking in the Pakistani capital, she expressed her support for the military's offensive against the Taliban and pledging continued US assistance.
The blast hit a crowded market in the
old part of the city [AFP]
"These extremists are committed to destroying that which is dear to us, as much as they are committed to destroying that which is dear to you, and to all people," Clinton said.
"So this is our struggle as well, and we commend the Pakistani military for their courageous fight, and we commit to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistani people in your fight for peace and security."
Imran Khan, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Islamabad, said officials had told him that a car drove into a narrow and packed market place before exploding.
"The bomb disposal squad are at the location and are looking for clues as to what type of explosive was used," he said.
Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, condemned the "appalling bomb attack".
"I want to express my outrage at the loss of so many innocent lives," he told a news conference in New York.
The blast comes as Pakistan's military is fighting members of the TTP in the country's semi-autonomous tribal region of South Waziristan.
The military launched its offensive nearly two weeks ago, pitting about 30,000 Pakistani troops against an estimated 10 to 12,000 Taliban fighters in South Waziristan.
'Reckless acts'
Tariq Azeem Khan, a Pakistani senator and a former minister of state for information, told Al Jazeera that the attack showed the Taliban were becoming "reckless" in their choice of targets.
"There's very little the government can do to try to protect every single shopping mall. It's a difficult task, but they are doing their best. Pakistan is paying a very high price at the moment.
Since the South Waziristan assault began, the military says it has killed at least 231 fighters, and lost 29 soldiers.
However, independent figures are impossible to come by as journalists and aid agencies are barred from the conflict zone.
More than 125,000 people have been registered as displaced by Pakistan's offensive since October 13, United Nations officials have said.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has said that humanitarian access to people in need remains the key challenge for agencies, given the volatile security environment in the displacement areas.
The military has given no figures for civilian casualties, but those fleeing say many people caught in the crossfire have been killed.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Zardari prepares to sacrifice more Muslim soldiers for the sake of America's Raj
Saturday, 17 October 2009 12:17
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the early days of October 2009, the Zardari regime began to repeatedly announce the need for launching of military operations in Waziristan by the Pakistan Army. These announcements came both after months of the government laying siege against the Muslims of Waziristan, by cutting food and other essential supplies, and after Zardari received his orders from America during his extensive visit there. And these announcements coincided with a wave of horrific attacks with dozens of deaths, hundreds of gravely injured, immeasurable grief for the relatives of those affected and an atmosphere of fear and insecurity throughout the country. This violent wave comprised of an attack in a busy market in Peshawar, on 9 October, and then on the headquarters of the army itself, GHQ, in Rawalpindi on 10 October and then on an army convoy at a market crossroads in Shangla on 12 October 2009.
Just as it created confusion and fear before launching the Swat operations to prevent public reaction, Zardari's regime worked tirelessly to exploit the devastating attacks for America's agenda, regardless of who perpetrated these heinous crimes. It used the attacks to attempt to build support for operations in Waziristan, an area that has been the launching pad for significant attacks against the occupying forces of America in Afghanistan, which have bruised their ribs and gripped their hearts with fear.
As for the attacks themselves, we will take care to add here, that those who are well informed of the matters know that American intelligence has infiltrated both some elements from the Taliban, through Pakistan's agencies, and consequently it has infiltrated some elements of the al-Qa'idah organization, many years ago. Indeed, as early as July 2009, America's agent rulers were made aware of an impending attack on GHQ, but did not take the necessary precautions to prevent such an attack. Yet Zardari and his men only leapt into action from their deliberate slumber after the Muslims had begun counting their dead, crying out for the need of operations in Waziristan to please their American masters!
All this is in addition to Zardari strengthening America's physical and disruptive presence in Pakistan, under the guise of expansion of embassies, consulates and bases. America's own intelligence is now able to execute its strategy of bloody unrest throughout Pakistan, just as it has done everywhere from Central America, through the Middle East to South East Asia, whilst the American private military organizations, Dynacorp and Blackwater, whose list of crimes in Iraq is as long as it is brutal, roam the country without restrictions.
And we should know that Zardari and his henchmen provided these invaluable services to America at a most difficult time. America's armed forces are struggling in the hazardous quagmire of Afghanistan that threatens to end their occupation in disgrace. America's political leadership is struggling to find a way to save this failing crusade. Indeed, only within a few months of the US President Obama unveiling a "clear" "Af-Pak" strategy, he is now ruminating over making yet another "clear" strategy! On 16 September 2009, Obama said, "Certainly you don't make determinations about sending your men and women into battle - without having absolute clarity about what the strategy is going to be." But worn-out proposals such as boosting troop numbers, dividing the tribal resistance or tempting Taliban into the political process have been tried before and have only met failure.
So, were it not for Zardari and his men, America would have had no means to stay in Afghanistan as it wishes, faced with a fierce Muslim resistance that has prevented it from settling for over eight years. But thanks to Zardari, the Waziristan operations will now complement America's surge in Afghanistan, effectively surrounding the Muslim resistance. Moreover, Muslims will suffer further losses for the sake of America's security, just as they suffered during the operations in Swat. Muslims will be displaced from their homes, the country will be plunged into insecurity and the largest Muslim army, with hundreds of thousands of God-fearing men willing for martyrdom, will be reduced to a mercenary force to defend the cowardly American military forces from certain humiliation in Afghanistan. And Muslims on both sides will kill Muslims yet again to advance the aims of the kuffar, earning the anger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Allah سبحانه وتعالى said,
وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا
"And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his Recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allâh are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for Him." [Surah An-Nisa 4:93]
O Muslims of Pakistan!
For how long will you allow your rulers to use your strength for America's benefit? In the past, America exploited Pakistan's army, rich resources, brave people and ingenuity to help the Afghan Mujahiddeen defeat the Soviet Russians. Later, the US collaborated with Pakistan's elite to support the Taliban to foster stability in Afghanistan and act as a conduit for the transportation oil and gas from Central Asia. Then under Musharraf, it used Pakistan's resources to ensure American military occupation of Afghanistan. And today, America is conniving with the Zardari regime to confront the Afghan resistance and destroy it, establish a wide American presence within Pakistan and burn Pakistan's soldiers, the sons of the Muslims, as fuel for America's failing crusade. Indeed, your rulers have always harmed you through their alliance with America. Mr. Ten Percent, Zardari, in his greed for even more dollars invites you to join him in treachery by allying with America, even though Allah سبحانه وتعالى warned the Muslims,
مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ كَمَثَلِ الْعَنكَبُوتِ اتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ الْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
"The parable of those who seek allies from other than Allah is that of a spider who builds a house; but indeed, the weakest of houses is the spider's house - if they but knew." [Surah Al-Ankaboot 29:41]
The cure for this affliction is one: to remove the treacherous, corrupt Zardari and eradicate the colonialist system that will always bring agent rulers like him, and establish the Islamic Khilafah on its ruins, which will apply Islam, unify the entire Ummah and mobilize all the resources of the Muslims to end all crusader presence in Muslim Lands.
O People of Power! O Muslims of the Armed Forces!
How do you accept for your pure blood to be spilled for the sake of saving America? How do you accept to serve in any way the agenda of America, a crusader nation that has waged war on Muslims itself, supported the states of the Hindus and Jews against the Muslims and established a substantial presence within Pakistan to keep a wary eye on you, even whilst demanding that you assist her?! And dear brothers, you must know that obeying the orders and commands of agent rulers will not save you on the most important Day of days. Are you not afraid of Allah's wrath that befell those who disobeyed Allah but obeyed their leaders, who mislead them? They were all confined to hell-fire. Allah سبحانه وتعالى said,
يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا * وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا
"On the Day when their faces will be turned over in the Fire, they will say: "Oh, would that we had obeyed Allâh and obeyed the Messenger (Muhammad saw)" And they will say: "Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us from the way." [Surah al-Ahzab 33:66-67]
Remove Zardari now, grant the Nussrah to Hizb ut Tahrir for the establishment of Khilafah, so that you fall under the command of a sincere Khaleefah who will demand that all American intelligence and military leave the region, backing his words with force and deeds, a call which will rally the sincere from amongst the mujahideen, as well as earning the good will of the entire Ummah and the blessings of Allah. Allah سبحانه وتعالى said,
رَبِّ انصُرْنِي عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
"My Lord! Give me victory over the people who are corrupt." [Surah Al-Ankaboot 29:30]
Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Wilayah Pakistan
13 October 2009 CE
24 Shawwaal 1430 AH
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the early days of October 2009, the Zardari regime began to repeatedly announce the need for launching of military operations in Waziristan by the Pakistan Army. These announcements came both after months of the government laying siege against the Muslims of Waziristan, by cutting food and other essential supplies, and after Zardari received his orders from America during his extensive visit there. And these announcements coincided with a wave of horrific attacks with dozens of deaths, hundreds of gravely injured, immeasurable grief for the relatives of those affected and an atmosphere of fear and insecurity throughout the country. This violent wave comprised of an attack in a busy market in Peshawar, on 9 October, and then on the headquarters of the army itself, GHQ, in Rawalpindi on 10 October and then on an army convoy at a market crossroads in Shangla on 12 October 2009.
Just as it created confusion and fear before launching the Swat operations to prevent public reaction, Zardari's regime worked tirelessly to exploit the devastating attacks for America's agenda, regardless of who perpetrated these heinous crimes. It used the attacks to attempt to build support for operations in Waziristan, an area that has been the launching pad for significant attacks against the occupying forces of America in Afghanistan, which have bruised their ribs and gripped their hearts with fear.
As for the attacks themselves, we will take care to add here, that those who are well informed of the matters know that American intelligence has infiltrated both some elements from the Taliban, through Pakistan's agencies, and consequently it has infiltrated some elements of the al-Qa'idah organization, many years ago. Indeed, as early as July 2009, America's agent rulers were made aware of an impending attack on GHQ, but did not take the necessary precautions to prevent such an attack. Yet Zardari and his men only leapt into action from their deliberate slumber after the Muslims had begun counting their dead, crying out for the need of operations in Waziristan to please their American masters!
All this is in addition to Zardari strengthening America's physical and disruptive presence in Pakistan, under the guise of expansion of embassies, consulates and bases. America's own intelligence is now able to execute its strategy of bloody unrest throughout Pakistan, just as it has done everywhere from Central America, through the Middle East to South East Asia, whilst the American private military organizations, Dynacorp and Blackwater, whose list of crimes in Iraq is as long as it is brutal, roam the country without restrictions.
And we should know that Zardari and his henchmen provided these invaluable services to America at a most difficult time. America's armed forces are struggling in the hazardous quagmire of Afghanistan that threatens to end their occupation in disgrace. America's political leadership is struggling to find a way to save this failing crusade. Indeed, only within a few months of the US President Obama unveiling a "clear" "Af-Pak" strategy, he is now ruminating over making yet another "clear" strategy! On 16 September 2009, Obama said, "Certainly you don't make determinations about sending your men and women into battle - without having absolute clarity about what the strategy is going to be." But worn-out proposals such as boosting troop numbers, dividing the tribal resistance or tempting Taliban into the political process have been tried before and have only met failure.
So, were it not for Zardari and his men, America would have had no means to stay in Afghanistan as it wishes, faced with a fierce Muslim resistance that has prevented it from settling for over eight years. But thanks to Zardari, the Waziristan operations will now complement America's surge in Afghanistan, effectively surrounding the Muslim resistance. Moreover, Muslims will suffer further losses for the sake of America's security, just as they suffered during the operations in Swat. Muslims will be displaced from their homes, the country will be plunged into insecurity and the largest Muslim army, with hundreds of thousands of God-fearing men willing for martyrdom, will be reduced to a mercenary force to defend the cowardly American military forces from certain humiliation in Afghanistan. And Muslims on both sides will kill Muslims yet again to advance the aims of the kuffar, earning the anger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Allah سبحانه وتعالى said,
وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا
"And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his Recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of Allâh are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for Him." [Surah An-Nisa 4:93]
O Muslims of Pakistan!
For how long will you allow your rulers to use your strength for America's benefit? In the past, America exploited Pakistan's army, rich resources, brave people and ingenuity to help the Afghan Mujahiddeen defeat the Soviet Russians. Later, the US collaborated with Pakistan's elite to support the Taliban to foster stability in Afghanistan and act as a conduit for the transportation oil and gas from Central Asia. Then under Musharraf, it used Pakistan's resources to ensure American military occupation of Afghanistan. And today, America is conniving with the Zardari regime to confront the Afghan resistance and destroy it, establish a wide American presence within Pakistan and burn Pakistan's soldiers, the sons of the Muslims, as fuel for America's failing crusade. Indeed, your rulers have always harmed you through their alliance with America. Mr. Ten Percent, Zardari, in his greed for even more dollars invites you to join him in treachery by allying with America, even though Allah سبحانه وتعالى warned the Muslims,
مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ كَمَثَلِ الْعَنكَبُوتِ اتَّخَذَتْ بَيْتًا وَإِنَّ أَوْهَنَ الْبُيُوتِ لَبَيْتُ الْعَنْكَبُوتِ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ
"The parable of those who seek allies from other than Allah is that of a spider who builds a house; but indeed, the weakest of houses is the spider's house - if they but knew." [Surah Al-Ankaboot 29:41]
The cure for this affliction is one: to remove the treacherous, corrupt Zardari and eradicate the colonialist system that will always bring agent rulers like him, and establish the Islamic Khilafah on its ruins, which will apply Islam, unify the entire Ummah and mobilize all the resources of the Muslims to end all crusader presence in Muslim Lands.
O People of Power! O Muslims of the Armed Forces!
How do you accept for your pure blood to be spilled for the sake of saving America? How do you accept to serve in any way the agenda of America, a crusader nation that has waged war on Muslims itself, supported the states of the Hindus and Jews against the Muslims and established a substantial presence within Pakistan to keep a wary eye on you, even whilst demanding that you assist her?! And dear brothers, you must know that obeying the orders and commands of agent rulers will not save you on the most important Day of days. Are you not afraid of Allah's wrath that befell those who disobeyed Allah but obeyed their leaders, who mislead them? They were all confined to hell-fire. Allah سبحانه وتعالى said,
يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَا * وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا
"On the Day when their faces will be turned over in the Fire, they will say: "Oh, would that we had obeyed Allâh and obeyed the Messenger (Muhammad saw)" And they will say: "Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us from the way." [Surah al-Ahzab 33:66-67]
Remove Zardari now, grant the Nussrah to Hizb ut Tahrir for the establishment of Khilafah, so that you fall under the command of a sincere Khaleefah who will demand that all American intelligence and military leave the region, backing his words with force and deeds, a call which will rally the sincere from amongst the mujahideen, as well as earning the good will of the entire Ummah and the blessings of Allah. Allah سبحانه وتعالى said,
رَبِّ انصُرْنِي عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
"My Lord! Give me victory over the people who are corrupt." [Surah Al-Ankaboot 29:30]
Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Wilayah Pakistan
13 October 2009 CE
24 Shawwaal 1430 AH
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Military Resistance: 7I13:
Interviews With 6 Afghan Resistance Fighters:
“A Rare Chance To Understand How The Insurgents See This War, From The Collapse Of The Taliban, Through Their Revival And, Now, Their Budding Ascendancy”
“Oral History, Told Through The Words Of The Taliban Themselves”
Sep 26, 2009 By Sami Yousafzai and Ron Moreau, NEWSWEEK [Excerpts]
During wars and after them, the real voice of the enemy is rarely heard.
Propaganda is plentiful, as are prideful boasts — and the Taliban have certainly been quick studies at the modern art of information warfare.
But the fears and ambitions of ordinary fighters are too often buried under statistics and theories propounded from thousands of miles away.
To put together this remarkable oral history, told through the words of the Taliban themselves, NEWSWEEK turned to contributing correspondent Sami Yousafzai, who has been covering the conflict for the magazine since 2001.
Over that time he has developed and maintained contact with dozens of Afghan insurgents, including the six whose stories are told here.
Working with NEWSWEEK’s Ron Moreau, Yousafzai spent more than a month crisscrossing Afghanistan and Pakistan to meet these sources.
He has known them all for some time, and in the past their information has generally proved reliable.
While it’s impossible to confirm the credibility of everything they say, their stories offer a rare chance to understand how the insurgents see this war, from the collapse of the Taliban, through their revival and, now, their budding ascendancy.
*****************************************
Chapter One: The Fall
‘The bombs cut down our men like a reaper harvesting wheat. It felt like judgment day.’
Maulvi Abdul Rehman Akhundzada
HAQQANI: Two days before the September 11 attacks on America, we were all celebrating the death of (Northern Alliance commander Ahmed Shah) Masood. His forces were already on the verge of defeat, so his death all but assured us of total victory in Afghanistan.
But the September 11 attacks turned our cheer into deep concern. We gave those camels (a derogatory Afghan term for Arabs) free run of our country, and they brought us face to face with disaster.
We knew the Americans would attack us in revenge.
Realizing the danger, I immediately sent my wife and children to Pakistan. The entire government started to fall apart. I never thought the Taliban would collapse so quickly and cruelly under U.S. bombs.
Everyone began trying to save themselves and their families. When the bombing began, I changed out of my usual white mullah’s garb, put on an old brown shalwar kameez, and headed for Pakistan. I crossed the mountains on foot, and at the top I turned around and said: "God bless you, Afghanistan. I’ll never come back to you under our Islamic regime."
AKHUNDZADA: When the bombing started, I was commanding some 400 fighters on the front lines near Mazar-e Sharif. The bombs cut down our men like a reaper harvesting wheat. Bodies were dismembered. Dazed fighters were bleeding from the ears and nose from the bombs’ concussions. We couldn’t bury the dead. Our reinforcements died in their trenches.
I couldn’t bring myself to surrender, so I retreated with a few of my men in the confusion. Everything was against us. The highway south to Kabul through the Salang Tunnel was blocked. We walked four days in the deep snow without food or water. Kids started shooting at us from the hilltops, hunting us like wild animals.
By the fifth day I could barely walk.
I hid my weapon and walked to a village, saying I was a lost traveler and asking for food. The villagers fed me, but I had lost touch with my comrades. I walked on until a minibus came along; I aimed my gun at the driver and forced him to stop. The van was full of Taliban. They said they had no room for me, but I threatened to shoot out their tires unless they took me. I had to lie on the floor with their feet on my body. It was uncomfortable, but I was warm for the first time in days.
A group of local militiamen captured us the next morning at a checkpoint on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. We were nearly dead. Our mouths were dry and cracked, our lips bleeding. It felt like Judgment Day.
I lay in their filthy jail for a month before they let me go free, just after the Eid holidays. With the strength I had left, I made it to Peshawar. Our Islamic Emirate had collapsed with less than 40 days of resistance — I couldn’t accept that. Allah would let us rise again, I thought, because of all the blood we had spilled for Islam.
KHAN: After the mujahedin began retreating, Arabs, Chechens, and Taliban raced by our house and mosque in Ghazni in convoys of cars, pickups, and trucks, headed to Pakistan.
Almost immediately they started getting bombed. So they abandoned their vehicles and started walking, even the wounded. Some injured Taliban, and Arabs with their families, came to seek shelter at my father’s mosque. Other villagers wouldn’t help them. Only my father and I brought them food.
YOUNAS: When I was a child, my father was a mujahedin commander in the jihad against the Russians, and he sent our family for safety to an Afghan refugee camp in Wana, South Waziristan. After the Taliban’s victory (in 1996), he became an official in a ministry in Kabul. I used to visit him on holidays from Wana. The Islamic Emirate’s collapse was like a nightmare.
I watched as wounded, disabled, and defeated Taliban fighters straggled into Wana and the surrounding villages, along with Arabs, Chechens, and Uzbeks. Every morning as I went to school I could see them wandering around town, almost like homeless beggars. Little by little, the tribal people started helping them, giving them food. Some people even took them into their houses; at first these once proud jihadis survived, thanks to the people’s charity.
The Arabs were disappointed the Taliban hadn’t stood and fought. They told me they had wanted to fight to the death. They were clearly not as distressed as the Afghans. That was understandable.
The Arabs felt they had lost a battle.
But the Afghans were much more devastated — they had lost their country.
MASIHUDDIN: When the Taliban fell, I was a madrassa student in Nuristan. Since all the Taliban officials and militiamen had fled, I decided to continue my studies in Pakistan.
(Then-Pakistani president Pervez) Musharraf imposed new rules on the Pakistani madrassas (in 2002), including a ban on foreign students. So I went to a mosque in an outlying village (near Peshawar) to study and wait for the situation to improve. We were 10 students studying and sleeping in one small room. The people couldn’t afford to bring us food, so we often went without dinner. We rarely had electricity. Without a fan it was hard to study, even to sleep.
To make matters worse, the Peshawar police were harassing and arresting us. They didn’t hold us for long, though — I think they just wanted to frighten us. We began praying for the survival of the Taliban who had fled. There was no reason to pray for victory, since such a return seemed inconceivable.
HAQQANI: My father, brother, and family were at Mansehra (a town in northwestern Pakistan that is home to several Afghan refugee camps). But I realized it wouldn’t be wise to move in with them. Too many people knew who I was, and some had no love for the Taliban.
Instead I found a place to stay at a mosque nearby. I had to sneak over at midnight just to see my kids, like a thief. When I was visiting my daughter one night, she asked me about our Kabul home, why we didn’t have a car anymore. She complained that it was too hot in the refugee camp, and that she wanted to move back to the cool climate of Kabul. I couldn’t answer her.
But she could tell from my eyes how sad I was. I was a wreck — nervous, worried, and almost panic-stricken.
AKHUNDZADA: Once proud Taliban mullahs and fighters changed the way they dressed so they wouldn’t be recognized. No one wanted to be identified as a Talib.
Friends and relatives who had respected me while I was a commander now turned away. I had no money or job. I moved my family to a village in Punjab, far from Afghanistan, to become a day laborer, but I was a failure at it. I couldn’t speak the local language, and no one would hire me.
So I returned to Peshawar and started selling vegetables from a basket in the market. I began making money.
But I couldn’t get over the Taliban’s collapse, the death of my men.
My wife said I was crying in my sleep. I went to a doctor, who gave me some medicine. I was so distracted that when a customer would ask me for potatoes, I’d give him tomatoes.
Chapter Two: The Rebirth
‘The end of the Taliban was the start of my Jihadi career.’
Mullah Aga Mohammad
KHAN: Mullahs like my father became depressed. Under the Taliban they had been very influential, but after the collapse people paid less attention to them.
My father was so upset, he had a stroke that left him partially paralyzed.
At the end of 2002 the Afghan police raided our mosque. They grabbed my father and hauled him in front of the villagers, accusing him of being with the Taliban. They demanded to know where the Taliban’s weapons were stored. They personally insulted him and then threw him in jail. He was 70.
The faithful at our mosque went to the police and complained.
People who a few months before seemed to have turned against my father now supported him.
They said it was a disgrace for the police to have entered the mosque wearing their shoes, and to have arrested an old, crippled imam.
In early 2003 he died.
I was a just a kid, but the police arrested me too, twice — once from my house, once from the mosque.
They interrogated me, asking stupid questions like: "Where are the Taliban?" "Where are the weapons hidden?"
My family sold our motorbike to raise the money to free me. The police also arrested my brother, who was a schoolteacher. The police even arrested, insulted, and manhandled a 90-year-old mullah in our district.
People’s attitudes were changing; they were becoming angry at the police and the local officials for the disrespect they were showing toward mosques and mullahs.
YOUNAS: At first I didn’t hear the Afghans talking about going back to fight. But the Arabs did, and they encouraged the Afghans and the local tribal people not to give up. Nothing much happened for the first year or so, but then the Arabs started organizing some training camps. The first one I heard about was at Shin Warsak village, near Wana. When I had some time off from school, I decided to visit. I was really impressed. There was more than one camp. One was run by Arabs, and another by Chechens and Uzbeks.
Thanks to my madrassa studies I could speak Arabic; I made friends with Egyptians, Saudis, Libyans, and Yemenis. Nek Mohammad Wazir (a pro-Taliban Pakistani tribal leader who was killed by a June 2004 Predator strike) gave the Arabs places to train and access to weapons and other supplies. They moved openly on the main roads and in the towns and villages, showing no concern about security. I decided to leave my studies and join their resistance.
MOHAMMAD: The end of the Taliban was the start of my jihadi career. My father died in 1994, leaving me to take care of my mother, brothers, and sisters. So I’d had no time to join Mullah Omar’s movement. For years I had a very heavy conscience for having missed the jihad. After the collapse of the Taliban in late 2001, many injured and traumatized mujahedin began coming to the mosque in Peshawar where I was the imam. Some of the worshipers asked me outright why I hadn’t fought in the jihad like these men.
I needed to make up for not joining the fight. I started asking around if the mujahedin were still active, but no one could give me a real answer. Then one day I heard about a young Afghan named Azizullah who had been in the resistance — he’s in jail now in Afghanistan.
I went to his house, and told him I wanted to help the resistance against the Americans if it was forming. He lied, saying he was only a poor man and had nothing to do with jihad. Then one day I saw him walking to the mosque. I joined him. He was still hesitant, but finally he said he could help. He gave me directions to a militant camp in Waziristan and a letter of introduction.
HAQQANI: In early 2003 my family and I moved to a rented house near Peshawar. It was the first time I was living in my own house since 2001. I put my white clerical outfit back on. And suddenly the Taliban’s defense minister, Mullah Obaidullah, came to see me — the first senior Taliban leader I had seen since our collapse. He was traveling around Pakistan to rally our dispersed forces.
Half the Taliban leadership was back in touch with each other, he said, and they were determined to start a resistance movement to expel the Americans.
I didn’t think it was possible, but he assured me I could help.
He said to meet him again in two weeks, and gave me an address. I was surprised at the number and rank of the people I found at the meeting. There were former senior ministers and military commanders, all sitting together, all eager to resist the Americans.
Obaidullah told me: "We don’t need you as a deputy minister or bureaucrat. We want you to bring as many fighters as you can into the field."
AKHUNDZADA: One day a man came to buy vegetables — a mullah who had worked with our jihad in northern Afghanistan for years. We recognized each other.
He asked me what I wanted to do: keep selling potatoes or go back to the jihad.
I was making about 2,000 rupees ($33) a day, which was good, but I wanted to rejoin the struggle.
We went to a meeting at night near Peshawar, and I couldn’t believe what I saw: my top commander (from the northern front), Mullah Dadullah! He was my ideal; his name meant victory for us.
My interest in the vegetable business disappeared. After six or seven months I was called to Miran Shah (in North Waziristan). Dadullah (who would be killed in May 2007) was there; so were Akhtar Mohammad Osmani (who would be killed in December 2006) and our defense minister, Mullah Obaidullah (who would be captured by Pakistani forces in March 2007).
It was decided that each commander should go find his former soldiers and prepare to return to Afghanistan to fight.
I was sent to Quetta, where survivors from my unit had settled. There had been 400 fighters under my command. In Quetta I found 15 of them.
They embraced me and the idea of returning to free our land of the American invaders.
In North Waziristan we trained, re-equipped, recruited more men, and got ready to return to Afghanistan.
Chapter Three: The Taliban Surge
‘After these first few attacks, God seems to have opened channels of money for us.’
Qari Younas
YOUNAS: One night in April (2003), we crossed the border in five pickups and one larger truck.
Once we were safely across, we sent the vehicles back to wait for us on the Pakistan side.
Our target was a U.S. base just across the border at Machda in Paktika province. We attacked at dawn. I think we really surprised them. We shelled them with 122mm rockets and mortars for about 30 minutes. But we didn’t get close enough to fire our Kalashnikovs; before we could move in, American helicopters came, raining rockets and bullets on us. Terrified, I crawled and ran to escape death. Amid the noise and explosions, dust and smoke, I remember seeing six of us cut down and killed: two Arabs, three tribals, and an Afghan.
Still, I was strangely exhilarated.
We showed our resolve by fighting, by taking a stand.
We knew we’d be back.
We carried the stiff and bloodied bodies of our martyrs back to Wana. Thousands of locals attended their funerals, saying it was an honor to witness the burial of these martyrs. People brought flowers, ribbons, colored cloth, and flags to decorate their graves.
As the news traveled, a lot of former Taliban began returning to Wana to join us.
KHAN: By the middle of 2004, we were hearing rumors that the Taliban were operating once again in Ghazni. Friends and relatives in other rural districts were saying that armed men were beginning to show up in villages at night on motorbikes.
Within a few months, signs of them began appearing everywhere.
At first we saw shabnama ("night letters") that the Taliban were leaving in shops, mosques, and other public places warning people not to cooperate with Karzai and the Americans. By the beginning of 2005 the Taliban began targeted killings of police officers, government officials, spies, and elders who were working with the Americans.
One night around midnight someone knocked on the door of our house. We were terrified, fearing that the police had come back to arrest me or my brother once again.
But when we opened the door, it was one of my father’s former students. He had a Kalashnikov on his shoulder and was a Taliban subcommander already.
The two other Taliban he was with also carried AKs and had several hand grenades attached to their belts.
This was my first encounter with the Taliban since the defeat. We invited them to spend the night. Early the next morning I accompanied them to the mosque. My father’s former student read out the names of those he accused of having betrayed Islam by following Karzai and the infidels. He warned them to cease all contact and to quit any job they may have had with the government or the Americans. He ended by saying he would return in one week.
MOHAMMAD: Those first groups crossing the border were almost totally sponsored, organized, and led by Arab mujahedin. The Afghan Taliban were weak and disorganized.
But slowly the situation began to change.
American operations that harassed villagers, bombings that killed civilians, and Karzai’s corrupt police and officials were alienating villagers and turning them in our favor.
Soon we didn’t have to hide so much on our raids. We came openly.
When they saw us, villagers started preparing green tea and food for us.
The tables were turning. Karzai’s police and officials mostly hid in their district compounds like prisoners.
YOUNAS: Our real jihad was beginning by the start of 2005.
Jalaluddin Haqqani’s tribal fighters came actively back to our side because the Americans and the Pakistanis had arrested his brother and other relatives. He appointed his son Sirajuddin to lead the resistance.
That was a real turning point.
Until then villagers in Paktia, Paktika, and Khost thought the Taliban was defeated and finished. They had started joining the militias formed by the Americans and local warlords, and were informing on us and working against us. But with the support of Haqqani’s men we began capturing, judging, and beheading some of those Afghans who worked with the Americans and Karzai. Terrorized, their families and relatives left the villages and moved to the towns, even to Kabul. Our control was slowly being restored.
KHAN: My father’s former student returned as promised a week later. I decided to join him. I helped assassinate those people who had continued their contacts with the government and the Americans. I didn’t want to kill, but I was determined to bring back our Islamic regime and get rid of the Americans and the traitors allied with them.
By the end of 2005 the Taliban’s ranks in Ghazni were increasing.
There were new recruits like me and more former Taliban returning home from Pakistan.
At the same time, we started receiving shipments of RPGs, rockets, mines, and bombs, most of which were old and rusty. My group only had three RPG launchers and only one mortar tube, and a few rounds for each. We had a few rusty Russian mines that only worked about 30 percent of the time. So we could only carry out very quick and limited attacks on convoys, construction crews, and district compounds.
At first we didn’t have much success. But we were learning.
Just firing a mortar, even if it didn’t hit the target, was a big deal: it proved to everyone we were there and were a force to be respected.
The Americans and their Afghan allies made mistakes after mistake, killing and arresting innocent people.
There was one village in Dayak district near Ghazni City where the people had communist backgrounds, from the days of the Russians, and had never supported us.
But the police raided the village, beat the elders at a mosque and arrested them, accusing them of being Taliban.
They were freed after heavy bribes were paid.
After that incident the whole village sent us a message asking forgiveness for the abuses of the communist era.
AKHUNDZADA: There are famous Taliban poems about how mujahedin come to free villages from occupiers at the point of a bayonet.
I began living that poem.
My body and mind got stronger and my mental problems disappeared.
As word of our success traveled, I was able to organize another group of new, young recruits.
They were smarter, more spirited, and better motivated than my former Taliban fighters.
Still, we lacked weapons and money. So I visited Mullah Dadullah. He had gone into Helmand province in early 2006 with 30 people. When he returned months later, he had organized 300 sub-commanders who each had dozens of troops. His return was like the arrival of rain after five years of drought.
I gave him a list of our needs. Even before he read the list, he smiled and said: "Whether I am alive or dead, remember this: the resistance will become greater than your greatest expectations. We will return to control Afghanistan." The next day he called me, took a page out of a notebook, wrote something on it, and gave it to me. The note said to go and see this guy and he will help you. Back in Pakistan, I found the man. He kissed Dadullah’s letter.
After two weeks this man had provided me with all the guns, weapons, and supplies I had requested. Dadullah gave such letters to many people.
MOHAMMAD: Once we sent a shipment for the making of IEDs to our forces in Zabul province. For some reason we forgot to include the remote-control devices. I got an urgent call from the commander asking me to quickly send the missing items. So I hid the remotes among some books and clothes in several travel bags. At Torkham (the Khyber Pass crossing), the police asked me to open the bags. At first I thought I should flee. But where could I run? I started searching for the key to open the bags. There was a long customs queue. The impatient policeman finally said: "You’re taking too long. Get out of here."
Another night I was in a hotel in Kabul on a mission to smuggle remote devices and explosives. Afghan police and intelligence were checking all the travelers staying in the hotel. My fellow mujahedin and I hid the bags containing the remotes in the bathroom. The police checked our luggage and pockets. But God blinded their eyes to the bathroom. If they had found the devices I would have ended up in jail for life. All these close calls strengthened my faith and my commitment to the jihad.
HAQQANI: In 2007 I returned to Afghanistan for the first time. I visited the south and spoke to Taliban units, to elders and villagers, and raised new recruits. Mullah Omar has entrusted me with the job of touring towns and villages on both sides of the border to encourage people to support, contribute to, and join the jihad.
Between 2006 and 2009 I have personally raised hundreds of new recruits to join the resistance. (In August) I traveled to eight Afghan provinces in 20 days.
The unpopularity of the Karzai regime helps us immensely. In 2005 some Afghans thought Karzai would bring positive change. But now most Afghans believe the Taliban are the future.
The resistance is getting stronger day by day.
Chapter Four: We Get Stronger Every Day
‘We were born here. We will die here. We aren’t going anywhere.’
Mullah Aga Mohammad
MASIHUDDIN: That base on top of the mountain (in Barge Matal) had to go. The Americans there were monitoring our phone calls and walkie-talkies, and they ran intelligence operations with Afghan spies from there.
So (last June) we began carefully planning an attack. One of our men said that the mission would be hard even if the Americans only threw stones at us, as we’d be attacking up a steep mountain. Everyone laughed at him, but we knew there was some truth in what he said.
I asked for volunteers, and everyone signed up.
As usual we prepared a medical team, including donkeys and stretchers to evacuate our wounded.
But as I divided up weapons, ammunition, explosives, and communications gear, it started to rain heavily. The Americans have heavy boots and other mountain equipment that allows them to move up and down the steep rocks. But our men mostly wear leather sandals that don’t give us any grip. So we postponed the attack for two weeks.
KHAN: Fighting the Americans is not easy. One night in the summer of 2007, my commander, Mullah Nurla, was killed in an American raid on his house. Other Americans killed 12 of our commanders. All the raids came between midnight and dawn.
We found out that the Americans were finding us by tracing our cell-phone calls, and by calls from spies giving away our locations. So we forced the cell companies to stop all transmissions from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
We still worry about helicopters and bombers, but we are suffering fewer American night raids. I think they just don’t have the intelligence they used to have.
Fewer people are willing to cooperate with them and betray us.
Our men, on the other hand, are watching American bases 24 hours a day.
They inform us of American movements.
We used to hit the Americans with roadside bombs and then disappear. Now when we explode an IED, we follow that with AK and RPG fire.
We now have more destructive IEDs, mostly ammonium-nitrate bombs that we mix with aluminum shards.
We get regular deliveries of these fertilizers, explosives, fuses, detonators, and remote controls. One heavy shipment is on its way right now. I think we are better at making IEDs now than the Arabs who first taught us.
HAQQANI: I admit Taliban commanders are being captured and killed, but that hasn’t stopped us, and it won’t.
Our jihad is more solid and deep than individual commanders and fighters — and we are not dependent on foreigners, on the ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence agency), or Al Qaeda.
Personally I think all this talk about Al Qaeda being strong is U.S. propaganda.
As far as I know, Al Qaeda is weak, and they are few in numbers.
Now that we control large amounts of territory, we should have a strict code of conduct for any foreigners working with us. We can no longer allow these camels to roam freely without bridles and control.
MASIHUDDIN: Late Friday afternoon, after prayers, we began to move.
We slowly sent our people up the mountain as the shadows lengthened. The mujahedin climbed slowly, steadily. We waited quietly on the ridgeline overnight without fires for warmth or to cook food. We’ve learned that the Americans are always listening for the smallest sound.
I gave the signal to attack just before sunrise. We started with our mortar and rocket teams shelling the base from the surrounding hilltops.
By dawn our mujahedin were almost hugging the base’s outer walls. We killed a number of Afghan Army soldiers, and one U.S. soldier who may have been hit in a guard tower.
As we fought, our video team filmed our advance. Our mortars, rockets, and RPGs destroyed most of one outer defensive wall.
We yelled to those inside to come out and surrender. No one came out. So we set fire to one side of the post and moved around to wait on the opposite side. The smoke forced some, if not all, of the soldiers to abandon the post. During the attack we didn’t lose any fighters.
Then American helicopters arrived, firing rockets and machine guns. We fought until sunset. We lost 12 Taliban to martyrdom, largely to the helicopter fire that comes down like heavy rain.
We cannot compare our military strength to that of the Americans.
But we have learned how to stay protected behind rocks and mountains.
Even with all their advanced technology, we forced them to withdraw and captured that base. (Coalition forces retook the post three days later and later abandoned it; a U.S. chronology of the battle differs in some details.)
YOUNAS: Not long ago, when one of my younger brothers got married, my mother asked me: "Boy, when will you marry?" I told her that the day I help to bring the Taliban back to Kabul and restore the Islamic Emirate is the day I will marry. That day may be far away, but I know it will come.
KHAN: The Americans talk about getting Taliban to leave the jihad for their dollars. That’s ridiculous. I was engaged to be married a year ago, but I don’t have the $1,500 bride price to give to the girl’s father or the $500 for the wedding. If I had money, I would not delay my marriage. Who would marry me? You’d be surprised.
The people here are not worried about giving their daughter or sister to Taliban, who can get killed within one week of the wedding. They are happy to be part of the jihad.
It’s not easy being in the Taliban.
It’s like wearing a jacket of fire.
You have to leave your family and live with the knowledge that you can be killed at any time.
The Americans can capture you and put you in dog cages in Bagram and Guantánamo. You can’t expect any quick medical treatment if you’re wounded. You don’t have any money.
Yet when I tell new recruits what they are facing they still freely put on this jacket of fire.
All this builds my confidence that we will never lose this war.
MOHAMMAD: We never worry about time. We will fight until victory no matter how long it takes. The U.S. has the weapons, but we are prepared for a long and tireless jihad.
We were born here. We will die here. We aren’t going anywhere.
MASIHUDDIN: In the south the mujahedin have adjusted to Obama’s new crusade by making some small strategic withdrawals and fighting back mostly with IEDs.
But we mujahedin in Kunar and Nuristan are lucky. These mountains and forests are our protectors. Trees and rocks shelter us everywhere.
The Americans can’t match us here.
Two or three years ago, U.S. soldiers in the region acted as if they were on holiday.
They were taking videos and photos of themselves and walking in the mountains for fun. They were playing games in the open.
Those days are over.
Now they are forced to keep their fingers on their triggers 24 hours a day.
AKHUNDZADA: Sometimes I think what’s happened is like a dream.
I thought my beard would be white by the time I saw what I am seeing now, but my beard is still black, and we get stronger every day.
“A Rare Chance To Understand How The Insurgents See This War, From The Collapse Of The Taliban, Through Their Revival And, Now, Their Budding Ascendancy”
“Oral History, Told Through The Words Of The Taliban Themselves”
Sep 26, 2009 By Sami Yousafzai and Ron Moreau, NEWSWEEK [Excerpts]
During wars and after them, the real voice of the enemy is rarely heard.
Propaganda is plentiful, as are prideful boasts — and the Taliban have certainly been quick studies at the modern art of information warfare.
But the fears and ambitions of ordinary fighters are too often buried under statistics and theories propounded from thousands of miles away.
To put together this remarkable oral history, told through the words of the Taliban themselves, NEWSWEEK turned to contributing correspondent Sami Yousafzai, who has been covering the conflict for the magazine since 2001.
Over that time he has developed and maintained contact with dozens of Afghan insurgents, including the six whose stories are told here.
Working with NEWSWEEK’s Ron Moreau, Yousafzai spent more than a month crisscrossing Afghanistan and Pakistan to meet these sources.
He has known them all for some time, and in the past their information has generally proved reliable.
While it’s impossible to confirm the credibility of everything they say, their stories offer a rare chance to understand how the insurgents see this war, from the collapse of the Taliban, through their revival and, now, their budding ascendancy.
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Chapter One: The Fall
‘The bombs cut down our men like a reaper harvesting wheat. It felt like judgment day.’
Maulvi Abdul Rehman Akhundzada
HAQQANI: Two days before the September 11 attacks on America, we were all celebrating the death of (Northern Alliance commander Ahmed Shah) Masood. His forces were already on the verge of defeat, so his death all but assured us of total victory in Afghanistan.
But the September 11 attacks turned our cheer into deep concern. We gave those camels (a derogatory Afghan term for Arabs) free run of our country, and they brought us face to face with disaster.
We knew the Americans would attack us in revenge.
Realizing the danger, I immediately sent my wife and children to Pakistan. The entire government started to fall apart. I never thought the Taliban would collapse so quickly and cruelly under U.S. bombs.
Everyone began trying to save themselves and their families. When the bombing began, I changed out of my usual white mullah’s garb, put on an old brown shalwar kameez, and headed for Pakistan. I crossed the mountains on foot, and at the top I turned around and said: "God bless you, Afghanistan. I’ll never come back to you under our Islamic regime."
AKHUNDZADA: When the bombing started, I was commanding some 400 fighters on the front lines near Mazar-e Sharif. The bombs cut down our men like a reaper harvesting wheat. Bodies were dismembered. Dazed fighters were bleeding from the ears and nose from the bombs’ concussions. We couldn’t bury the dead. Our reinforcements died in their trenches.
I couldn’t bring myself to surrender, so I retreated with a few of my men in the confusion. Everything was against us. The highway south to Kabul through the Salang Tunnel was blocked. We walked four days in the deep snow without food or water. Kids started shooting at us from the hilltops, hunting us like wild animals.
By the fifth day I could barely walk.
I hid my weapon and walked to a village, saying I was a lost traveler and asking for food. The villagers fed me, but I had lost touch with my comrades. I walked on until a minibus came along; I aimed my gun at the driver and forced him to stop. The van was full of Taliban. They said they had no room for me, but I threatened to shoot out their tires unless they took me. I had to lie on the floor with their feet on my body. It was uncomfortable, but I was warm for the first time in days.
A group of local militiamen captured us the next morning at a checkpoint on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. We were nearly dead. Our mouths were dry and cracked, our lips bleeding. It felt like Judgment Day.
I lay in their filthy jail for a month before they let me go free, just after the Eid holidays. With the strength I had left, I made it to Peshawar. Our Islamic Emirate had collapsed with less than 40 days of resistance — I couldn’t accept that. Allah would let us rise again, I thought, because of all the blood we had spilled for Islam.
KHAN: After the mujahedin began retreating, Arabs, Chechens, and Taliban raced by our house and mosque in Ghazni in convoys of cars, pickups, and trucks, headed to Pakistan.
Almost immediately they started getting bombed. So they abandoned their vehicles and started walking, even the wounded. Some injured Taliban, and Arabs with their families, came to seek shelter at my father’s mosque. Other villagers wouldn’t help them. Only my father and I brought them food.
YOUNAS: When I was a child, my father was a mujahedin commander in the jihad against the Russians, and he sent our family for safety to an Afghan refugee camp in Wana, South Waziristan. After the Taliban’s victory (in 1996), he became an official in a ministry in Kabul. I used to visit him on holidays from Wana. The Islamic Emirate’s collapse was like a nightmare.
I watched as wounded, disabled, and defeated Taliban fighters straggled into Wana and the surrounding villages, along with Arabs, Chechens, and Uzbeks. Every morning as I went to school I could see them wandering around town, almost like homeless beggars. Little by little, the tribal people started helping them, giving them food. Some people even took them into their houses; at first these once proud jihadis survived, thanks to the people’s charity.
The Arabs were disappointed the Taliban hadn’t stood and fought. They told me they had wanted to fight to the death. They were clearly not as distressed as the Afghans. That was understandable.
The Arabs felt they had lost a battle.
But the Afghans were much more devastated — they had lost their country.
MASIHUDDIN: When the Taliban fell, I was a madrassa student in Nuristan. Since all the Taliban officials and militiamen had fled, I decided to continue my studies in Pakistan.
(Then-Pakistani president Pervez) Musharraf imposed new rules on the Pakistani madrassas (in 2002), including a ban on foreign students. So I went to a mosque in an outlying village (near Peshawar) to study and wait for the situation to improve. We were 10 students studying and sleeping in one small room. The people couldn’t afford to bring us food, so we often went without dinner. We rarely had electricity. Without a fan it was hard to study, even to sleep.
To make matters worse, the Peshawar police were harassing and arresting us. They didn’t hold us for long, though — I think they just wanted to frighten us. We began praying for the survival of the Taliban who had fled. There was no reason to pray for victory, since such a return seemed inconceivable.
HAQQANI: My father, brother, and family were at Mansehra (a town in northwestern Pakistan that is home to several Afghan refugee camps). But I realized it wouldn’t be wise to move in with them. Too many people knew who I was, and some had no love for the Taliban.
Instead I found a place to stay at a mosque nearby. I had to sneak over at midnight just to see my kids, like a thief. When I was visiting my daughter one night, she asked me about our Kabul home, why we didn’t have a car anymore. She complained that it was too hot in the refugee camp, and that she wanted to move back to the cool climate of Kabul. I couldn’t answer her.
But she could tell from my eyes how sad I was. I was a wreck — nervous, worried, and almost panic-stricken.
AKHUNDZADA: Once proud Taliban mullahs and fighters changed the way they dressed so they wouldn’t be recognized. No one wanted to be identified as a Talib.
Friends and relatives who had respected me while I was a commander now turned away. I had no money or job. I moved my family to a village in Punjab, far from Afghanistan, to become a day laborer, but I was a failure at it. I couldn’t speak the local language, and no one would hire me.
So I returned to Peshawar and started selling vegetables from a basket in the market. I began making money.
But I couldn’t get over the Taliban’s collapse, the death of my men.
My wife said I was crying in my sleep. I went to a doctor, who gave me some medicine. I was so distracted that when a customer would ask me for potatoes, I’d give him tomatoes.
Chapter Two: The Rebirth
‘The end of the Taliban was the start of my Jihadi career.’
Mullah Aga Mohammad
KHAN: Mullahs like my father became depressed. Under the Taliban they had been very influential, but after the collapse people paid less attention to them.
My father was so upset, he had a stroke that left him partially paralyzed.
At the end of 2002 the Afghan police raided our mosque. They grabbed my father and hauled him in front of the villagers, accusing him of being with the Taliban. They demanded to know where the Taliban’s weapons were stored. They personally insulted him and then threw him in jail. He was 70.
The faithful at our mosque went to the police and complained.
People who a few months before seemed to have turned against my father now supported him.
They said it was a disgrace for the police to have entered the mosque wearing their shoes, and to have arrested an old, crippled imam.
In early 2003 he died.
I was a just a kid, but the police arrested me too, twice — once from my house, once from the mosque.
They interrogated me, asking stupid questions like: "Where are the Taliban?" "Where are the weapons hidden?"
My family sold our motorbike to raise the money to free me. The police also arrested my brother, who was a schoolteacher. The police even arrested, insulted, and manhandled a 90-year-old mullah in our district.
People’s attitudes were changing; they were becoming angry at the police and the local officials for the disrespect they were showing toward mosques and mullahs.
YOUNAS: At first I didn’t hear the Afghans talking about going back to fight. But the Arabs did, and they encouraged the Afghans and the local tribal people not to give up. Nothing much happened for the first year or so, but then the Arabs started organizing some training camps. The first one I heard about was at Shin Warsak village, near Wana. When I had some time off from school, I decided to visit. I was really impressed. There was more than one camp. One was run by Arabs, and another by Chechens and Uzbeks.
Thanks to my madrassa studies I could speak Arabic; I made friends with Egyptians, Saudis, Libyans, and Yemenis. Nek Mohammad Wazir (a pro-Taliban Pakistani tribal leader who was killed by a June 2004 Predator strike) gave the Arabs places to train and access to weapons and other supplies. They moved openly on the main roads and in the towns and villages, showing no concern about security. I decided to leave my studies and join their resistance.
MOHAMMAD: The end of the Taliban was the start of my jihadi career. My father died in 1994, leaving me to take care of my mother, brothers, and sisters. So I’d had no time to join Mullah Omar’s movement. For years I had a very heavy conscience for having missed the jihad. After the collapse of the Taliban in late 2001, many injured and traumatized mujahedin began coming to the mosque in Peshawar where I was the imam. Some of the worshipers asked me outright why I hadn’t fought in the jihad like these men.
I needed to make up for not joining the fight. I started asking around if the mujahedin were still active, but no one could give me a real answer. Then one day I heard about a young Afghan named Azizullah who had been in the resistance — he’s in jail now in Afghanistan.
I went to his house, and told him I wanted to help the resistance against the Americans if it was forming. He lied, saying he was only a poor man and had nothing to do with jihad. Then one day I saw him walking to the mosque. I joined him. He was still hesitant, but finally he said he could help. He gave me directions to a militant camp in Waziristan and a letter of introduction.
HAQQANI: In early 2003 my family and I moved to a rented house near Peshawar. It was the first time I was living in my own house since 2001. I put my white clerical outfit back on. And suddenly the Taliban’s defense minister, Mullah Obaidullah, came to see me — the first senior Taliban leader I had seen since our collapse. He was traveling around Pakistan to rally our dispersed forces.
Half the Taliban leadership was back in touch with each other, he said, and they were determined to start a resistance movement to expel the Americans.
I didn’t think it was possible, but he assured me I could help.
He said to meet him again in two weeks, and gave me an address. I was surprised at the number and rank of the people I found at the meeting. There were former senior ministers and military commanders, all sitting together, all eager to resist the Americans.
Obaidullah told me: "We don’t need you as a deputy minister or bureaucrat. We want you to bring as many fighters as you can into the field."
AKHUNDZADA: One day a man came to buy vegetables — a mullah who had worked with our jihad in northern Afghanistan for years. We recognized each other.
He asked me what I wanted to do: keep selling potatoes or go back to the jihad.
I was making about 2,000 rupees ($33) a day, which was good, but I wanted to rejoin the struggle.
We went to a meeting at night near Peshawar, and I couldn’t believe what I saw: my top commander (from the northern front), Mullah Dadullah! He was my ideal; his name meant victory for us.
My interest in the vegetable business disappeared. After six or seven months I was called to Miran Shah (in North Waziristan). Dadullah (who would be killed in May 2007) was there; so were Akhtar Mohammad Osmani (who would be killed in December 2006) and our defense minister, Mullah Obaidullah (who would be captured by Pakistani forces in March 2007).
It was decided that each commander should go find his former soldiers and prepare to return to Afghanistan to fight.
I was sent to Quetta, where survivors from my unit had settled. There had been 400 fighters under my command. In Quetta I found 15 of them.
They embraced me and the idea of returning to free our land of the American invaders.
In North Waziristan we trained, re-equipped, recruited more men, and got ready to return to Afghanistan.
Chapter Three: The Taliban Surge
‘After these first few attacks, God seems to have opened channels of money for us.’
Qari Younas
YOUNAS: One night in April (2003), we crossed the border in five pickups and one larger truck.
Once we were safely across, we sent the vehicles back to wait for us on the Pakistan side.
Our target was a U.S. base just across the border at Machda in Paktika province. We attacked at dawn. I think we really surprised them. We shelled them with 122mm rockets and mortars for about 30 minutes. But we didn’t get close enough to fire our Kalashnikovs; before we could move in, American helicopters came, raining rockets and bullets on us. Terrified, I crawled and ran to escape death. Amid the noise and explosions, dust and smoke, I remember seeing six of us cut down and killed: two Arabs, three tribals, and an Afghan.
Still, I was strangely exhilarated.
We showed our resolve by fighting, by taking a stand.
We knew we’d be back.
We carried the stiff and bloodied bodies of our martyrs back to Wana. Thousands of locals attended their funerals, saying it was an honor to witness the burial of these martyrs. People brought flowers, ribbons, colored cloth, and flags to decorate their graves.
As the news traveled, a lot of former Taliban began returning to Wana to join us.
KHAN: By the middle of 2004, we were hearing rumors that the Taliban were operating once again in Ghazni. Friends and relatives in other rural districts were saying that armed men were beginning to show up in villages at night on motorbikes.
Within a few months, signs of them began appearing everywhere.
At first we saw shabnama ("night letters") that the Taliban were leaving in shops, mosques, and other public places warning people not to cooperate with Karzai and the Americans. By the beginning of 2005 the Taliban began targeted killings of police officers, government officials, spies, and elders who were working with the Americans.
One night around midnight someone knocked on the door of our house. We were terrified, fearing that the police had come back to arrest me or my brother once again.
But when we opened the door, it was one of my father’s former students. He had a Kalashnikov on his shoulder and was a Taliban subcommander already.
The two other Taliban he was with also carried AKs and had several hand grenades attached to their belts.
This was my first encounter with the Taliban since the defeat. We invited them to spend the night. Early the next morning I accompanied them to the mosque. My father’s former student read out the names of those he accused of having betrayed Islam by following Karzai and the infidels. He warned them to cease all contact and to quit any job they may have had with the government or the Americans. He ended by saying he would return in one week.
MOHAMMAD: Those first groups crossing the border were almost totally sponsored, organized, and led by Arab mujahedin. The Afghan Taliban were weak and disorganized.
But slowly the situation began to change.
American operations that harassed villagers, bombings that killed civilians, and Karzai’s corrupt police and officials were alienating villagers and turning them in our favor.
Soon we didn’t have to hide so much on our raids. We came openly.
When they saw us, villagers started preparing green tea and food for us.
The tables were turning. Karzai’s police and officials mostly hid in their district compounds like prisoners.
YOUNAS: Our real jihad was beginning by the start of 2005.
Jalaluddin Haqqani’s tribal fighters came actively back to our side because the Americans and the Pakistanis had arrested his brother and other relatives. He appointed his son Sirajuddin to lead the resistance.
That was a real turning point.
Until then villagers in Paktia, Paktika, and Khost thought the Taliban was defeated and finished. They had started joining the militias formed by the Americans and local warlords, and were informing on us and working against us. But with the support of Haqqani’s men we began capturing, judging, and beheading some of those Afghans who worked with the Americans and Karzai. Terrorized, their families and relatives left the villages and moved to the towns, even to Kabul. Our control was slowly being restored.
KHAN: My father’s former student returned as promised a week later. I decided to join him. I helped assassinate those people who had continued their contacts with the government and the Americans. I didn’t want to kill, but I was determined to bring back our Islamic regime and get rid of the Americans and the traitors allied with them.
By the end of 2005 the Taliban’s ranks in Ghazni were increasing.
There were new recruits like me and more former Taliban returning home from Pakistan.
At the same time, we started receiving shipments of RPGs, rockets, mines, and bombs, most of which were old and rusty. My group only had three RPG launchers and only one mortar tube, and a few rounds for each. We had a few rusty Russian mines that only worked about 30 percent of the time. So we could only carry out very quick and limited attacks on convoys, construction crews, and district compounds.
At first we didn’t have much success. But we were learning.
Just firing a mortar, even if it didn’t hit the target, was a big deal: it proved to everyone we were there and were a force to be respected.
The Americans and their Afghan allies made mistakes after mistake, killing and arresting innocent people.
There was one village in Dayak district near Ghazni City where the people had communist backgrounds, from the days of the Russians, and had never supported us.
But the police raided the village, beat the elders at a mosque and arrested them, accusing them of being Taliban.
They were freed after heavy bribes were paid.
After that incident the whole village sent us a message asking forgiveness for the abuses of the communist era.
AKHUNDZADA: There are famous Taliban poems about how mujahedin come to free villages from occupiers at the point of a bayonet.
I began living that poem.
My body and mind got stronger and my mental problems disappeared.
As word of our success traveled, I was able to organize another group of new, young recruits.
They were smarter, more spirited, and better motivated than my former Taliban fighters.
Still, we lacked weapons and money. So I visited Mullah Dadullah. He had gone into Helmand province in early 2006 with 30 people. When he returned months later, he had organized 300 sub-commanders who each had dozens of troops. His return was like the arrival of rain after five years of drought.
I gave him a list of our needs. Even before he read the list, he smiled and said: "Whether I am alive or dead, remember this: the resistance will become greater than your greatest expectations. We will return to control Afghanistan." The next day he called me, took a page out of a notebook, wrote something on it, and gave it to me. The note said to go and see this guy and he will help you. Back in Pakistan, I found the man. He kissed Dadullah’s letter.
After two weeks this man had provided me with all the guns, weapons, and supplies I had requested. Dadullah gave such letters to many people.
MOHAMMAD: Once we sent a shipment for the making of IEDs to our forces in Zabul province. For some reason we forgot to include the remote-control devices. I got an urgent call from the commander asking me to quickly send the missing items. So I hid the remotes among some books and clothes in several travel bags. At Torkham (the Khyber Pass crossing), the police asked me to open the bags. At first I thought I should flee. But where could I run? I started searching for the key to open the bags. There was a long customs queue. The impatient policeman finally said: "You’re taking too long. Get out of here."
Another night I was in a hotel in Kabul on a mission to smuggle remote devices and explosives. Afghan police and intelligence were checking all the travelers staying in the hotel. My fellow mujahedin and I hid the bags containing the remotes in the bathroom. The police checked our luggage and pockets. But God blinded their eyes to the bathroom. If they had found the devices I would have ended up in jail for life. All these close calls strengthened my faith and my commitment to the jihad.
HAQQANI: In 2007 I returned to Afghanistan for the first time. I visited the south and spoke to Taliban units, to elders and villagers, and raised new recruits. Mullah Omar has entrusted me with the job of touring towns and villages on both sides of the border to encourage people to support, contribute to, and join the jihad.
Between 2006 and 2009 I have personally raised hundreds of new recruits to join the resistance. (In August) I traveled to eight Afghan provinces in 20 days.
The unpopularity of the Karzai regime helps us immensely. In 2005 some Afghans thought Karzai would bring positive change. But now most Afghans believe the Taliban are the future.
The resistance is getting stronger day by day.
Chapter Four: We Get Stronger Every Day
‘We were born here. We will die here. We aren’t going anywhere.’
Mullah Aga Mohammad
MASIHUDDIN: That base on top of the mountain (in Barge Matal) had to go. The Americans there were monitoring our phone calls and walkie-talkies, and they ran intelligence operations with Afghan spies from there.
So (last June) we began carefully planning an attack. One of our men said that the mission would be hard even if the Americans only threw stones at us, as we’d be attacking up a steep mountain. Everyone laughed at him, but we knew there was some truth in what he said.
I asked for volunteers, and everyone signed up.
As usual we prepared a medical team, including donkeys and stretchers to evacuate our wounded.
But as I divided up weapons, ammunition, explosives, and communications gear, it started to rain heavily. The Americans have heavy boots and other mountain equipment that allows them to move up and down the steep rocks. But our men mostly wear leather sandals that don’t give us any grip. So we postponed the attack for two weeks.
KHAN: Fighting the Americans is not easy. One night in the summer of 2007, my commander, Mullah Nurla, was killed in an American raid on his house. Other Americans killed 12 of our commanders. All the raids came between midnight and dawn.
We found out that the Americans were finding us by tracing our cell-phone calls, and by calls from spies giving away our locations. So we forced the cell companies to stop all transmissions from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
We still worry about helicopters and bombers, but we are suffering fewer American night raids. I think they just don’t have the intelligence they used to have.
Fewer people are willing to cooperate with them and betray us.
Our men, on the other hand, are watching American bases 24 hours a day.
They inform us of American movements.
We used to hit the Americans with roadside bombs and then disappear. Now when we explode an IED, we follow that with AK and RPG fire.
We now have more destructive IEDs, mostly ammonium-nitrate bombs that we mix with aluminum shards.
We get regular deliveries of these fertilizers, explosives, fuses, detonators, and remote controls. One heavy shipment is on its way right now. I think we are better at making IEDs now than the Arabs who first taught us.
HAQQANI: I admit Taliban commanders are being captured and killed, but that hasn’t stopped us, and it won’t.
Our jihad is more solid and deep than individual commanders and fighters — and we are not dependent on foreigners, on the ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence agency), or Al Qaeda.
Personally I think all this talk about Al Qaeda being strong is U.S. propaganda.
As far as I know, Al Qaeda is weak, and they are few in numbers.
Now that we control large amounts of territory, we should have a strict code of conduct for any foreigners working with us. We can no longer allow these camels to roam freely without bridles and control.
MASIHUDDIN: Late Friday afternoon, after prayers, we began to move.
We slowly sent our people up the mountain as the shadows lengthened. The mujahedin climbed slowly, steadily. We waited quietly on the ridgeline overnight without fires for warmth or to cook food. We’ve learned that the Americans are always listening for the smallest sound.
I gave the signal to attack just before sunrise. We started with our mortar and rocket teams shelling the base from the surrounding hilltops.
By dawn our mujahedin were almost hugging the base’s outer walls. We killed a number of Afghan Army soldiers, and one U.S. soldier who may have been hit in a guard tower.
As we fought, our video team filmed our advance. Our mortars, rockets, and RPGs destroyed most of one outer defensive wall.
We yelled to those inside to come out and surrender. No one came out. So we set fire to one side of the post and moved around to wait on the opposite side. The smoke forced some, if not all, of the soldiers to abandon the post. During the attack we didn’t lose any fighters.
Then American helicopters arrived, firing rockets and machine guns. We fought until sunset. We lost 12 Taliban to martyrdom, largely to the helicopter fire that comes down like heavy rain.
We cannot compare our military strength to that of the Americans.
But we have learned how to stay protected behind rocks and mountains.
Even with all their advanced technology, we forced them to withdraw and captured that base. (Coalition forces retook the post three days later and later abandoned it; a U.S. chronology of the battle differs in some details.)
YOUNAS: Not long ago, when one of my younger brothers got married, my mother asked me: "Boy, when will you marry?" I told her that the day I help to bring the Taliban back to Kabul and restore the Islamic Emirate is the day I will marry. That day may be far away, but I know it will come.
KHAN: The Americans talk about getting Taliban to leave the jihad for their dollars. That’s ridiculous. I was engaged to be married a year ago, but I don’t have the $1,500 bride price to give to the girl’s father or the $500 for the wedding. If I had money, I would not delay my marriage. Who would marry me? You’d be surprised.
The people here are not worried about giving their daughter or sister to Taliban, who can get killed within one week of the wedding. They are happy to be part of the jihad.
It’s not easy being in the Taliban.
It’s like wearing a jacket of fire.
You have to leave your family and live with the knowledge that you can be killed at any time.
The Americans can capture you and put you in dog cages in Bagram and Guantánamo. You can’t expect any quick medical treatment if you’re wounded. You don’t have any money.
Yet when I tell new recruits what they are facing they still freely put on this jacket of fire.
All this builds my confidence that we will never lose this war.
MOHAMMAD: We never worry about time. We will fight until victory no matter how long it takes. The U.S. has the weapons, but we are prepared for a long and tireless jihad.
We were born here. We will die here. We aren’t going anywhere.
MASIHUDDIN: In the south the mujahedin have adjusted to Obama’s new crusade by making some small strategic withdrawals and fighting back mostly with IEDs.
But we mujahedin in Kunar and Nuristan are lucky. These mountains and forests are our protectors. Trees and rocks shelter us everywhere.
The Americans can’t match us here.
Two or three years ago, U.S. soldiers in the region acted as if they were on holiday.
They were taking videos and photos of themselves and walking in the mountains for fun. They were playing games in the open.
Those days are over.
Now they are forced to keep their fingers on their triggers 24 hours a day.
AKHUNDZADA: Sometimes I think what’s happened is like a dream.
I thought my beard would be white by the time I saw what I am seeing now, but my beard is still black, and we get stronger every day.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Eid Message from Mullah Omar
Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid
20-sep-2009 01:42 ECT
September 19, 2009
Message of Felicitation of Amir-ul-Momineen on the Occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr
Praise be to Allah, Who exalted Islam and Muslims and debased polytheism and the polytheists. Peace be on the leader of the Mujahideen, the noble of the Apostles and Messengers and peace be on his descendants, companions and all those who follow his guidance.
Having said that, I would like to state: The Almighty Allah says: "Say: Truly my prayer and my service of sacrifice,
My life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds." 6:162.
I extend my heart-felt felicitation to all heroic Mujahideen, the pious people, the families of martyrs of the sacred frontlines of Islam and to all Islamic Ummah on the occasion of the Eid-ul-fitre and congratulate them for their having performed the sacred obligation of fasting. I pray to Allah, to accept in His sight all the worships and sacrifices that they offered. May Allah pass these days of love, brotherhood and joy in an atmosphere of happiness, prosperity and victory over the invading enemy. I congratulate you all for the historical victories achieved in the honorable frontlines of Jihad this current year. May Allah accept the martyrdom of the martyrs and the struggles of the Mujahideen in this blessed and holy path?
Availing of this opportunity, I deem it necessary to put forward the following points before you all:
a) I assure our brave people and the gallant Mujahideen that the plans of global colonialism for occupation of Afghanistan has faced failure because of your self-less sacrifices. During the past eight years, NATO under the leadership of the militarists of Pentagon, implemented a policy of brutality and atrocity, hoping that they will subjugate the brave people of Afghanistan by dent of military power. They used their sophisticated and cutting-edge technology including chemical weapons in order to achieve that end; employed hundreds of centers of propaganda and spent billions of dollars to portray image of their military power in a palatable way and terrorize their counterpart opposition. But all these anti-human activities could not give them success. With the passage of time, the resistance and the Jihadic movement, as a robust Islamic and nationalist movement, assumed the shape of a popular movement and is approaching the edge of victory.
The invaders should study the history of Afghanistan from the time of the aggression of the Alexander, to the Ganges of the yore and to this very day and should receive lesson from it. Still, if they are bent on ignoring the history, then they themselves saw with their own eyes, the events of the past eight years. Have they achieved any thing in the past eight years? Even if they are not ready to review the loss and benefits of these years, at least, they should ponder over the consequences of the extensive operations launched under the name of Khanjar "sword" and the panther’s claw. What did they achieve? Is this disgrace and historical defeat not enough for them (to take lesson)?
Though the double-faced media has kept their public ignorant of the facts but their government are well aware of the ground realities—the huge casualties and the sagging morale of their soldiers. The more the enemy resorts to increasing forces, the more they will face an unequivocal defeat in Afghanistan
It is clear from the statements of the military sources of NATO and America and the information disclosed by captured soldiers that material and life losses of the invaders are several times higher than what they acknowledge. Any way, the policy which they have adopted will only prolong the current crisis but will never solve it. This is because the existence of foreign troops in Afghanistan and the invasion is in itself an issue, not a solution—even a big issue in its own right.
The rampant corruption in the surrogate Kabul administration, the embezzlement, drug trafficking, the existence of mafia networks, the tyranny and high-handed ness of the warlords, and spread and increase of the centers of obscenity being materialized as per the previously contemplated plans, are part of the colonial ambitious and conspiratorial accords. This has driven the people to face poverty, starvation and unemployment to the extent that they were forced to sell their children.
Despite the crimes of the invaders, another brazen atrocity is that, that they imposed a corrupt and stooge administration on the people once again by the pretext of the so-called elections which were fraught with fraud and lies and which were categorically rejected by the people. It is very natural that the gallant and free people are not ready to accept the results of these illegitimate elections. Therefore, first of all the issue of the existence of the invading forces in the country should be solved and Afghanistan must find its place as a sovereign country on the map of the world. The internal issues among the Afghans can be solved but in circumstances of occupation, ( our ) national and Islamic interests come under the shadow of the interests of the foreigners and our national and Islamic interests readily fall prey to the interests and conspiracies of global colonialism.
Our goal is to gain independence of the country and establish a just Islamic system there on the basis of the aspirations of the Muslim nation. We can consider any option that could lead to the achievement of this goal. We have left open all options and ways towards this end. However, this will only be feasible when the country is free from the trampling steps of the invading forces and has gained independence.
b) The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants that the true sons of this land should have participation in the government and in the government-making, following the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan-- because the rehabilitation work, economic, political , educational and cultural affairs of the country can never go along way without participation of knowledgeable , professional and experienced sincere Afghans. Fortunately, a great number of our independent, professional, experienced Muslims cadres, whether they are inside the country or outside, have not submitted to the current occupation, nor they accept the administration brought about as a result of the occupation. They support an independent, free and Islamic government in the country.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has distinctive and useful plans for the future of Afghanistan under the shade of the just social system of Islam after the withdrawal of the foreign forces. They include rehabilitation of social and economic infrastructure, advancement and development of the educational sector, industrializations of the country and development of agriculture.
c)The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on all those who work in the surrogate Kabul administration and shore up the global colonialism by their being there to stop opposing your religion, country and people. The foreign colonialists take strength from your Afghan arm and continue their occupation of our country. These brutal invaders have trampled down on all our Islamic values; they work for dissemination and spread of Christianity under a previously worked-out plan; they plunder our natural resources under one and another name and put heavy burdens of loans on our country. The Islamic Emirate has left door of safety open for whomever depart with the ways of betrayal and treason with the country and people.
All should bear in mind that the current popular Islamic revolution against the invaders is forging ahead like a powerful flood. Any one who opts to resist it will himself be washed away. Atrocity, torture, brutality, conspiracies, coalitions, the foreign forces and mercenaries could not hurl stumbling blocks in the way of this robust Jihadic movement. It is better to side with your people to fulfill the obligation required by the belief and gain historical honor, particularly the former Mujahideen who now work in the stooge administration should make for their infamy by joining the ranks of Jihad and abandon the ranks of the non-believers.
D ) The Islamic Emirate (IE) believes in social and internal reform as well as in positive initiatives in the context of Sharia. IE is aware of the in discrepancies. Therefore, it obliges all Mujahideen to strictly observe the rules and regulations so that all Mujahideen will continue to wage Jihad as sincere sons of the country for the prosperity of the masses under the framework of Islamic Sharia. Thus, they will become both true protectors of the frontlines of independence and representatives of the fundamental wants of the people.
The Islamic Emirate considers the purge of its ranks and self-accountability an everlasting and necessary obligation.
The enemy has faced defeat in the field of the battle and it is not far way that it will swallow the bitter poison of a complete defeat. But as a last tactic, it is trying to spread seed of disunity and division among the nation to turn its defeat into victory. Praise be to Allah, the High, that the enemy is facing a fiasco in its hypocritical efforts. The Islam-loving and country-loving people consider it a religious obligation to keep the unity and assist the Mujahideen. They see independence of the dear country as their legitimate right and believe the western media serves only as a loudspeaker of Pentagon. They will never be misled by their fatuous propaganda. The sympathy, affinity and enchantment of the people play a great role in the unprecedented advancement of the Mujahideen. Praise be to Allah, the enchantment of people and their affinity grows day by day. Therefore, the Mujahideen should not think themselves to be a separate entity from the people. They should protect their property, life and honor and stop those who, under the name of Mujahideen, want to encroach on the property, life and honor of the people--readily by the provocation of the enemy. Similarly, Mujahideen should focus on the Islamic education of the masses, so that they would voluntarily participate in Jihad in person and by wealth. The people should remain aware to avoid being tricked by the empty bluffs of some military commanders or the statement of a British military commander saying that we would remain in Afghanistan for forty years.
We would like to point out that we fought against the British invaders for eighty years from 1839 to 1919 and ultimately got independence by defeating the Britain. Today we have strong determination, military training and effective weapons. Still more, we have preparedness for a long war and the regional situation is in our favor. Therefore, we will continue to wage Jihad until we gain independence and force the invaders to pull out.
When we notified all regarding the unprecedented momentum and impetus in the resistance in our previous statement, they were not just propaganda-oriented empty words. All witnessed the momentum in action. We warn once again that our ensuing aggressive operations will be characterized by effective tactics which will enter a phase where the enemy will have unparalleled casualties and constant defeats, if God willing.
e)The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants to maintain good and positive relations with all neighbors based on mutual respect and open a new chapter of good neighborliness of mutual cooperation and economic development.
We consider the whole region as a common home against colonialism and want to play our role in peace and stability of the region. We assure all countries that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as a responsible force, will not extend its hand to cause jeopardy to others as it itself does not allow others to jeopardize us.
We would like to say, we are victims of the black propaganda of the enemy media. This has created doubts between us and a number of countries of the world. They have wrongly depicted us as a force being against education and women’s rights. They also accuse us of our being a threat to the countries of the world. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants to clear away all these doubts provided a conducive atmosphere is available. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on the public of the West not to be deceived by the assertions of Obama, who says the war in Afghanistan, is a war of necessity. The West does not have to wage this war. This war, in fact, started for clandestine motives under baseless reasons. The humanity, as a whole, suffers from its negative consequences. The global economic meltdown, instability, lack of trust and violation of international norms is the outcome of the baseless policies (of this war).
The public of the West should also not be deceived by the assertions of the General Secretary of NATO and British Prime Minister who claim the war in Afghanistan is for the defense of the West. Such deceiving and baseless utterances must not confuse you. These are just demagogic efforts of your rulers aimed at justifying this unlawful and long imposed war in contravention of all international principles.
No country in the world has right to meddle in the internal affairs of its neighboring country according to the modern international principles. The arrogant powers-that-be at the White House and its British Ally should know their interference from thousands of kilometers away is never acceptable to the countries of the region and can never be tolerated. The plans of colonial expansionism which is under way in the region under the notorious and unlawful slogan of war on terrorism is, in fact, an endeavor against the universal human values, justice, peace, equal distribution of resources and independence-- an endeavor tainting the true representatives of the aspirations of the people under one or another name. All countries, particularly the Islamic countries, our neighbors, the powerful countries, the movement of the non-aligned countries should feel and fulfill their historical role.
I urge the Islamic Ummah, particularly the Islamic and Jihadic organizations to remain aware of the conspiracies of the enemy; abandon the internal differences and begin a concerted and comprehensive struggle for the defense and freedom of the oppressed and occupied Ummah.
To end, I urge all God-fearing Muslims, as they themselves share the joy and happiness of this occasion with their families, should not forget the widows of the martyrs, orphans and mothers who have lost their sons. They are the martyrs who laid down their lives against the bloc of the infidels for the establishment of Islamic system. Similarly, do not forget the bereaved families of those Afghan victims including old men, young, women, children who have been martyred as a result of the blind bombardment of the invaders and are no more among you.
Finally, I extend my felicitation to you on the occasion of Eid-ul-fitre and wishing you independence.
--Hoping and praying for obtainment of independence and establishment of a complete Islamic system.
Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid
Amir-ul-Momineen
The Servant of Islam
20-sep-2009 01:42 ECT
September 19, 2009
Message of Felicitation of Amir-ul-Momineen on the Occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr
Praise be to Allah, Who exalted Islam and Muslims and debased polytheism and the polytheists. Peace be on the leader of the Mujahideen, the noble of the Apostles and Messengers and peace be on his descendants, companions and all those who follow his guidance.
Having said that, I would like to state: The Almighty Allah says: "Say: Truly my prayer and my service of sacrifice,
My life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds." 6:162.
I extend my heart-felt felicitation to all heroic Mujahideen, the pious people, the families of martyrs of the sacred frontlines of Islam and to all Islamic Ummah on the occasion of the Eid-ul-fitre and congratulate them for their having performed the sacred obligation of fasting. I pray to Allah, to accept in His sight all the worships and sacrifices that they offered. May Allah pass these days of love, brotherhood and joy in an atmosphere of happiness, prosperity and victory over the invading enemy. I congratulate you all for the historical victories achieved in the honorable frontlines of Jihad this current year. May Allah accept the martyrdom of the martyrs and the struggles of the Mujahideen in this blessed and holy path?
Availing of this opportunity, I deem it necessary to put forward the following points before you all:
a) I assure our brave people and the gallant Mujahideen that the plans of global colonialism for occupation of Afghanistan has faced failure because of your self-less sacrifices. During the past eight years, NATO under the leadership of the militarists of Pentagon, implemented a policy of brutality and atrocity, hoping that they will subjugate the brave people of Afghanistan by dent of military power. They used their sophisticated and cutting-edge technology including chemical weapons in order to achieve that end; employed hundreds of centers of propaganda and spent billions of dollars to portray image of their military power in a palatable way and terrorize their counterpart opposition. But all these anti-human activities could not give them success. With the passage of time, the resistance and the Jihadic movement, as a robust Islamic and nationalist movement, assumed the shape of a popular movement and is approaching the edge of victory.
The invaders should study the history of Afghanistan from the time of the aggression of the Alexander, to the Ganges of the yore and to this very day and should receive lesson from it. Still, if they are bent on ignoring the history, then they themselves saw with their own eyes, the events of the past eight years. Have they achieved any thing in the past eight years? Even if they are not ready to review the loss and benefits of these years, at least, they should ponder over the consequences of the extensive operations launched under the name of Khanjar "sword" and the panther’s claw. What did they achieve? Is this disgrace and historical defeat not enough for them (to take lesson)?
Though the double-faced media has kept their public ignorant of the facts but their government are well aware of the ground realities—the huge casualties and the sagging morale of their soldiers. The more the enemy resorts to increasing forces, the more they will face an unequivocal defeat in Afghanistan
It is clear from the statements of the military sources of NATO and America and the information disclosed by captured soldiers that material and life losses of the invaders are several times higher than what they acknowledge. Any way, the policy which they have adopted will only prolong the current crisis but will never solve it. This is because the existence of foreign troops in Afghanistan and the invasion is in itself an issue, not a solution—even a big issue in its own right.
The rampant corruption in the surrogate Kabul administration, the embezzlement, drug trafficking, the existence of mafia networks, the tyranny and high-handed ness of the warlords, and spread and increase of the centers of obscenity being materialized as per the previously contemplated plans, are part of the colonial ambitious and conspiratorial accords. This has driven the people to face poverty, starvation and unemployment to the extent that they were forced to sell their children.
Despite the crimes of the invaders, another brazen atrocity is that, that they imposed a corrupt and stooge administration on the people once again by the pretext of the so-called elections which were fraught with fraud and lies and which were categorically rejected by the people. It is very natural that the gallant and free people are not ready to accept the results of these illegitimate elections. Therefore, first of all the issue of the existence of the invading forces in the country should be solved and Afghanistan must find its place as a sovereign country on the map of the world. The internal issues among the Afghans can be solved but in circumstances of occupation, ( our ) national and Islamic interests come under the shadow of the interests of the foreigners and our national and Islamic interests readily fall prey to the interests and conspiracies of global colonialism.
Our goal is to gain independence of the country and establish a just Islamic system there on the basis of the aspirations of the Muslim nation. We can consider any option that could lead to the achievement of this goal. We have left open all options and ways towards this end. However, this will only be feasible when the country is free from the trampling steps of the invading forces and has gained independence.
b) The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants that the true sons of this land should have participation in the government and in the government-making, following the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan-- because the rehabilitation work, economic, political , educational and cultural affairs of the country can never go along way without participation of knowledgeable , professional and experienced sincere Afghans. Fortunately, a great number of our independent, professional, experienced Muslims cadres, whether they are inside the country or outside, have not submitted to the current occupation, nor they accept the administration brought about as a result of the occupation. They support an independent, free and Islamic government in the country.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has distinctive and useful plans for the future of Afghanistan under the shade of the just social system of Islam after the withdrawal of the foreign forces. They include rehabilitation of social and economic infrastructure, advancement and development of the educational sector, industrializations of the country and development of agriculture.
c)The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on all those who work in the surrogate Kabul administration and shore up the global colonialism by their being there to stop opposing your religion, country and people. The foreign colonialists take strength from your Afghan arm and continue their occupation of our country. These brutal invaders have trampled down on all our Islamic values; they work for dissemination and spread of Christianity under a previously worked-out plan; they plunder our natural resources under one and another name and put heavy burdens of loans on our country. The Islamic Emirate has left door of safety open for whomever depart with the ways of betrayal and treason with the country and people.
All should bear in mind that the current popular Islamic revolution against the invaders is forging ahead like a powerful flood. Any one who opts to resist it will himself be washed away. Atrocity, torture, brutality, conspiracies, coalitions, the foreign forces and mercenaries could not hurl stumbling blocks in the way of this robust Jihadic movement. It is better to side with your people to fulfill the obligation required by the belief and gain historical honor, particularly the former Mujahideen who now work in the stooge administration should make for their infamy by joining the ranks of Jihad and abandon the ranks of the non-believers.
D ) The Islamic Emirate (IE) believes in social and internal reform as well as in positive initiatives in the context of Sharia. IE is aware of the in discrepancies. Therefore, it obliges all Mujahideen to strictly observe the rules and regulations so that all Mujahideen will continue to wage Jihad as sincere sons of the country for the prosperity of the masses under the framework of Islamic Sharia. Thus, they will become both true protectors of the frontlines of independence and representatives of the fundamental wants of the people.
The Islamic Emirate considers the purge of its ranks and self-accountability an everlasting and necessary obligation.
The enemy has faced defeat in the field of the battle and it is not far way that it will swallow the bitter poison of a complete defeat. But as a last tactic, it is trying to spread seed of disunity and division among the nation to turn its defeat into victory. Praise be to Allah, the High, that the enemy is facing a fiasco in its hypocritical efforts. The Islam-loving and country-loving people consider it a religious obligation to keep the unity and assist the Mujahideen. They see independence of the dear country as their legitimate right and believe the western media serves only as a loudspeaker of Pentagon. They will never be misled by their fatuous propaganda. The sympathy, affinity and enchantment of the people play a great role in the unprecedented advancement of the Mujahideen. Praise be to Allah, the enchantment of people and their affinity grows day by day. Therefore, the Mujahideen should not think themselves to be a separate entity from the people. They should protect their property, life and honor and stop those who, under the name of Mujahideen, want to encroach on the property, life and honor of the people--readily by the provocation of the enemy. Similarly, Mujahideen should focus on the Islamic education of the masses, so that they would voluntarily participate in Jihad in person and by wealth. The people should remain aware to avoid being tricked by the empty bluffs of some military commanders or the statement of a British military commander saying that we would remain in Afghanistan for forty years.
We would like to point out that we fought against the British invaders for eighty years from 1839 to 1919 and ultimately got independence by defeating the Britain. Today we have strong determination, military training and effective weapons. Still more, we have preparedness for a long war and the regional situation is in our favor. Therefore, we will continue to wage Jihad until we gain independence and force the invaders to pull out.
When we notified all regarding the unprecedented momentum and impetus in the resistance in our previous statement, they were not just propaganda-oriented empty words. All witnessed the momentum in action. We warn once again that our ensuing aggressive operations will be characterized by effective tactics which will enter a phase where the enemy will have unparalleled casualties and constant defeats, if God willing.
e)The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants to maintain good and positive relations with all neighbors based on mutual respect and open a new chapter of good neighborliness of mutual cooperation and economic development.
We consider the whole region as a common home against colonialism and want to play our role in peace and stability of the region. We assure all countries that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as a responsible force, will not extend its hand to cause jeopardy to others as it itself does not allow others to jeopardize us.
We would like to say, we are victims of the black propaganda of the enemy media. This has created doubts between us and a number of countries of the world. They have wrongly depicted us as a force being against education and women’s rights. They also accuse us of our being a threat to the countries of the world. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants to clear away all these doubts provided a conducive atmosphere is available. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on the public of the West not to be deceived by the assertions of Obama, who says the war in Afghanistan, is a war of necessity. The West does not have to wage this war. This war, in fact, started for clandestine motives under baseless reasons. The humanity, as a whole, suffers from its negative consequences. The global economic meltdown, instability, lack of trust and violation of international norms is the outcome of the baseless policies (of this war).
The public of the West should also not be deceived by the assertions of the General Secretary of NATO and British Prime Minister who claim the war in Afghanistan is for the defense of the West. Such deceiving and baseless utterances must not confuse you. These are just demagogic efforts of your rulers aimed at justifying this unlawful and long imposed war in contravention of all international principles.
No country in the world has right to meddle in the internal affairs of its neighboring country according to the modern international principles. The arrogant powers-that-be at the White House and its British Ally should know their interference from thousands of kilometers away is never acceptable to the countries of the region and can never be tolerated. The plans of colonial expansionism which is under way in the region under the notorious and unlawful slogan of war on terrorism is, in fact, an endeavor against the universal human values, justice, peace, equal distribution of resources and independence-- an endeavor tainting the true representatives of the aspirations of the people under one or another name. All countries, particularly the Islamic countries, our neighbors, the powerful countries, the movement of the non-aligned countries should feel and fulfill their historical role.
I urge the Islamic Ummah, particularly the Islamic and Jihadic organizations to remain aware of the conspiracies of the enemy; abandon the internal differences and begin a concerted and comprehensive struggle for the defense and freedom of the oppressed and occupied Ummah.
To end, I urge all God-fearing Muslims, as they themselves share the joy and happiness of this occasion with their families, should not forget the widows of the martyrs, orphans and mothers who have lost their sons. They are the martyrs who laid down their lives against the bloc of the infidels for the establishment of Islamic system. Similarly, do not forget the bereaved families of those Afghan victims including old men, young, women, children who have been martyred as a result of the blind bombardment of the invaders and are no more among you.
Finally, I extend my felicitation to you on the occasion of Eid-ul-fitre and wishing you independence.
--Hoping and praying for obtainment of independence and establishment of a complete Islamic system.
Mullah Mohammad Omar Mujahid
Amir-ul-Momineen
The Servant of Islam
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Afghanistan Victims' families tell their stories following Nato airstrike in Afghanistan
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad in Kunduz
eptember 11, 2009
'I took some flesh home and called it my son.' The Guardian interviews 11 villagers
At first light last Friday, in the Chardarah district of Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan, the villagers gathered around the twisted wreckage of two fuel tankers that had been hit by a Nato airstrike. They picked their way through a heap of almost a hundred charred bodies and mangled limbs which were mixed with ash, mud and the melted plastic of jerry cans, looking for their brothers, sons and cousins. They called out their names but received no answers. By this time, everyone was dead.
What followed is one of the more macabre scenes of this or any war. The grief-stricken relatives began to argue and fight over the remains of the men and boys who a few hours earlier had greedily sought the tanker's fuel. Poor people in one of the world's poorest countries, they had been trying to hoard as much as they could for the coming winter.
"We didn't recognise any of the dead when we arrived," said Omar Khan, the turbaned village chief of Eissa Khail. "It was like a chemical bomb had gone off, everything was burned. The bodies were like this," he brought his two hands together, his fingers curling like claws. "There were like burned tree logs, like charcoal.
"The villagers were fighting over the corpses. People were saying this is my brother, this is my cousin, and no one could identify anyone."
So the elders stepped in. They collected all the bodies they could and asked the people to tell them how many relatives each family had lost.
A queue formed. One by one the bereaved gave the names of missing brothers, cousins, sons and nephews, and each in turn received their quota of corpses. It didn't matter who was who, everyone was mangled beyond recognition anyway. All that mattered was that they had a body to bury and perform prayers upon.
"A man comes and says, 'I lost my brother and cousin', so we gave him two bodies," said Omar Khan. "Another says I lost five relatives, so we gave him five bodies to take home and bury. When we had run out of bodies we started giving them limbs, legs, arms, torsos." In the end only five families went away without anything. "Their sons are still missing."
Omar Khan's small eyes narrowed and his mouth formed a disgusted circle. "The smell was so bad. For three days I smelled of burned meat and fuel."
Omar Khan was one of 11 villagers the Guardian interviewed about the airstrike. We arrived in the region early this week with the intention of visiting the site of the attack, but the kidnapping of a New York Times journalist and the firefight that preceded his rescue, leaving four people dead, meant the journey there was too difficult. Instead the villagers came into the city to tell us their stories.
We sat around a table in the basement of a hotel, and one by one their accounts of the airstrike – which killed 70-100 people, making it one of the most devastating of the war – spilled out. The villagers said the Taliban had hijacked the fuel tankers at 7pm on Thursday evening and driven them off the main road to Kabul, through Ali Abad district, into their stronghold of Chardarah, to the south-west of Kunduz.
To reach Chardarah they had to ford a shallow river to avoid a bridge garrisoned by the Afghan army. But when they drove the trucks into the water they became stuck, so the Taliban summoned the people in the nearby villages to help.
Jamaludin, a 45-year-old farmer, had been praying in the mosque when he heard the sound of a tractor. "I went home and found that three of my brothers and my nephew had left with my tractor," he said. "I called my brother to ask him where they had gone. He said the Taliban had asked him to bring the tractor and help them pull a tanker." Jamaluddin was alarmed. "I asked him what tanker? It wasn't our business, let the Taliban bring their own tractors. I called him back an hour later. He said they couldn't get the trucks out and the Taiban wouldn't let him leave, so I went back to sleep."
Realising the tankers were stuck, the Taliban decided to siphon off the fuel and asked people to come and help themselves to the ghanima, the spoils of war. There would be free fuel for everyone.
Assadullah, a thin 19-year-old with a wisp of black hair falling on his forehead, got a call from a friend who said the Taliban were distributing free fuel.
"I took two fuel cans with me, I called my brother and a friend and we went. There was a full moon and we could see very clearly. There were a lot of people already there. They were pushing and shoving, trying to reach the tap to fill their jerry cans. We are poor people, and we all wanted to get some fuel for the winter.
"I filled my cans and moved away while my brother was pushing to fill his. I walked for a hundred, maybe two hundred metres."
It was about 1am on Friday that the aircraft attacked and incinerated the stolen fuel tankers. "There was a big light in the sky and then an explosion," Assadullah said. "I fell on my face. When I came to, there was thick smoke and I couldn't see anything. I called, I shouted for my brother but he didn't answer. I couldn't see him. There was fire everywhere and silence and bodies were burning."
He pulled up his long shirt to show me four small shrapnel bruises and two burns on his neck.
Jamaludin woke up at about 1am to start making food. It was Ramadan, and he had to prepare Sehur, the last meal before sunrise. "I called my brother again and told him I could hear lots of aeroplanes in the sky, why wasn't he back? He said he was bringing some fuel and would be home soon. I hung up and went into the courtyard, and then there was a big fire, like a big lamp in the middle of the sky. I called my brother again and his phone was off. I left home and ran towards the river. The smell of smoke was coming from there.
"When I got there I couldn't see my brother.I shouted for him. I saw some people carrying injured on their shoulders, then I went back home to pray and wait for the light."
Jan Mohammad, an old man with a white beard and green eyes, said angrily: "I ran, I ran to find my son because nobody would give me a lift. I couldn't find him."
He dropped his head on his palm that was resting on the table, and started banging his head against his white mottled hand. When he raised his head his eyes were red and tears were rolling down his cheek: "I couldn't find my son, so I took a piece of flesh with me home and I called it my son. I told my wife we had him, but I didn't let his children or anyone see. We buried the flesh as it if was my son."
He broke off, then shouted at the young Assadullah, who had knocked at the old man's house and told his son to come with them there was free fuel for everyone, "You destroyed my home", Assadu-llah turned his head and looked at the wall. "You destroyed my home," he shouted again. Jan Mohammad dropped his head again on his palm and rolled it left and right, his big gray turban moving like a huge pendulum, "Taouba [forgiveness]," he hissed. "People lost their fathers and sons for a little bit of fuel. Forgiveness."
Omar Khan, the village chief, was crying now and looking at the ceiling.
Fazel Muhamad a 48-year-old farmer with seven deep lines creasing his forehead and a white prayers cap, threw two colour passport pictures in front of me, one of a thickly bearded man and the other a young boy. "My cousin and his son," he said. "Around 10pm, my cousin told me the Taliban were distributing fuel to the people and he was going to get some for the winter. I asked him to stay and not go, there were planes and it was dangerous at night, but he went anyway.
"At one or two in the morning we heard a big explosion and I saw fire coming form the sky. My cousin's wife came running, she said go look for your cousin, but I waited until I had finished my dawn prayers, no one could eat anything.
"I arrived there and I saw dead bodies, some were in the middle of the river, I walked around looking for him and his son but I couldn't find him. I went back home and his wife asked me did you see him, is he dead, where is he? I said I couldn't find him. She was wailing and crying.
"I went again looking for him. There was light now, I picked through the bodies, the Arbabs [village elders] were distributing the flesh, but I didn't go there. I looked through the ground and I could only see his two feet and his son's feet. I recognised them because he and his son had henna on their toes."
Islamu-ldin, a 20-year-old from Issa khail village with tufts of hair sprouting from his cheek, took his turn to speak. He said he ran for three hours to get to the riverbed to look for his brother.
"Our village is far from the river, I searched a lot through the dead, and I found my brother. I recognized him from his clothes. But we only found his upper body, maybe someone took the legs, maybe it just burned to ashes."
Omar Khan was weeping openly now. A few other men resisted, but their eyes were as red as those of Jan Muhamad, who was babbling and shouting at the young Assadullah again and again.
Saleh Muhamad, a 25-year-old man with thick beard, wanted to get some fuel but no one would give him a lift. His brother and brother-in-law went and he went to sleep, then he heard the explosion. "I waited till darkness ended, then went there. I didn't find anyone I knew, so I waited for the elders. They gave me two bodies, they looked like my relatives and I came back with them."
Another village elder said that at least a dozen of the dead were from the Taliban. Although most of them had already left when the explosion happened, the rest stayed trying to keep some order while the villagers shoved and pushed.
"At midnight my brother and nephew went to get fuel. I also wanted to go but I didn't have a car," said Saleh Muhamad.
"At one in the morning I went to bed. When I heard the explosion I called my brother but his phone was off … when I arrived at 3am there were dead everywhereI was searching for my brother and nephew but I couldn't find anyone.
"I had a torch with me and I could see well, but I still couldn't recognise anyone." His eyes looked straight through me as he said: "I found one body and took it home and we buried it. It was a full body, with arms and legs. We buried it well."
eptember 11, 2009
'I took some flesh home and called it my son.' The Guardian interviews 11 villagers
At first light last Friday, in the Chardarah district of Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan, the villagers gathered around the twisted wreckage of two fuel tankers that had been hit by a Nato airstrike. They picked their way through a heap of almost a hundred charred bodies and mangled limbs which were mixed with ash, mud and the melted plastic of jerry cans, looking for their brothers, sons and cousins. They called out their names but received no answers. By this time, everyone was dead.
What followed is one of the more macabre scenes of this or any war. The grief-stricken relatives began to argue and fight over the remains of the men and boys who a few hours earlier had greedily sought the tanker's fuel. Poor people in one of the world's poorest countries, they had been trying to hoard as much as they could for the coming winter.
"We didn't recognise any of the dead when we arrived," said Omar Khan, the turbaned village chief of Eissa Khail. "It was like a chemical bomb had gone off, everything was burned. The bodies were like this," he brought his two hands together, his fingers curling like claws. "There were like burned tree logs, like charcoal.
"The villagers were fighting over the corpses. People were saying this is my brother, this is my cousin, and no one could identify anyone."
So the elders stepped in. They collected all the bodies they could and asked the people to tell them how many relatives each family had lost.
A queue formed. One by one the bereaved gave the names of missing brothers, cousins, sons and nephews, and each in turn received their quota of corpses. It didn't matter who was who, everyone was mangled beyond recognition anyway. All that mattered was that they had a body to bury and perform prayers upon.
"A man comes and says, 'I lost my brother and cousin', so we gave him two bodies," said Omar Khan. "Another says I lost five relatives, so we gave him five bodies to take home and bury. When we had run out of bodies we started giving them limbs, legs, arms, torsos." In the end only five families went away without anything. "Their sons are still missing."
Omar Khan's small eyes narrowed and his mouth formed a disgusted circle. "The smell was so bad. For three days I smelled of burned meat and fuel."
Omar Khan was one of 11 villagers the Guardian interviewed about the airstrike. We arrived in the region early this week with the intention of visiting the site of the attack, but the kidnapping of a New York Times journalist and the firefight that preceded his rescue, leaving four people dead, meant the journey there was too difficult. Instead the villagers came into the city to tell us their stories.
We sat around a table in the basement of a hotel, and one by one their accounts of the airstrike – which killed 70-100 people, making it one of the most devastating of the war – spilled out. The villagers said the Taliban had hijacked the fuel tankers at 7pm on Thursday evening and driven them off the main road to Kabul, through Ali Abad district, into their stronghold of Chardarah, to the south-west of Kunduz.
To reach Chardarah they had to ford a shallow river to avoid a bridge garrisoned by the Afghan army. But when they drove the trucks into the water they became stuck, so the Taliban summoned the people in the nearby villages to help.
Jamaludin, a 45-year-old farmer, had been praying in the mosque when he heard the sound of a tractor. "I went home and found that three of my brothers and my nephew had left with my tractor," he said. "I called my brother to ask him where they had gone. He said the Taliban had asked him to bring the tractor and help them pull a tanker." Jamaluddin was alarmed. "I asked him what tanker? It wasn't our business, let the Taliban bring their own tractors. I called him back an hour later. He said they couldn't get the trucks out and the Taiban wouldn't let him leave, so I went back to sleep."
Realising the tankers were stuck, the Taliban decided to siphon off the fuel and asked people to come and help themselves to the ghanima, the spoils of war. There would be free fuel for everyone.
Assadullah, a thin 19-year-old with a wisp of black hair falling on his forehead, got a call from a friend who said the Taliban were distributing free fuel.
"I took two fuel cans with me, I called my brother and a friend and we went. There was a full moon and we could see very clearly. There were a lot of people already there. They were pushing and shoving, trying to reach the tap to fill their jerry cans. We are poor people, and we all wanted to get some fuel for the winter.
"I filled my cans and moved away while my brother was pushing to fill his. I walked for a hundred, maybe two hundred metres."
It was about 1am on Friday that the aircraft attacked and incinerated the stolen fuel tankers. "There was a big light in the sky and then an explosion," Assadullah said. "I fell on my face. When I came to, there was thick smoke and I couldn't see anything. I called, I shouted for my brother but he didn't answer. I couldn't see him. There was fire everywhere and silence and bodies were burning."
He pulled up his long shirt to show me four small shrapnel bruises and two burns on his neck.
Jamaludin woke up at about 1am to start making food. It was Ramadan, and he had to prepare Sehur, the last meal before sunrise. "I called my brother again and told him I could hear lots of aeroplanes in the sky, why wasn't he back? He said he was bringing some fuel and would be home soon. I hung up and went into the courtyard, and then there was a big fire, like a big lamp in the middle of the sky. I called my brother again and his phone was off. I left home and ran towards the river. The smell of smoke was coming from there.
"When I got there I couldn't see my brother.I shouted for him. I saw some people carrying injured on their shoulders, then I went back home to pray and wait for the light."
Jan Mohammad, an old man with a white beard and green eyes, said angrily: "I ran, I ran to find my son because nobody would give me a lift. I couldn't find him."
He dropped his head on his palm that was resting on the table, and started banging his head against his white mottled hand. When he raised his head his eyes were red and tears were rolling down his cheek: "I couldn't find my son, so I took a piece of flesh with me home and I called it my son. I told my wife we had him, but I didn't let his children or anyone see. We buried the flesh as it if was my son."
He broke off, then shouted at the young Assadullah, who had knocked at the old man's house and told his son to come with them there was free fuel for everyone, "You destroyed my home", Assadu-llah turned his head and looked at the wall. "You destroyed my home," he shouted again. Jan Mohammad dropped his head again on his palm and rolled it left and right, his big gray turban moving like a huge pendulum, "Taouba [forgiveness]," he hissed. "People lost their fathers and sons for a little bit of fuel. Forgiveness."
Omar Khan, the village chief, was crying now and looking at the ceiling.
Fazel Muhamad a 48-year-old farmer with seven deep lines creasing his forehead and a white prayers cap, threw two colour passport pictures in front of me, one of a thickly bearded man and the other a young boy. "My cousin and his son," he said. "Around 10pm, my cousin told me the Taliban were distributing fuel to the people and he was going to get some for the winter. I asked him to stay and not go, there were planes and it was dangerous at night, but he went anyway.
"At one or two in the morning we heard a big explosion and I saw fire coming form the sky. My cousin's wife came running, she said go look for your cousin, but I waited until I had finished my dawn prayers, no one could eat anything.
"I arrived there and I saw dead bodies, some were in the middle of the river, I walked around looking for him and his son but I couldn't find him. I went back home and his wife asked me did you see him, is he dead, where is he? I said I couldn't find him. She was wailing and crying.
"I went again looking for him. There was light now, I picked through the bodies, the Arbabs [village elders] were distributing the flesh, but I didn't go there. I looked through the ground and I could only see his two feet and his son's feet. I recognised them because he and his son had henna on their toes."
Islamu-ldin, a 20-year-old from Issa khail village with tufts of hair sprouting from his cheek, took his turn to speak. He said he ran for three hours to get to the riverbed to look for his brother.
"Our village is far from the river, I searched a lot through the dead, and I found my brother. I recognized him from his clothes. But we only found his upper body, maybe someone took the legs, maybe it just burned to ashes."
Omar Khan was weeping openly now. A few other men resisted, but their eyes were as red as those of Jan Muhamad, who was babbling and shouting at the young Assadullah again and again.
Saleh Muhamad, a 25-year-old man with thick beard, wanted to get some fuel but no one would give him a lift. His brother and brother-in-law went and he went to sleep, then he heard the explosion. "I waited till darkness ended, then went there. I didn't find anyone I knew, so I waited for the elders. They gave me two bodies, they looked like my relatives and I came back with them."
Another village elder said that at least a dozen of the dead were from the Taliban. Although most of them had already left when the explosion happened, the rest stayed trying to keep some order while the villagers shoved and pushed.
"At midnight my brother and nephew went to get fuel. I also wanted to go but I didn't have a car," said Saleh Muhamad.
"At one in the morning I went to bed. When I heard the explosion I called my brother but his phone was off … when I arrived at 3am there were dead everywhereI was searching for my brother and nephew but I couldn't find anyone.
"I had a torch with me and I could see well, but I still couldn't recognise anyone." His eyes looked straight through me as he said: "I found one body and took it home and we buried it. It was a full body, with arms and legs. We buried it well."
Taliban presence seen across almost all Afghanistan
By Paul Tait
SINGAPORE, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The Taliban have a significant presence in almost every corner of Afghanistan, data from a policy think tank showed on Thursday, as the country lurches into political uncertainty after a disputed presidential election.
A political standoff has deepened since the Aug. 20 poll, with President Hamid Karzai defending the ballot as honest but a U.N.-backed election watchdog invalidating some votes and ordering a partial recount amid widespread accusations of fraud.
The uncertainty coincides with the most violent period since the Taliban were toppled by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001, with record military and civilian deaths testing the resolve of U.S. and European leaders.
The election, initially hailed a success after the Taliban failed to disrupt it, has since become a major headache for Washington and a test of President Barack Obama's new regional strategy to defeat the militants and stabilise Afghanistan.
A security map by policy research group the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) however showed a deepening security crisis with substantial Taliban activity in at least 97 percent of the country.
The ICOS data, obtained by Reuters before its release on Thursday, painted an even darker picture than an Afghan government map last month that showed almost half of Afghanistan at either a high risk of attack or under "enemy control".
Based on reports of an average of one or more insurgent attacks a week since January 2009, it showed heavy Taliban activity across 80 percent of Afghanistan. A substantial Taliban presence -- one or more attacks per month -- was seen in another 17 percent of the country.
"DRAMATIC INCREASE"
A similar map released by ICOS researchers in Afghanistan late last year noted a permanent Taliban presence in 72 percent of the country and a substantial presence in another 21 percent.
In the most significant difference to previous security assessments, the latest ICOS map shows a heavy increase in areas of the north previously regarded as relatively safe such as Balkh and Kunduz provinces.
The Afghan government map, drawn up with the help of the United Nations and dated four months before the election, showed large areas of the north as either low- or medium-risk areas.
"Across the north of Afghanistan, there has been a dramatic increase in the rate of insurgent attacks against international, Afghan government, and civilian targets," said ICOS policy analyst Alexander Jackson.
A NATO air strike in a Taliban-controlled area of Kunduz killed scores of people this month, angering many Afghans and adding to tensions between Kabul and Western countries with troops in Afghanistan.
The Taliban-led insurgency has grown this year out of traditional strongholds in the south and east and has even hit the capital, Kabul. Violence escalated further before the poll.
U.S. officials are debating whether to send even more troops to Afghanistan but uncertainty over the election results and accusations that Karzai's camp has been involved in widespread fraud have made relations even icier.
Preliminary results from about 92 percent of polling stations show Karzai has passed the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a second-round run-off against his main rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah.
Abdullah has warned a fraudulent outcome "was a recipe for instability". A second round was due to be held on Oct. 1 if needed, but that would now be almost impossible to stage before the onset of winter.
ICOS President Norine MacDonald said this meant a constitutional vacuum and "government paralysis" lasting months were possible.
SINGAPORE, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The Taliban have a significant presence in almost every corner of Afghanistan, data from a policy think tank showed on Thursday, as the country lurches into political uncertainty after a disputed presidential election.
A political standoff has deepened since the Aug. 20 poll, with President Hamid Karzai defending the ballot as honest but a U.N.-backed election watchdog invalidating some votes and ordering a partial recount amid widespread accusations of fraud.
The uncertainty coincides with the most violent period since the Taliban were toppled by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001, with record military and civilian deaths testing the resolve of U.S. and European leaders.
The election, initially hailed a success after the Taliban failed to disrupt it, has since become a major headache for Washington and a test of President Barack Obama's new regional strategy to defeat the militants and stabilise Afghanistan.
A security map by policy research group the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) however showed a deepening security crisis with substantial Taliban activity in at least 97 percent of the country.
The ICOS data, obtained by Reuters before its release on Thursday, painted an even darker picture than an Afghan government map last month that showed almost half of Afghanistan at either a high risk of attack or under "enemy control".
Based on reports of an average of one or more insurgent attacks a week since January 2009, it showed heavy Taliban activity across 80 percent of Afghanistan. A substantial Taliban presence -- one or more attacks per month -- was seen in another 17 percent of the country.
"DRAMATIC INCREASE"
A similar map released by ICOS researchers in Afghanistan late last year noted a permanent Taliban presence in 72 percent of the country and a substantial presence in another 21 percent.
In the most significant difference to previous security assessments, the latest ICOS map shows a heavy increase in areas of the north previously regarded as relatively safe such as Balkh and Kunduz provinces.
The Afghan government map, drawn up with the help of the United Nations and dated four months before the election, showed large areas of the north as either low- or medium-risk areas.
"Across the north of Afghanistan, there has been a dramatic increase in the rate of insurgent attacks against international, Afghan government, and civilian targets," said ICOS policy analyst Alexander Jackson.
A NATO air strike in a Taliban-controlled area of Kunduz killed scores of people this month, angering many Afghans and adding to tensions between Kabul and Western countries with troops in Afghanistan.
The Taliban-led insurgency has grown this year out of traditional strongholds in the south and east and has even hit the capital, Kabul. Violence escalated further before the poll.
U.S. officials are debating whether to send even more troops to Afghanistan but uncertainty over the election results and accusations that Karzai's camp has been involved in widespread fraud have made relations even icier.
Preliminary results from about 92 percent of polling stations show Karzai has passed the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a second-round run-off against his main rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah.
Abdullah has warned a fraudulent outcome "was a recipe for instability". A second round was due to be held on Oct. 1 if needed, but that would now be almost impossible to stage before the onset of winter.
ICOS President Norine MacDonald said this meant a constitutional vacuum and "government paralysis" lasting months were possible.
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