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We’re living on Afghans’ support, not Pakistan’s: Taliban

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  • We’re living on Afghans’ support, not Pakistan’s: Taliban

    http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-12-2006_pg7_2

    SPIN BOLDAK: The Taliban on Saturday denied accusations by Afghan leaders the group was being sponsored by Pakistan, an issue souring relations between the two nations.

    A senior rebel commander, Hayat Khan, said Afghan President Hamid Karzai was trying to hide his own failure and the Taliban movement lived only on the support of ordinary people. “Karzai’s allegations are baseless. We neither have any links with Pakistan nor is the country helping the Taliban,” Khan told Reuters by satellite phone from a secret location.

    “The Taliban movement is continuing only with the support of the Afghan people.

    “Instead of shedding crocodile tears, Hamid Karzai should resign and join the Taliban ranks for jihad against the infidel occupiers to liberate Afghanistan,” he added, referring to Karzai crying during a speech about civilian deaths this week. The hardline Islamists have regrouped since their ouster in 2001, helped by safe havens and militant allies in Pakistan and money from the booming illegal opium industry.

    About 4,000 people have died this year, a quarter of them civilians. Relations between the neighbours, both key allies in the US war on terrorism, have deteriorated sharply this year over the question of cross-border incursions.

    In his strongest comments yet, Karzai said this week “terrorist nests” operated from Pakistan. Pakistan was once the Taliban’s main sponsor but officially dropped support for the group after the September 11 attacks on the United States. Pakistan denies it supports the insurgents but acknowledges some militants are crossing the rugged, porous border. reuters
    Interesting, the Taliban are now giving a job offer to Karzai!

    By removing the most popular party and giving power to an unpopular one, Afghans have started to support the Taliban a lot more than they perhaps would have if it was tried to reform Afghans or the Taliban.

    I think the Go long, go big or go home question should be asked about Afghanistan. They should pull troops out of Iraq and send them there if they want to give a military defeat to the Taliban.

    If they are not going to consider fighting the Taliban, then perhaps its time to deal with them. After Helmand if Nato loses out Kandahar then there's no turning back. If Taliban comes to power after any sort of victory then that Taliban would be a lot more dangerous and uncontrollable than one which was allowed in after making them agree on several things.

  • #2
    so says the Taliban......
    Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
    -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

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    • #3
      That rat Karazi, knew we should not trust him.

      Comment


      • #4
        lol.... Asim has posted this news like its coming from some real authority.... I couldn't care less what the Taliban says, they are cheap terrorist bastards and the horse puky coming out of their mouths is worth a laugh...
        Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
        -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

        Comment


        • #5
          re

          If the Pakistani government is supporting them, it would hardly make sense for the Taliban to tell the world that they're doing so, and put their hosts in a spot. This denial proves nothing.

          The world should realise that Pakistan is not a stable and viable state, and there should be a UN mission to take out the military government and install a democratic head who will be more responsive to the needs of Pakistanis.....or, they could just give it to India as a protectorate (just like Bhutan ).

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          • #6
            The Taliban on Saturday denied accusations by Afghan leaders the group was being sponsored by Pakistan, an issue souring relations between the two nations.
            Sure...and terrorism in Iraq is being done by the US

            btw Asim..did you actually try to prove that Pakistan wasnt actually helping Taliban...by posting this report...;)

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            • #7
              “The Taliban movement is continuing only with the support of the Afghan people.
              ROTFL...this is like the Iraqi Information minister saying live on Tv that "America is not within 100 miles of Baghdad and will never be"...followed instantly by an explosion in the building just behind.

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              • #8
                You guys should really keep track of what is going on in Afghanistan's Helmand Province these days.

                Nato keeps saying they've killed 50, 100 Taliban but they seem to be taking district after district. Helmand is where the locals support the Taliban the most and have found roots in 12 of the 18 districts over there.

                Taliban IS a very serious concern and are stronger than they have ever been since they were ousted.

                Helmand Province and the Afghan Insurgency

                A desolate and largely lawless region with a population of just over one million and a surface area of 23,058 square miles, the strategically-located southwestern Afghan province of Helmand is emerging as the center of the neo-Taliban and the broader Pashtun insurgency.

                A string of deadly insurgent attacks this year have claimed the lives of several Helmand officials. The latest attack claimed the life of the Sangin district governor, Amir Jan, on March 3. Amir Jan was killed while vacationing in the Musa Qala district (Pajhwok Afghan News, March 4). Prior to this incident, at least 28 people, including the Musa Qala district chief, Abdul Quddus, were killed on February 2 in intensive fighting with over 200 Taliban insurgents. The battle—which lasted more than 10 hours—took place in the Sangin, Nawzad and Musa Qala districts, which are located in the extreme south of Helmand.

                According to Amir Mohammad Akhund, deputy governor of Helmand, "fighting erupted when militants attacked a government office in Musa Qala district, killing the local government district chief" (Azadi Radio, February 4). Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, Yousef Istanizai, claimed that the battle in early February had been "the most serious incident in the last year" (Tolo TV, February 3). Istanizai also claimed that two Taliban leaders—Mullah Dadullah and Mullah Turjan—were killed in the fighting. It is not clear if Istanizai was referring to the notorious Mullah Dadullah, who is believed to be the leader of the resurgent Taliban movement in the south and who is still alive.

                Causes of Violence

                Following the recent Helmand clashes, some of the representatives in parliament criticized the central government's strategies in counter-narcotics, anti-corruption campaigns and disarmament programs. Helmand representative in the lower house of parliament, Nasima Niazi, told Sadi Bamdad daily on February 4 that the formation of 200 Taliban militants is a result of the dissatisfaction felt by many distressed Afghan farmers. "Now when the farmers want to exploit the result of their plants, the government has started destroying them," said Niazi. "Though I don't agree with planting opium, I still want the government to have a definite strategy" (Sadi Bamdad, February 4).

                Aside from agriculture and the opium trade, widespread unemployment is believed to be a major cause of unrest in Helmand. According to Mukhtar Pidram, an Afghan political analyst, "During the last four years, the government has not established even a small company to employ unskilled youths…unemployment is one of the main factors driving dissatisfaction with the [Hamid] Karzai government and the main factor leading youths to embrace 'Mafias' in Afghanistan" (Danishjo Weekly, February 6).

                Moreover, heavy-handedness and perceived oppression by the police and the security forces is undermining efforts to bring stability to Helmand. A group of Helmand elders voiced their concerns about this issue in a February 8 meeting with President Karzai in Kabul. Apparently, Karzai promised the Helmand elders that he would investigate their claims (Radio Afghanistan, February 8). According to Pidram, heavy-handedness by the security forces goes hand in hand with "warlordism, which is a big challenge facing the government and the people. These elements are still strong and control most of the military and civilian institutions, especially in provinces such as Helmand, which is a center of the narcotics trade" (Danishjo Weekly, February 6).

                Furthermore, Helmand, aside from being a largely Pashtun province, is from where many senior officials of the former Taliban regime originated. For instance, the culture and information minister of the former Taliban regime, Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi, was from Helmand. Additionally, Helmand youths formed some of the most effective and fearless units of the Taliban military. When Kandahar fell in late 2001, it is believed that many Taliban leaders sought sanctuary in Helmand. Given this long and deep-rooted association with the Taliban, it is not altogether surprising that former Taliban elements and sympathetic constituencies in broader Pashtun society are at the forefront of the insurgency in this desolate and wretched province. If the Afghan government and its Western allies are serious about tackling the problems in Helmand, they have to reach some sort of accommodation with aggrieved Pashtuns. Otherwise, the Taliban will be able to count on their support indefinitely.

                Foreign Influence

                Following every clash and suicide attack, Afghan officials customarily point an accusing finger at Pakistan and its notorious Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI). For instance, following the 10 hour long clashes in early February, Afghan Interior Minister Zarar Ahmad Muqbil, while speaking at the lower house of parliament, claimed that the "eastern" neighbor to Afghanistan (Pakistan) has equipped and sent the Taliban to fight against the central government. According to Muqbil, "Helmand, Kandahar, Paktia, Paktika, Kunar and Nuristan are those provinces which are insecure and restive. I must say clearly that these are the provinces which have joint borders with Pakistan" (Azadi Radio, February 13).


                Moreover, Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, while speaking at the lower house of parliament, implicitly accused Pakistan of causing unrest and chaos in Helmand. "The terrorists who attack our young democracy have been trained, equipped and sent from abroad," Wardak stated (Azadi Radio, February 13). Furthermore, the national security chief, Amrullah Saleh, recently argued that the Afghan government "must put pressure on a specific country which trains and cooperates [with the terrorists] and from where they have been sent to instigate terrorist attacks" (Pajhwok Afghan News, February 12).

                An Afghan journalist, Omid Ahmadi, believes that more than 60 countries with different strategies and policies are united in their stand against terrorism in Afghanistan. The only exception, according to Ahmadi, is Pakistan. "Among these countries, Pakistan is sparking chaos, and it has to review its policies," said Ahmadi (Murdum Weekly, February 16).

                A Holy War?

                Most of the gunmen and suicide attackers in Helmand are believed to be ideologically-motivated and fully committed to the cause of jihad. Waheed Mujda, a senior former foreign ministry diplomat during the Taliban regime, said in an exclusive interview that the "insurgents, mostly Taliban, are not fighting for power in Helmand or the rest of the provinces; they are fighting against foreigners…those who are coming from abroad or are already present in Helmand attack the government institutions because of Sharia" (Azadi Radio, March 13).

                At the same time Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, claimed he will "never negotiate with the foreign established government in Afghanistan" (Tolo TV, February 16). This is a very important statement by the once all-powerful Hekmatyar (a former Afghan prime minister), whose current influence is perhaps underestimated. While Hekmatyar's influence in Helmand does not exceed that of the Taliban, his statement is a clear sign to his followers in this region to engage in jihad against government forces in Helmand and other southwestern provinces. Moreover, despite having been militarily defeated by the Taliban in 1994, Hekmatyar is now cooperating with the neo-Taliban and al-Qaeda. This development, coupled with Hekmatyar's recent statement, is very bad news for the Kabul government.

                The British in Helmand

                According to a Kabul daily, "the bloodshed on Saturday [February 2] underscored the challenge facing thousands of British and Canadian troops in coming months as they gradually relieve American forces in southern Afghanistan, a hotbed of insurgency and the drug trade" (Outlook Afghanistan Daily, February 4).

                The consensus in Afghanistan is that the surge in violence is directly linked to the new mission of the British-led NATO International Security Assistance Force in Helmand. This force will be dominated by the British 16th Air Assault Brigade. It seems likely that the insurgents, alongside al-Qaeda, will seek to test the resolve of the British troops early, hoping to inflict serious losses on their forces.

                The treacherous nature of this desolate and lawless region, coupled with the complex factors driving the insurgency, make it unlikely that the British-led NATO force will be able to restore stability to Helmand in the foreseeable future. It is hoped, however, that the British military's reputation for skillful handling of insurgencies and the local populations that sustain it will reduce the grievances of the Pashtun Helmandis.
                http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/...icleid=2369937

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