New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: “Reaction To The Remarks Of General Petraeus"

NOTE: This message is from the Afghan Ṭālibān and unedited below.


Shawwal 19, 1431 A.H, Wednesday, September 29, 2010
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
The Commander-in-chief of the foreign invading forces in Afghanistan, General Petraeus, has claimed that some high-ranking officials of Taliban (Islamic Emirate) have contacted the Karzai Administration. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, while rejecting the claim of General Petraeus, believes, that such baseless claims by the enemy portray their jittery and fiasco in face of the Mujahideen.
How can it be possible for the officials of the Islamic Emirate to initiate clandestine contacts with the powerless and stooge government while they have already turned down the misleading demands and proposals of the weak Kabul Administration for commencement of negotiation.
In fact, the Americans and their coalition have no gains versus the Mujahideen and have nothing on hand to show to the public of the world. They implemented all conspiracies which they had conceived to weaken Mujahideen or eliminate them but they all went awry. Similarly, the enemy resorted to convening the so-called national consultative Jirga; the holding of the Kabul conference which was aimed at handing over responsibility to the weak Kabul Administration; instituted the peace high council and launched the recent process of parliamentary election for the purpose of attaining the said goals.
However, all these endeavors faced debacle thanks to the initiatives of Mujahideen and the help of the Almighty Allah. Thus gained nothing from their attempts. The public of the world are witness to the fact that the current year was the most fatal for the enemy according to their own admission and acknowledgement despite the conspiracies which they frequently hatched and the efforts which they got under way.
These gains of the Mujahideen have had negative impacts on the morale of the invading enemy. Their forces suffer from fear and jittery as a result. Some allies of America have withdrawn their forces from Afghanistan and some are seeking means and ways to leave the country. So in this critical situation, contrary to the claims by the morale-sagging General Petraeus, Mujahideen want to further organize and speed up their programs rather than kicking off contacts with the crumbling Kabul Administration.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believes that the presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is the main cause of the current tragedy and it has been struggling to force the invaders to pull out of the country. The Islamic Emirate reaffirms once again that the solution of the Afghan issue lies in the withdrawal of foreign invaders from Afghanistan, not in initiating secret contacts with the powerless stooges of the invaders. The unfounded propaganda launched by General Petraeus or any other circle about existence of secret contacts is, in fact, a part of the defeated enemy’s war of words. It is not the demand and decision of the leadership of the triumphing Mujahideen.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "Reaction To The Request Of USA For Deployment Of Bangladeshi Troops"

NOTE: This message is from the Afghan Ṭālibān and unedited below.


Shawwal 19, 1431 A.H, Wednesday, September 29, 2010
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
The foreign ministry of Bangladesh has said in a press release that USA has officially requested that country to send troops to Afghanistan for participation in the already failed war mission which has been going on for the past nine years under the leadership of America.
We do not expect that Bangladesh which is predominantly Muslim country will be prepared to participate in a war and a mission that is being referred to even by the invaders themselves as a holy war against the Muslims. They have been fighting for the said objective in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past nine years and violate all values of the Islamic Ummah; commit desecration of the Holy Quran and have been perpetrating numerous open blasphemies against the holy personality of the prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) who, in fact, is the rescuer of the whole humanity.
We think, the rulers of Bangladesh will surely have Islamic knowledge and political insight to avoid headlong jumping to the enmity of the Afghans by sending a few hundreds soldiers. Presumably, if the rulers commit this historical mistake, the God-fearing people of Bangladesh will not allow them to support the arch enemies of Islam against a fraternal Islamic country.
The rulers of Bangladesh should know that the foreign invaders in Afghanistan are in a state of escape. It is now not the time of troops surge and alliance with America. The military situation in Afghanistan has reached a point that even USA’s most close western allies and other important NATO members have firmly decided to flee from Afghanistan, leaving America alone there.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan believes, the government of Bangladesh will not prefer to climb the bandwagon and give their support to American whereas America itself is practically in a phase of downfall and flight in Afghanistan. Bangladesh is not a member of NATO, nor it has other legal obligations to send troops to Afghanistan; nor do the holy religion of Islam and the national interests of Bangladesh and its people permit such undertaking. Bangladesh is a prominent Islamic country and its people are no doubt steadfast Muslims.
Perhaps America intends at this final stage of its flight to tip Islamic countries in the region against each other and cash in on their differences. The Islamic country of Bangladesh should support its Muslim Mujahid brothers instead of America and fulfill its responsibility in the struggle of the miserable Afghans for obtainment of independence and establishment of stability in the whole region.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

New video release from Adam Gadahn: "The Tragedy of the Floods"

UPDATE 2: Here are transcripts in English and Arabic of Gadahn’s video statement.
UPDATE: Brian Fishman, J.M. Berger, and Christopher Anzalone make perceptive points as well:





NOTE: Adam Yaḥyā Ghadan (“Azzām al-Amrīki”) was born as Adam Pearlman in California. He converted to Sunni Islam in 1995. He has been a senior operative for al-Qā’idah since 2004 and is currently in control of the As-Saḥāb (“The Clouds”) Foundation for Islamic Media Publication.
This video is boilerplate anti-American and anti-Pakistani talking points. The most interesting thing I noticed was that Gadahn was outside. Is this a message to the American’s that he is not afraid of the drone strikes or that he has more freedom of movement again? Also, I found it noteworthy that when Gadahn talked about the famous conspiracy he added an additional conspirator: “The Zionist-Crusader-Hindu Conspiracy,” which shows the importance the Kashmir cause has been taken-up within al-Qaeda as they have further embedded themselves within the Pakistani militant milieu.


New statement from Jāma’at Tawḥīd wal-Jihād: "Fifteen thousand pounds for the one who kills Yāsir Ḥabīb"

NOTE: Jāma’at Tawḥīd wal-Jihād is a Palestinian global jihadist group based in the Gaza Strip that sympathizes with the al-Qā’idah worldview. Earlier this month, Jāma’at Tawḥīd wal-Jihād claimed responsibility for a rocket attack against Israel. For more background on Yāsir Ḥabīb, read Christopher Anzalone’s post on this statement.


Jama’at al-Tawhid and Jihad- Fifteen thousand pounds for the one who kills Yaser Habib
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al-Fajr Media presents the twelfth lesson within the Creating terrorism program by Abū ‘Ubaydah ‘Abdullah

New statement from the Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan: "The Afghans’ Moments Of Victory Around The Corner"

NOTE: This message is from the Afghan Ṭālibān and unedited below.


Shawwal 17, 1431 A.H, Monday, September 27, 2010
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
US President Obama, in an interview with BBC Persian Service, on Friday last, reneged on his promise to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in July 2011. According to him, The American invading forces will remain in Afghanistan until they achieve their colonialist and regional objectives.
Following the end of the war-mongering and anti-human policy of former president Bush, the public of the world were expecting Obama that he would put an end to this vicious trend; would end occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and close down all notorious and brutal prisons which had , openly and secretly, been set up in Afghanistan, Iraq, Cuba and other parts of the world by the malicious Bush to expand the war and torture the noble sons of the Islamic Ummah.
Gaining the helms of affairs, Obama repeated his promise to quit Bushe’s policy and posed himself as flag-bearer of peace and stability. He reiterated frequently that he would close down the notorious prisons; will withdraw troops from Iraq within a year and would draw down forces in Afghanistan in July 2011. But when the time approached, he brazenly retracted on his promise. Neither he closed down the prisons; nor completely withdrew troops from Iraq, nor worked for reconstruction and stability of Iraq. Now even he has backed up from his words to pull American forces out of Afghanistan in July next year. Contrarily, he said in his interview that the American troops would remain in Afghanistan until the fulfillment of their so-called job.
It is crystal clear like the broad day light that in the past nine years, the invading Americans and their coalition allies shed the blood of more than 100,000 innocent Afghans; put thousands of them behind the bar, and committed desecration of the holy Quran on this sacred land and soiled mosques with the blood of worshippers. They did other abhorrent acts which their devilish desires and whims stirred them to do. But still this arrogant and only super power of the world has never been able to have a hundred percent control over any district or area of Afghanistan or that the residents of a given area support the Americans or the Kabul stooge Administration all in a body.
The practical proof of this is the recent parliamentary elections which were limited only to a few cities. Less than 10% voters showed up at the polling stations all over the country. Even that 10% turn-out was the result of extensive bribery and paying-offs on the part of the invaders, trying to show that the fake process was going with flying colors.
We ask Obama, his strategist and executors of the failed strategies that even two million out of the thirty million Afghans all over the country were not willing to show up on the polling day despite the passage of nine years of the occupation; presence of 300,000 foreign and local forces and outlay of $200 million, then how can it be possible that the Americans will achieve their objectives in Afghanistan or in the word of Obama, reach a rationale victory.
Obama and his team should understand that the victory is the fate of the Afghans. Your war machine and sophisticated technology has failed in the face of the strong determination of the Afghans. The deserts, mountains, rocks and plants of Afghanistan are ringing with the voice of onslaught to strike. Now it is up to you to see whether you have the capacity to confront the country-wide upheaval of the Afghans or attempt to secure your future destiny from crumbling.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Articles of the Week – 9/18-9/24

Saturday September 18:
Kashmir’s New Islamist Movement – Praveen Swami, The Hinduhttps://bit.ly/9NYe8X
Mauritanian raid against AQIM – Kal, The Moor Next Doorhttps://bit.ly/d3SF1B
Sunday September 19:
German Al-Qaeda spokesman Bekkay Harrach dead? – Florian Flade, Jih@d Bloghttps://bit.ly/chSaFn
Monday September 20:
Thinking Outside the Box – Bruce Hoffman, The National Interesthttps://bit.ly/9ZPZSB
Walking back (slightly) on Anwar al-Awlaki – Brian O’Neill, Always Judged Guiltyhttps://bit.ly/9mqr8Y
Strange Times – Gregory D. Johnsen, Waq al-Waq: https://bit.ly/b1O2eZ
Tuesday September 21:
A Crash Course in Jihadi Theory (Part 1) – Joas Wagemakers, Jihadicahttps://bit.ly/blPTjP
The irrelevance of the international Muslim Brotherhood – Nathan J. Brown, The Middle East Channelhttps://bit.ly/8X28r8
Germany’s Ground-Zero Mosque – Florian Flade, Jih@d Bloghttps://bit.ly/d46N8f
Wednesday September 22:
Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, Volume 33 Issue 10 2010 just released: https://bit.ly/aaeVeC
What if Obama’s Yemen policy works? – Aaron Y. Zelin, The Middle East Channelhttps://bit.ly/ccoVL3
Al Qaeda-Affiliated and ‘Homegrown’ Jihadism in the UK: 1999-2010 – Jytte Klausen, Institute for Strategic Dialogue:
Thursday September 23:
ICT’s Jihadi Websites Monitoring Group releases its Periodical Review September 2010 – No. 1: https://bit.ly/dmdpup
These Terrorists Aren’t Playing Games – Praveen Swami, Foreign Policyhttps://bit.ly/aomy7m
Terrorism Out of Somalia – Q&A w/Ken Menkhaus & Christopher Boucek, Carnegie Endowment for International Peacehttps://bit.ly/bFl5Yr
Mogadishu Map: al Shabaab’s Ramadan Offensive – Katherine Zimmerman, Critical Threats Projecthttps://bit.ly/dwpFGX
French Counterterrorism Operations in the Sahara – Jean-Luc Marret, Terrorism Monitorhttps://bit.ly/aBmYyK
Friday September 24:
The Legal War on Terror for the week of 9/18-9/24 – Andrew Lebovich, Foreign Policy: https://bit.ly/9XVpLG

My new article at Foreign Policy's Middle East Channel: "What if Obama’s Yemen policy works?"


In the past month, Yemen has returned to the spotlight. The CIA now believes that the Yemen-based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is a larger security threat to the United States than al Qaeda Central in Pakistan. Since then, press accounts have stated that the United States government plans to carry out drone attacks in Yemen, and reported that U.S. Central Command plans to give $1.2 billion in aid to Yemen’s military over a five-year period. But such policies, no matter how well-intentioned, are unlikely to solve the very real challenges posed by al Qaeda’s presence in Yemen and may well make the situation worse.
It originally appeared that there was widespread consensus in the government on providing such military aid to Yemen. But a recent article in the New York Times highlights that there is a vigorous debate within the Obama administration about the efficacy of such aid. The Obama administration has been debating the legality of droning an American citizen (i.e. Anwar al-Awlaki). Before rushing into a major new program, it’s worth recalling the reasons why past U.S.-backed efforts aimed at eliminating al Qaeda’s presence in Yemen have failed.
Read the rest here.

New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "Whom The Afghan People Sided With? With The Islamic Emirate Or …?"

NOTE: This message is from the Afghan Ṭālibān and unedited below.


Shawwal 12, 1431 A.H, Wednesday, September 22, 2010
In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful
UNAMA and other Western and internal stooge entities which were delegated to conduct the so-called parliamentary elections on Sept. 18, had earlier predicted that only in 30% area of Afghanistan, the situation would be ready for holding the elections.
Reason: the security problems. But on the day of the polling, people witnessed that even that prediction did not come true. Less than 10% voters took part in the ridiculous American drama by casting their votes. The low turn-out can be ascribed to fear and wide-spread rigging.
The Americans and their allies spent $200 million dollars to maintain security and conduct other clandestine dealing of bribery etc. in order to bring to success the fake elections process. They deployed 300,000 foreign and domestic soldiers on the polling day to make safe the few polling stations and pave the way for voters to cast votes. All these notwithstanding, with the help of Allah (SwT) and the assistance of Mujahideen with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the so-called elections were disrupted and thus remained limited to a few cities.
Therefore, have had derogatory results for the implementers. We would like to leave alone hundreds of events which evidently prove our claim. Instead, we deem it suffice to mention examples of only two elections centers as the tip of the iceberg: a district elections center in Ghazni and an election center in a populated village in Logar province. Now all those with insight and sagacity can judge for themselves that what will be the credibility of the elections and the next parliament after all that shameful cases that happened on the day of the polling.
More than 300,000 people are living in Andar district of Ghazni province. The officials and observers at the polling stations admitted themselves that only 3 voters cast their votes during the day despite the fact that the polling station had remained open the whole day. In Pad khwab Shana, 3 kilometers in proximity of the provincial center, Pullie Allam, with population reaching 30,000 persons, only 250 ballots were cast. That too, because of tribal affiliation, bribery, coercion and material incentives.
Other reports from various parts of the country say that no polling station had been opened in 162 districts out of 360 districts of the country. 1260 polling stations were forced to close before 11 o’clock of the day. Voting process was disrupted in the remaining polling stations due to successful attacks of the Mujahideen. Not only the people did not participate in the elections but remained at their houses as a sign of opposition to the so-called elections. After 4 o’clock of the day, in the dusk time, when the official time ended for ballot casting, Mujahideen ambushed ballot boxes which were being hauled from a few city centers to the capital of the country. They were torched and destroyed.
Now the world, the UNAMA and the observers can decide what credibility these fake and failed elections will have? They should also ponder whether they are going to give importance to the voice of the majority people of Afghanistan or to the subservient media, the pre-planned commentaries and the distorted news items about the elections? Similarly, they should make clear whom the Afghan people sided with—with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, or with America, UNAMA and the stooge Kabul Administration?

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan