Quetta Shura – Page 55

New from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "Qārī' Yusef Aḥmadī Interview with Afghan Islamic (News) Agency"

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

Q.1. Two years ago the foreign forces gained some areas from Taliban in Kandahar and Helmand provinces. What is the reason that the Taliban are not able to regain those areas? Ans. If you observe the situation in Helmand and Kandahar closely, you will find that the foreigners have set up their bases only in the central areas of these districts and cannot even move 100 meters away from these centers. In most of these areas the logistics are supplied by air. Thus we can say that they have made no progress in these areas. On the other side you know that in the present partisan or guerrilla war the important thing is to perturb the enemy and to inflict casualties on them and we have done it quite successfully in other parts of the country. You know that in the ‘Badr’ operation this year we have carried out successful combine attacks in the centers and districts of Kandahar and Helmand provinces. All this testify our force and active presence in the region. In Kandahar province some of the regions are occupied by the enemy in a way that they have leveled the houses and the orchards to the ground and human life is made impossible there. Naturally Taliban are also not found there. But in no case can we call it triumph for the enemy. Q.2. In Kandahar and Helmand, apart from the sporadic attacks, Taliban are quite weak in Panjwai, Zeri, Arghandab, and some other parts of Kandahar province. What is the reason for this in your opinion? Ans. As far as we know in the above mentioned areas the patrols of the enemy have decreased. So the reaction has also come down comparatively. Secondly in the districts of these provinces, attacks are carried on the daily basis in which tens of internal and external soldiers are killed and heavy losses are inflicted on them which are shared with the media including your one. Q.3. NATO alliance says that Taliban are confined to some areas in the Southern provinces (e.g. Helmand and Kandahar); if it is true, what is the reason for it? Ans. The invaders always make these kinds of claims, which we strongly deny. If they are honest in their claim then why cannot they remove Mujahideen from the remaining ‘confined’ areas? It is clear that their claims of progress are false. Another point is the absence of free international media in southern areas of the country to observe our activities and report it accurately. A few reporters are there but they are being threatened by the internal and external secret services not to report the incidents accurately. Some of the news agencies are even hired to show each and everything intact. The invaders want to show their public that the last year operations have yielded positive results, which is in total contradiction to the reality. Q.4. Some military observers say that Taliban’s influence is weak in the region as compared to the past; what are the reasons behind it? Ans. I do not agree with this opinion of the stated observers. If we accept that in some areas the presence of Mujahideen is less, the reason is not the lack of influence but when the enemy increased its attacks in these areas, under planned military tactics we also increased our attacks in other parts. When we notice that public and Mujahideen are both under pressure, simultaneously we open new fronts in other villages and districts. In the same way if one zone is under pressure, we have increased our activities in other zones. Even the enemy admits to this fact. Overall our operations have actually increased instead of decreasing. For example in the year 1431 A.H. in 12 months inside Kandahar, 1078 attacks took place against the enemy. But in the year 1432 A.H. which ended recently, 1588 attacks were carried out, which outnumber the last year by 510. Secondly most of the military observers analyze the situation partially. They always show their analysis through the western media which is always far away from the ground realities. The actual situation on the ground is something much different than their one-sided and biased analysis. We have entered to a new phase in the war where we have been able to inflict heavy losses over the enemy and have significantly reduced our own . Q.5. Do you have any program to recapture the districts of Panjwai, Zeri, Arghandab and some other areas in Kandahar and Helmand provinces. Ans. In the aforementioned areas only the centers of Panjwai, Zeri, Arghandab districts are under their control. They live only in their barracks which are heavily guarded by sand bags or concrete walls. The enemy has no control outside the centers of the districts. The disputes among the masses are settled by the concerning authorities of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. So we can say that even now, the support of the people and the control of the above mentioned areas is with the Mujahideen. Our next target is obviously to control the centers of these districts considering the military situation. We have our planning for each and every part of the country. Q.6. What are the reasons that you have not entered the political process from the military one? Ans. We have been insisting on a political solution for every minor or major issue instead of force and arrogance. The present situation of war has been imposed upon us. We have been attacked and compelled to pick up arms. By the grace of Allah Almighty, for the last 10 years the enemy has become fully exhausted in the battlefield. As far as political process is concerned, there is a separate commission working for it. Our demands for a political solution have been publicized through the media. We can never tolerate foreign invasion in our country. We want the strict implementation of Islamic rules and regulations. We want Islamic brotherhood and unity among the countrymen. We want cordial relation with the world on the basis of Islamic principles where no one is harmed. But the enemy is extending the occupation and is dreaming for a prolonged subjugation of our country. In these circumstances we are compelled to insist on a military solution rather than political one; because the enemy is not ready to leave our country by political logic and to solve the disputed issues by political negotiations. Q.7. Do you have any comprehensive program or proposals to solve the Afghan problem? Ans. As we have said earlier that we have a full fledged Islamic policy for the solution of Afghan problem. First of all we want the liberation of our country. Secondly we believe in the principle of logic and reason to solve disputed matters. This policy has been clearly declared by the leadership of the Islamic Emirate. Q.8. Now as the ‘Loya Jirga’ (grand council) convened by Hamid Karzai has conditionally approved the military bases for Americans for 10 more years, how long will you fight against the foreigners? Ans. Jihad is a religious obligation upon us. We have no specified time framework for it. When the need for Jihad is ceased, the war will naturally come to an end . It totally depends on the invaders. We will not tire of Jihad because we are fully prepared for it. Training and incitement are going on with full strength and thousands of young men are ready to fight and to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Islam and for the liberation of the country. Q.9. What are the reasons for your decreased activities in the northern areas especially in Kunduz province? Ans. Our attacks are well planned in the North of the country especially in Kunduz province; but the chances for a decisive attack is less due to the restricted movement of the troops stationed there (mostly non-Americans) who are fed up with this war and consider it a useless and imposed war. But still we are expanding our presence and operations with the changing circumstances in the whole of the North. Q. 10. Overall, do you think the military force of Taliban is weaker or stronger as compared to the past and whether the present military situation is encouraging Taliban or NATO? Ans. In general, the force and influence of Taliban has increased in all areas of Afghanistan because the whole nation has realized that only Mujahideen can liberate the country from the foreign occupation. The resolution of the so called ‘Loya Jirga’ will have a very positive effect on our forthcoming Jihadi modus operandi. The people have realized that the invaders are here for sinister objectives. They want to endanger our religion, prestige and other sanctities at the hands of a few traitors and corrupt agents. They want to keep us as an occupied nation and impose their own systems upon us. I think that the nation will become even more vigilant in the future and will stand shoulder to shoulder with Mujahideen with their full capacity. The level of support and sympathy will rise. Consequently the invaders and their stooges will not have any other option but to face a very disgraceful defeat as the late Soviet Union and their slaves did. And this is never too hard for Allah Almighty. With due respects

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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan releases In Fight Magazine #35

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: In Fight Magazine publishes photographs from the Afghan Ṭālibān-led insurgency against the United States, NATO, and its Afghan allies. For previous issues see: #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22; #21; and #20.
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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan releases In Fight Magazine #35
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New statement from Qārī' Yusef Aḥmadī of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "Regarding the False News Published by The Express Tribune"

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

The Pakistani newspaper ‘The Express Tribune’, citing unknown sources ands proofs, published a false report on Sunday which claimed that Amir ul Mumineen (Mullah Muhammad Umar Mujahid) H.A. has given guidance to the Pakistani Taliban and asked them to start talks with the government and turn their full attention to Afghanistan. This report was all out used as evidence by some western backed news agencies as evidence to spread their propaganda. After our extensive investigations, we found that this report has no truth to it. In accordance with the policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, we do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and neither has such guidance been given to anyone.
We strongly reject such claims and can confidently say that the esteemed Amir ul Mimineen has not sent a letter and neither has he seen face to face with anyone regarding this matter. It is hoped that news agencies will not publish unconfirmed news and reports which are not backed by any credible sources. They should prove that they are honestly working for the benefit of their countries, are observing all journalistic ethics and are not bias towards any side.
The spokesman of Islamic Emirate
Qari Yousuf Ahmadi
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English translation of interview: “With The General Mujāhidīn Official In Nūristān, Shaykh Dost Muḥammad” from Issue #61 of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s al-Ṣamūd Magazine

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: To view issue number sixty-one of the Ṭālibān’s magazine al-Ṣamūd see here.
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Biography
The General Official of the Mujahideen in Nuristan Province is Sheikh Dost Muhammad, son of al-Hajj Safar Muhammad, and one of the sons of Nuristan in east Afghanistan. He conducted his elementary studies in this region, then traveled to continue his Shari’ah studies in Pakistan. After graduating, he became occupied
with teaching in a number of schools and has long experience in the fields of tafseer, Hadith and Islamic jurisprudence. He has authored a number of books on Jihad and other Shari’ah matters, and is renowned as a professor on both sides of the border. The Sheikh has dedicated a large part of his life to Jihad and educating the Mujahideen in addition to teaching and writing. He has lived the life of the Mujahideen in the mountains, caves and forests, away from the pleasures of life. Although the Sheikh’s beard has whitened, his soul is still as strong as if he was in his twenties. Now the Sheikh continues to work in the general leadership of the Mujahideen in Nuristan province under the command of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Recently, al-Somood magazine met with him and conducted this interview, which we invite you to read.
Question: Your Excellency, to start we thank you for allowing us the opportunity to met you to learn the situation in Nuristan. We wish for you to give us a general overview of this province.
Answer: We praise Allah and we pray upon His kind messenger. Thereafter, we thank you also for bearing the hardship of coming here, and we ask Allah to reward you. To answer your question, Nuristan province is located in eastern Afghanistan and includes seven districts in addition to the center Parun. This province is divided into three main regions: eastern Nuristan, central Nuristan and western Nuristan. East Nuristan includes Barg-e-Matal and Kamdesh districts. Central Nuristan includes the Wanat and Wama districts as well as the province capital Parun. Western Nuristan includes three districts including Nur Karam, Dawab and Mandol. Nuristan province has a rocky, mountainous nature and the plains are few. Mountains, forests and rivers form the majority of the province’s landscape. Therefore the lands of this province are considered among the most suitable for Jihadist operations and guerrilla warfare. And so this province was among the most dangerous and damaging to the Russians during their occupation of this country and has now becomes one of the most dangerous for the Americans and their allies.
Question: What are the details of the situation in the various regions in this province, and which areas are under the control of the Mujahideen and which are under the control of the enemy? Are there bases for the invading foreign forces in the land of Nuristan?
Answer: Like in the rest of Afghanistan’s provinces, the Americans established their military bases in Nuristan. One of the strongest bases was in Nuristan in different areas of Kamdesh district. Through the grace of Allah and the sacrifices of the Mujahideen, the province of Nuristan has been cleansed of the presence of American forces and they now have no bases in all of Nuristan province with the exception of Nur Karam base in extreme western Nuristan adjacent to the village of Kalagush in Laghman province. They have no other presence in the rest of Nuristan. As for the districts of the province, the Mujahideen, through the grace of Allah, control three districts: Kamdesh, Mandol and Waygal are all under the complete control of the Mujahideen.
As for the districts of Wama and Barg-e-Matal, lackey forces are present in the district centers and cannot leave them because there are Mujahideen bases located no farther than 1 kilometer away. As for the center of Barun district, it is completed surrounded by the Mujahideen. The center is tantamount to a few square kilometers of land surrounded by a fence of security barracks. The rest of the district area and the roads leading to it are under the control of the Mujahideen. In general, American forces are only present in Noorgaram near Laghman province. The Lackey forces are besieged in the centers of Parun, Wama and Barg-e-Matal and supplies are delivered via air only. Allah Almighty willing, the Mujahideen will be successful through His aid to them, and they will conquer the remaining besieged centers and the lackey soldiers will surrender to the Mujahideen or they will flee on helicopters, Allah Almighty permitting.
Question: You spoke about the province center Parun. The lackey government has recently displayed great concern over it and said that the city is in danger of falling into the hands of the Mujahideen. Is there a plan for a comprehensive assault on it?
Answer: Yes,. The Mujahideen in Nuristan have reached the final stages of the plan drawn up to cleanse the center of the enemy, as they did in Kamdesh and Wanat. This year we intend to focus our operations upon the province center. If Allah Almighty grants it to us to conquer the province center, this will mean that Nuristan has been liberated in its entirety, Allah willing, because the rest of the province has already been conquered by the Mujahideen. In the remaining area where the enemy is present, this presence is weak and incapable of mounting resistance. All roads leading to the center have been closed and are under the control of the Mujahideen. The Mujahideen have attacked some of the enemy’s defensive positions as a prelude to the final assault, Allah Almighty willing. They have conquered three of these points and have also shot down a helicopter bringing supplies to the province from Kabul. But the final assault has not yet begun.
Question: If Allah wills success for the operation to liberate the province, what will your future plans be?
Answer: As we mentioned to you previously, some enemy forces remain, even if only in a token fashion, in the Barg-e-Matal and Wama districts, which have been under siege by the Mujahideen for a long time. We will seek to purify these districts also of their presence. With that, the presence of the enemy will be limited to the Nur Karam districts in west Nuristan only. As for the rest of the Nuristan, it will be purified of the ungodliness of the enemy entirely, Allah willing.
Question: The past years in Nuristan have witnessed, through the grace of Allah, great achievements for the Mujahideen. More than once, they liberated the Barg-e-Matal district, and they destroyed 5 strong American bases in Kamdesh. Lastly, they completely liberated Wanat Waygal district. So, what do you see as the secret of the Mujahideen’s victories?
Answer: We believe that our victories are derived entirely from the grace of Allah and the special mercy that he has granted to our unarmed Mujahideen to destroy the strongest American bases in the area. After that, we do not forget sacrifices of the Mujahideen and the general populace, because the people of Nuristan stand loyally and entirely by the side of the Mujahideen, and cooperate with them in carrying out the duty of fighting. Eliminating the enemy from this region is the best proof of the cooperation of the people with the Mujahideen. And now, throughout the entire province, there is no one who opposes the Mujahideen except some puppets in the province center. This because all of those who had allied themselves with the enemy has run away to Jalalabad or to the capital Kabul. The rest of the people are standing alongside the Mujahideen and praise Allah for that.
Question: Nuristan province is a mountainous, rocky region, and far removed from media coverage. Any time a battle takes place, the enemy claims they have inflicted big losses on the Mujahideen. It is hard to confirm some of these claims. So, are the losses of the Mujahideen indeed as the enemy claims?
Answer: Making such claims is the enemy’s last ditch effort to raise the morale of their defeated soldiers. The truth is that the Mujahideen’s losses are very few because the Mujahideen have now understood through their experiences of the past few years how to deal with enemy air raids and have to come to know ways of preventing them. Additionally, the terrain of Nuristan are mostly mountainous in nature and covered with vast forests, so the air raids do not have much of an impact. So if the enemy’s air raids have lost their impact due to natural factors and the enemy’s forces on the ground have become minimal or non-existent, then how could the Mujahideen face bog losses? Throughout recent years we haven’t witnessed any big blows inflicted on the Mujahideen. As for the enemy’s attacks on villages and homes, this has happened numerous times and many among the general public have been killed.
Question: You mentioned the enemy’s attacks on villages and homes and perpetrating massacres against civilians. Would you please give us some examples?
Answer: Years ago, American forces raided the village of Batikhel in Kamdesh district and killed 20 civilians, most of whom were women and children. Also, American aircraft bombed a passenger bus in Kordish village in the same district, killing 8 civilians. Additionally, they bombed a village in Barg-e-Matal killing 40 civilians, and killed more 30 civilians in an attack on a village in Dawab district. The story of heinous crimes committed by the

English translation of article by Abū Aḥmad: “The Oddities Of The Karzai Parliament!” from Issue #60 of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s al-Ṣamūd Magazine

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: To view issue number sixty of the Ṭālibān’s magazine al-Ṣamūd see here. For other translations from issue sixty see here.
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On 14 June 2011, Hama Sultani, the representative for Ghazni province in Karzai’s Council of Deputies, claimed that she had been for some time hosting in her home the leader of the Islamic Emirate along with 12 top military commanders from the Islamic Emirate and that she had requested from this leader a resolution of the Afghan crisis through the conduct of peaceful negotiations with the administration of Hamed Karzai. She claimed that this leader agreed with her peaceful
ideas and he is now awaiting a response from the Karzai government and, for that purpose, is now staying at her house. Anyone who doubts her story can go to her house and see with his own eyes the leader of the Islamic Emirate.
Hama al-Sultani made these statements before the Council of Deputies and a large gathering of correspondents, news agencies and journalists and stated that she 12 times had gone to the Republican Palace with a letter from the Emirate’s leader to Hamed Karzai to conduct peace talks with him but Karzai didn’t want to do that and didn’t believe her statements. Hama Sultani’s comments created a great uproar in the media and on the local satellite networks who conducted multiple interviews with her on this issue. She insists that she is playing host to the Ameer ul-Momineen and twelve of his top ranking military commanders in her home.
The impact of these fantastical comments reached the point where the Islamic Emirate was forced to issue a statement to expose this laughable rumor as a lie. But the perpetrator of these claims is adamant in sticking to her comments and refutes the Islamic Emirate statement on the matter.
When asked by a journalist about the nature of her relationship with the leader of the movement, Hama replied that she became acquainted with him through Abdul Baseer, who is also a parliament deputy from Kunduz province. She claims that the above-mentioned individual was one of the leaders of the Taliban during the movement’s rule in Afghanistan and that later a strong acquaintance developed between them to the point that he came to her house and is now living with her in her house in the capital.
Hama Sultani, who is a Shia woman in her forties, kept the media busy for more than three weeks with her crazy statements and still insists that the Taliban leader is living with her with the purpose of conducting peace talks with the government of Hamed Karzai but that the Karzai government doesn’t want that.
What is even stranger than that is the other group of those deputies against whom was issued an order of expulsion from the Deputies’ chamber because of their fraud in the parliament elections of 2011 and who barricaded themselves in the parliament building, bringing in 140 persons as their armed supporters in rejecting the decision.
An armed group of deputies!!! Led by Zaher Qadeer and calling itself “Defenders of the Law” whose sessions threaten the head of the lackey government Karzai and address him in their media addresses as an agent of the Americans and violator of the law.
These are the stupid mentalities and fantastical ideas of the members of Karzai’s parliament which make small children laugh at their naiveté and idiocy. And these are the ones who regard themselves as running parliament’s affairs and constituting the legal representatives of the Muslim Afghan people.
The Americans are the ones who brought these crazy ideas to the parliament chamber through fraudulent elections on which the United Nations spent 120 million US dollars and 50,000 foreign soldiers were used to conduct them, and all local and global media instruments were used to publicize and promote, etc, etc…
Yes, the enemies impose such odious and frivolous people on Islamic peoples in order to purchase them at a cheap price and use them for the benefit of colonialism when and how they want, not only in Afghanistan but unfortunately throughout the Islamic world.
Translated From The Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan: Al-Somood Magazine Issue #60 (May-June 2011)
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English translation of article by 'Abd al-Ra'ūf Ḥikmat: “The Prison-Break: How To Turn Fantasy To Reality” from Issue #60 of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s al-Ṣamūd Magazine

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: To view issue number sixty of the Ṭālibān’s magazine al-Ṣamūd see here.
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PART 1
Kandahar Prison
Kandahar’s main prison is located west of the city in the Sarpoza area, north of Kandahar-Herat highway. It is largest government prison in south Afghanistan, with the capacity to hold thousands of prisoners. The prison comprises several sections surrounded by high and impenetrable walls.
This prison is fundamentally well-built, with high surveillance and watch towers set up at its four corners. It is also surrounded by a number of subterranean walls, further to its high [over ground] walls, to prevent tunnels being dug to the outside.
Despite its strong construction and tight security measures, this prison has become the scene of a wonderful story not only in Afghanistan around the globe. Over the past eight years, political prisoners have been able to escape from this prison only three times. The first time was in June 2003 when Mujahideen prisoners dug a tunnel from inside the prison to the outside, enabling all 45 of this ward’s prisoners to escape via the tunnel. Also in June 2008, the Islamic Emirate launched armed and martyrdom attacks on this prison that resulted in the death of all the prison’s guards and released close to 1,200 Mujahideen prisoners. After this incident, the Americans and Kandahar officials paid close attention to the maintenance and preservation of this prison; Canadian forces trained special policemen to guard the prison, watch towers were increased and monitoring cameras installed; the entire prison was encircled by a deep and wide trench. Despite all these measures, the Mujahideen were able, after long planning, for the third time to release 541 prisoners on 25 April 2011.
Pure Fantasy
One of the Mujahideen in Kandahar city, who by his connections gained full knowledge of the inside and outside of the prison, pondered whether it would be possible to dig a tunnel from the inside of a house on the other side of the street into the prison as a means of releasing the prisoners. This fantasy and vision seemed laughable at first even to its owner; he dared not share his opinion with others, but, after more time and continued thinking, he reached a conclusion. On one of these days, while he was riding a motorcycle with two of his comrades, he shared that view with them. They thought it was impossible and deemed it dangerous to attempt, but they placed their trust on Allah and shared their opinion with the Mujahideen high command in Kandahar and they revealed to their trusted comrades their decision to implement this plan regardless of danger.
Concrete Workshop
Six months ago these Mujahideen rented a house opposite the south corner of Kandahar prison. Initially they built a new room. Then they brought in all necessary equipment and machines to make concrete, hiring a number of workers who worked during the day. But in the afternoon, when the workers left, the Mujahideen stayed under the pretence of serving as guards. It was during that time that they proceeded to dig the tunnel from within the room they had just built.
Hard Work for Four Months
At first, four Mujahideen implemented this process: one of them was to hit with the pickaxe, digging the tunnel, while the other three were to move the soil. The tunnel was narrow and the soil could not be moved out by wheelbarrows, so some operation planners went to the market and bought a number of children bicycles, removing their small wheels and fixing barrows on them. They were able to prepare wheelbarrows that suited their task. Now they filled these barrows with soil, pulling them by a rope to the tunnel opening and collecting the soil there before moving it to the lorry. In the morning, when the dirt trucks headed to the city for its sale, the Mujahideen would bring in their soil-filled lorry and sell the dirt to get rid of it. For two months, four Mujahideen were working in the tunnel digging, then their number increased to eight Mujahideen and they were digging four meters every night. When their continued work reached 100m, they faced the issue of ventilation and lack of oxygen; nevertheless they carried on until cutting a distance of 150m. At this point it was terminally difficult to continue working, due to lack of oxygen, and the work carried on no further. In the beginning they tried a ground fan; it resolved the ventilation issue but it was winter and the cold weather caused headaches. Then they made an air-pumping machine, delivering air by a pipe from the outside to the inside of the tunnel. This was the best method to resolve the ventilation and lack of oxygen – the machine worked quietly by a charged battery. But they then realized the risk of their digging a tunnel under the road that carried the heavy enemy vehicles to the interior of the prison: There was a possibility of a tunnel collapse under intense vehicle pressure. The question was how deep was the tunnel to be dug to exclude that possibility. As an experiment, they parked a lorry atop the tunnel; it suffered no damage, assuring them that it would not suffer because of enemy vehicles. The tunnel was 2.5m deep between the house and the public road, but as a precaution they deepened it further. Four months passed and the tunnel went 220m, a well iron pipe surprised them before realizing it was not a prison pipe but a pipe to a village south of the prison. In fact, the tunnel diggers, having no map, deviated from the correct path to the right, crossing the road and reaching a village close to the prison. Here Mujahideen recognizer that the target could only be reached with the prison map and distance measuring tools.
One and a Half Months of Efficient Work
The tunnel diggers who lost their way and made an extra 120m now downloaded the prison map off the internet and by which were able to pinpoint the prison location. Using earth measurement tools they re-dug at the distance of 100m of the tunnel directly towards the prison. However, with the passing of the winter, night was shorter. Consequently they increased the number of Mujahideen labourers until they reached twenty-one. Furthermore, earth evaporates less in summer, so ventilation was less of an issue, and the work was faster and more efficient. By digging 166m they reached the middle of the prison (it must be added that the Islamic Emirate’s site mentioned the distance dug by Mujahideen including the distance dug by error, giving a total of 360m, when the precise distance, excluding additional distance, was 266m. It is worth noting, however, that the tunnel’s height was 70cm and its width 60cm ). The Mujahideen inmates were in two separate locations within the prison: Most were in the political ward, where they numbered 530, but a small number were in a room called ‘Tawqif Khanah’ [detention room]. The tunnel was dug first towards Tawqif Khanah room, as it held a Mujahid aware of the case. He used to hit the ground for one reason or another so that the tunnel diggers would know whether they were ahead or behind or on target. Thus they were able to pinpoint the place, but for verification they poked a blade into the room, until the prisoner assured them of hitting the target. They moved on to the political ward. Five days produced a further 23m, reaching the political ward, cell 7 of which held two prisoners aware of the case. The aim was to take the tunnel to cell 7. Here again the tunnel diggers wanted to raise a blade to ascertain and avoid any error when opening the tunnel to the prison. The Mujahideen were hesitant: were they underneath cell 6 or 7? To keep the matter secret when the blade would be raised, the two prisoners held a Quran session; all the rooms were vacant, the two aforementioned prisoners left, one to room 6 and the other to room 7. When the blade was raised they realised they were under room 6, contrary to their expectation. Then two further meters were dug until reaching room 7. Now they could not vacate the rooms with the Quran completion excuse again, so the Mujahideen used the afternoon time when prisoners would go out to washing rooms and get prepared for the noon prayer; the blade was raised and it made it successfully to room 7. The opening place was specified for the escape operation day. It should be added that the blade raising operation was made subsequent to a wise and interesting plan: The prison ground was about 2.5m above the tunnel, with the tunnel’s height of 70cm, how a long blade could fit through this tunnel to reach the prison ground? The Mujahideen cut iron blades of 50cm length and joined them together; when they were raising a blade 50cm by a car jack, they would fix to it another blade and raise it by the jack. So for dismantling the blades, they prepared a machine that would be attached to each blade then hit by a hammer downwards. This was how they were able to pinpoint the location precisely.
The Plan to Extract the Prisoners
After construction of the tunnel, the persons responsible for digging finished their work and requested from the Islamic Emirate’s high command guidelines concerning the plan to extract the prisoners. Therefore officials from Kandahar Province’s and high ranking officials of the Islamic Emirate held continuous consultations in order to conduct a secure extraction.
As a result of the consultation, the following plan was adopted. The mastermind of this operation, who on his own swung the pickaxe laboriously to dig 300m of the tunnel, would himself be the commander of the prisoner extraction. During the operation, he would adopt

New statement from Zabīhullah Mujāhid of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "Regarding the Resolutions Adopted in Kabul by the Supposed Loya Jirga"

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

As we have stated before that in this so called Loya Jirga there were no genuine representatives of the freedom loving people of Afghanistan who would consider the interests of our nation and our Islamic values but rather all the participants
were either current governmental officials like ministers, governors, district chiefs, judges and other officials or those faces who had been supporting the invaders for the past ten years and had repeatedly participated in such futile Jirgas. As it was a complete military atmosphere in which they were surrounded by tens of security belts manned by thousands of foreign troops and their mercenary forces so to protect them from the wrath of the Afghan Mujahid nation, it was endorsed with a few superficial and misleading conditions that the occupying America, which has come to our country with hundreds of thousands of troops and with the force and use of different types of weapons and which has for the past ten years raided the homes of Afghans, martyred their relatives or have thrown them in their inhumane prisons, razed their homes and orchards and are still continuing their tyranny on a daily bases an example of which is the beheading of 4 family members a few days ago in Kandahar’s Ghorak area during one of their raids; this barbaric army must stay for at least another decade!?
We believe that these resolutions were predetermined by America and the name of Loya Jirga was only used to declare its intentions. Therefore, these resolutions will be a catalyst for stirring regional sensitivities and will make misfortunate Afghanistan a center of tumult for a long period, evoking extra wrath and anger of our nation which will enkindle the strongholds of Jihad. So this step can be considered reinforcement for the need and intensification of the Jihadi process which will play an important factor in the further awakening of our nation where it can be confidently said that it will bring about the end date of the American affliction even closer, if Allah wills it. And those people who are perpetrators of this irresponsible resolution have further shown their enslaved faces to the nation and made it clear that they do not consider any Islamic or national principles in order to please their whims and they were and are ready to sell the glory, honor, dignity and purity of this nation to satisfy their desires. These kinds of people have always been rejected by our nation and are considered as the notorious faces of history.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, besides strongly condemning and rejecting such agreements wants to reassure its nation that such steps by the invaders and the guile and deception of its slaves will never become an obstacle for the Jihad waged by the nations real sons. They should further recognize the face of the foreign and internal enemy and unabatedly continue their sacred Jihad until the complete independence of the country so that the foreign enemy along with their slaves face a complete and ignominious defeat due to its strikes and take such ominous plans and aspirations along with themselves to their graves.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan sees the fundamental solution to this problem in the removal of all foreign troops. Until this fundamental is recognized, this and other Jirags and conferences will only negatively impact Afghanistan, America and the coalition and will intertwine the crisis instead of pushing it towards a solution and it will yield nothing except time wasting.
Spokesman of Islamic Emirate
Zabihullah Mujahid
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New statement from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: "Regarding the upcoming subjugated Jirga"

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

Our countrymen are well aware that western occupying forces have been attempting for quite some time now to give a legal face to their unlawful occupation of Afghanistan and to realize their dream of establishing a permanent presence. For these filthy designs to be accomplished, serious efforts are recently being undertaken by the foreign enemy and their internal mercenaries and it has been decreed that this coming Wednesday (16^th November), a supposed Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) will be convened in Kabul to realize this unfortunate plan.
Some of the information acquired about this plot suggests that America wants to obtain documentation for a perpetual occupation of Afghanistan under the name of Strategic Partnership because the draft text of it says that America (like its ongoing occupation) will practice absolute freedom, will not abide by any Afghan stipulations and will continue its military operations and presence as long as its wants.
For this purpose it is absolutely necessary for the Afghans to realize the sensitivity of this subject. The permanent presence of America and other invaders spells nothing but the absolute fall and decline for our glorious nation and people who have a many millennium old history. If the Afghan nation neglectfully forgo standing up against and blocking the ominous plan of the enemies of Afghanistan then they will definitely face the same ill fate which is being faced by the nations who are occupied and subdued by the infidels and the history books are filled with such admonitory stories.
The countries of Japan and South Korea should serve as enough examples for us to understand and learn about the effects of permanent American presence. These countries do not have any Islamic sanctums nor an Afghan code of honor; they are not military and economically weak like Afghanistan neither are they under such domination but despite all of this, these same nations have had it up to their noses with violations and crimes committed by the Americans troops.
According to internationally respected news outlets, American invaders are charged on a daily basis with crimes done against the residents of these countries which include rape of 12 year old girls and 68 year old women.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan calls on all its countrymen, parties and political figures that the sole reason for the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan is because of the foreign invaders. If the foreign invaders leave then there are many Islamic and Afghan channels which can be utilized to solve our internal problems. Afghans are able to solve their internal problems by themselves under tolerating conditions.
It will be inapposite for those concerned about a repeat of civil war or due to scare for own depreciation to put their necks down and keep silent in front of perpetual occupation by American invaders. We believe the Afghan crisis will only find an end when our nation thwarts the Strategic Partnership of the invaders and their mercenaries under the disguise of Loya Jirga and their other plans, brings the ongoing occupation to an end and fulfill their duty of bringing about an independent, proud and peaceful Afghanistan. Those people who approve permanent American bases under the banner of the upcoming so-called Loya Jirga will be considered as national traitors and will be deserving of harsh penalties and their names will be written down alongside the slaves and nation sellers like Shah Shuja, Babrak Karmel and Karzai.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
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The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan releases Issue #66 of al-Ṣomūd Magazine

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Aaron Y. Zelin

NOTE: Previous issues: #65, #64, #63, #62, #61, #60, #59, #58, #57, #56, #53, and #51. You can also see English translations of articles from previous issues here.
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Click the following link for a safe PDF Copy: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — Issue #66 of al-Ṣomūd Magazine
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