Dear Readers,
Al-Somood magazine wished to interview Field Commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, one of the most prominent Jihadist personalities and the military official for the provinces of Khost and
Paktia, about the latest political and military developments on the Afghan front. The Sheikh has privileged al-Somood magazine with this interview. We thank him, and regard this interview as a realistic assessment of the accomplishments of the Mujahideen by one who lives physically and mentally at the heart of the conflict and who sees with his Jihadist perspective what political analysts do not see from the outside.
Question: Your excellency Sheikh Haqqani, would you please give readers of al-Somood information about your health situation?
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Who granted victory to His servants and glory to His soldiers, Who fulfilled His covenant, and defeated the factions alone. Praise be to Allah Who blessed us with the Religion of Islam, the greatest of religions. Prayers and peace upon the noblest of His creation, Muhammad, and upon his household and his companions and all who are guided by him! Thereafter…Praise be to Allah Almighty, I am in complete health and vigor. By complete health, I mean that, despite my great age, and despite the unstable security conditions I have been experiencing, I have not faced any health problems hindering me from conducting my Jihadist activities.
Question: Local and global media recently reported news of the seriousness of your health situation. Indeed, there have been spread news of your death or your martyrdom in a barbarous bombing attack. What is the truth of these rumors?
Answer: I say that the fact you are interviewing me and that I am alive amongst you is sufficient to falsify these rumors. If we compared my health situation to those rumors, we would reach the conclusion that I am in full health and not suffering from any illnesses. There is no truth behind the spread of those rumors and lying reports and these are deceptive claims of the enemy.
A second thing is that health, sickness, death and martyrdom are divine destinies. We believe in Allah-ordained fate and destiny. These destinies are ordained for every person and none can escape them. Every human being must taste death, and everything destined for him will occur at its appointed time.
The Sublime and Exalted says: “Nor can a soul die except by Allah’s leave, the term being fixed as by writing”(Al-i-Imran 154).
And the Almighty says “every soul shall have a taste of death in the end to Us shall ye be brought back”. (Al-Ankabut 57).
I mention to you that although I have faced many bitter days and have spent most of my days in Jihad and battling the enemy; have endured serious crises and have been wounded many times in battles that erupted between us and our enemies among the kuffar and munafiqeen – despite all that, I am in perfect health.
I also state that martyrdom and death fi sabeel Allah are among the dearest wishes of my life. All my life I have wished to be killed and to sacrifice myself and my soul fi sabeel Allah and to support his Deen with which he has blessed us and to deliver his servants from the oppression of the oppressors and the deceits of the infidels. But I have not been to achieve my dearest wishes yet.
Question: Excellency Sheikh, more than seven years have passed since the Crusader occupation of Afghanistan. Their forces stationed in Afghanistan number more than 70,000 persons armed to the teeth with the most modern types of military equipment. On the other hand, the Mujahideen confront them with scarce resources and paltry equipment. Based on your Jihadist and military experience, and in view of the imbalance in numbers and equipment between the two sides, what are your expectations of the defeat of the Crusaders in the face of the Mujahideen resistance, from your perspective?
Answer: If we looked at the ongoing battle between truth and falsehood in Afghanistan, we would understand from an historical standpoint it is considered an unique battle and asymmetrical encounter between Islam and infidelity. There is only one precedent in the history of Islam of such an intense battle and that is the Ghazwat al-Ahzab. There the Mujahideen achieved a great victory in the end. Here, also the Mujahideen will achieve victory by the will and permission of Allah. The assistance of Allah Almighty for the Mujahideen and the support of the people by their side, as well as recent military and political events are among the evidence and indications that prove our claims and back up our words.
I add to that, all the reasons and factors that led to the fall of the Russian Empire at the hands of the Afghan Mujahideen are today facing the American Empire. The huge monetary sums America is spending on the occupation of Afghanistan and the deaths of dozens of their forces every day at the hands of the Mujahideen are among the circumstances that indicate the victory of the Mujahideen and the defeat of all aggressor Crusader forces before them.
Question: There are enormous differences between the Russian occupation and the American occupation of Muslim Afghanistan, from the perspective of time, circumstances and resources. Meaning, at that time there was an ongoing Cold War between the forces of East and West. Additionally, the peoples of the world were angered by the arrogance of Communist actions and its use of arbitrary methods. For this reason, the Afghan Jihad received material and moral assistance from the world. The Mujahideen were permitted the latitude to carry out Jihadist activities and received resources and aid from outside the country. But the situation today is the opposite. The world’s affairs are directed by a unipolar power with no competitor to balance its power. The entire world stands against the Jihad and the Mujahideen in the name of the War on Terror – as they call it – and the Mujahideen enjoy no financial or military support and no external political backing from even one country across the globe. So how can the Mujahideen resist this great force and triumph against them with empty hands?
Answer: Divine fate and victories often cause supernatural events that can not be (grasped) by the human mind. This is not something new today rather they are constants that have been determined since the beginning of the outbreak of the battle between truth and falsehood across the pages of history. If we look at history, we would find that divine criteria are based on this premise. The Sublime and Exalted says, “How oft, by Allah’s will, hath a small force vanquished a big one? Allah is with those who steadfastly persevere.” (Al-Baqara 249). The Almighty also says,“O ye who believe! If ye will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly..”(Muhammad 7).
It is true that this world is (controlled) by reasons; we must therefore look for means and motivations. We see in the present circumstances that the Islamic Jihad against the occupiers provides a strong impetus to the collapse of the American occupation and its agents. It provides an impetus whose positive effect is acknowledged by America and its Crusader alliance. Additionally, Afghanistan’s geographic situation, the strong hatred around the world towards Americans and huge costs of the war are factors that play a tangible role in the failure of those predatory forces. Indeed, I believe that America’s current policy and its violation of all international agreements are considered as a threat to the entire world. It is not far-fetched that the world will one day act against it and adopt a unified policy towards (America’s) failed policy.
It is worth mentioning that during the time of the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, it was called the Russian Empire, it was alleged that the cause behind the victories of the Mujahideen against the Russian forces were Western aid and American Stinger missiles. The victory of the Mujahideen was therefore attributed to American aid and equipment. The victories against the American crusaders and their allies in our present time, however, are the result of nothing but the heavenly sacrifices of the Mujahideen. It is impossible to attribute it to any other agency or ascribe it to baseless causes.
Question: More than seven years have passed since the Crusader attack on Afghanistan and America and its allies have used all of their military and political resources to subdue the Afghan people. The result of these practices and attempts has been failure, defeat and collapse. Moreover, all Western military commanders and political analysts, among others, have given the opinion that this war will not be able to achieve any victory. Despite that, America insists of sending more military reinforcements to Afghanistan. What is your assessment of these contradictory actions?
Answer: I have said before and I say again that America’s involvement in the Afghanistan issue is just like someone who is losing at gambling. He keeps playing hoping to win but, in the end, rather than achieving anything he loses everything he owns.
Undoubtedly, Western admission of losing the battle in Afghanistan is an established fact they have to face. Even if they don’t acknowledge it, the coffins and corpses of their slain soldiers acknowledge it. As for sending additional reinforcements without achieving victory, I believe that Allah has ordained the destruction of this unjust race at the hands of the oppressed
English translation of an interview with Shaykh Jalāl al-Dīn al-Haqqānī: “The Defeat Of America In Afghanistan Will Be Swifter Than The Defeat Of The Collapsed Soviet Union” from Issue #30 of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s al-Ṣomūd Magazine
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