Category: Quetta Shura

UPDATE 1/22 7:36 AM: It has been brought to my attention that the below interview is not new, but rather was released this past October, which I actually posted here. It appears the Ṭālibān re-released it under a different title. Apologies for any inconveniences.
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Alemarah: Recently Karzai’s Kabul regime has announced ‘Great Peace Shura’ (council) consisting of 69 members, which includes some familiar faces of leaders of some earlier movements, and also earlier members of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. What is your view about the significance of this particular council, efficacy of its members and its key role towards achieving peace?
In the presence of foreign troops ‘the dialogue for peace’ is baseless and nothing more than propaganda.
Maulawe Abdul Kabir: Dialogue and congregation is an accepted Afghan culture, and is a base for sorting internal problems and differences. Whereas this particular ‘shura’ has no such credibility, because it is one sided and is intended to serve personal profits and benefits. To a far extent, its members are in favor of American occupation, although they consider themselves ‘Jihadi leaders’ which they were at the times of Jihad against the Russians but as a result of their support for American occupation, they have no such status in the sight of Afghan nation. Similarly, those members who are representing the Islamic Emirate and are considered to have participated in the ‘peace shura’ can never represent Islamic Emirate, because they themselves are under American surveillance and custody.
Alemarah: Seeing that you negate every peace process and press more on military solution, don’t you think that to some extent this might indicate your political weakness?
Maulawe Abdul Kabir:: As far as Afghanistan’s current circumstances are concerned  peace process will only be possible if it results in the guaranteed expulsion of occupation forces and paves the way for the establishment of Islamic State. Any such process seems to be unachievable in the presence of occupation forces.
Alemarah: During the governance of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan there was undoubtedly relentless fighting in north of Kabul and in many other northern provinces, which resulted in killing, imprisonment, and suffering of thousands. Therefore there is an atmosphere of mistrust between you and the north and the hostility which arose as a result of relentless fighting has not been eliminated yet. So in order to solve these problems and maintain an atmosphere of confidence, have you taken or are planning to take any steps?
Maulawe Abdul Kabir: It’s very apparent that the Islamic Emirate has not fought or disputed over tribe, language or zone. During the Islamic Emirate’s previous rule, ethnic groups from all over the country including the North were members and part of the Islamic Emirate. Even now, from north to south and every other province of Afghanistan has ‘Jihadi Arrangements’ and ‘problem resolving body’ in which they all participate. As far as the differences with the North are concerned, we must make it clear that Islamic Emirate has never fought northern general public, nor has any antagonism on basis of zone or language. However we have fought those who were creating obstacles for our ‘virtuous objectives’ which were to achieve peace throughout the country and establish an Islamic State. These obstacles were also created in the south and likewise we fought them and had similar policy towards them. Islamic Emirate does not differentiate between ethnic groups, and expects from country’s all ethnic groups including ‘the great North’ to intensify the fighting against the invading forces, and to disclose the enemy’s known and secret plans.
Alemarah: Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, Mullah Muhammad Omar Mujahid, in his interesting Eid-ul-fitr message had pointed towards country’s state-building program and its important features, one of which was employment of qualified personnel and another was activation of ‘shura’ type system. So could you please explain the criteria for requirements and qualifications of Islamic Emirate personnel? Will it be limited to religious students and knowledge only or will it include modern day knowledge and qualifications?
Maulawe Abdul Kabir: Islamic Emirate has never overlooked qualified populace but it was only some higher posts which were occupied by scholars and students of knowledge (i.e. Taliban), the rest of our employees were qualified people and with the help of Allah if Islamic Emirate comes to power again, we will pay even more attention towards employing qualified personnel according to our law. Coming to the last part of your question, no our criteria is not limited to religious knowledge only, but we prefer qualification and taqwa (God fearing) and whoever possess these qualities is our ideal choice.
Alemarah: In Afghanistan, whoever comes to power, in order to stay potent they must pursue a policy which results in good and harmless relations with neighboring countries, and the neighbor must not have concerns about them. Accordingly, what will be the plan and practice of Islamic Emirate, and how can you assure your neighbors that Islamic Emirate will not take any action against them and will follow a policy of mutual respect?
Maulawe Abdul Kabir:: As Muslims we know very well the rights of neighbors according to Islam. We have always strived to maintain good relations with our neighbors, and no one can prove that we created problems or difficulties for our neighbors when we were in authority. Even though we have very critical circumstances in front of us right now, none of our neighbors including Iran and Pakistan can argue that we have interfered in any way in their country’s internal affairs. Furthermore respected Commander of the Believers, Mullah Muhammad Omar, has from time to time made this matter clear in his messages, and that is our official policy.
Alemarah: We occasionally hear reports that Taliban leaders are engaged in talks with the Americans or the Kabul regime, in such and such country was held the first meeting, another meeting was held in such and such country and so on. Furthermore, the media points out specific names that so and so among Taliban leaders is inclined to peace talks, even though you have rejected these contacts and reports up to this moment. Can you discuss who might be trying to issue such reports and what might be their prime objective behind it?
Maulawe Abdul Kabir: There is no doubt that the Americans have been defeated militarily and their combatants have failed in this regard. Now America and her allies are trying to have at least some political gains. Hence they try hard to expand and boast about this show, they also try to provide with some fabricated proofs and mention names of Taliban leaders that they are in contact with and they are inclined to peace talks. Whereas all this is nothing but propaganda of occupation forces who try to create an atmosphere of mistrust between ordinary Afghans and Mujahideen. You can see that the enemy of Islam, in spite of enormous propaganda, cannot provide any evidence of peace talks with the authorities of Islamic Emirate. This is a proof in itself that neither there has been any peace talk nor has any authority of Islamic Emirate shown any inclination towards it.

The commission constituted under the name of peace high council has a specific duty in the light of the American military strategy and  is toeing the line in tandem. In the current week, a high level delegation of the council made a symbolic trip to neighboring Pakistan where they claimed to have had fruitful and meaningful talks with officials of the country.
The  very structure and endeavors of the peace high council is cosmetic, being part and parcel of the American war strategy  in view of the fact that   they do not consider the withdrawal of  foreign forces from Afghanistan as their main objective  nor they recognize it as an important and vital item of the agenda.  However, it is the essential demand of the majority people  of  Afghanistan  and of the region. Still more, they do not follow a roadmap that would lead to a decisive stage where peace and reconciliation will become a must and indispensable.  Contrarily, they continue their ineffective and fruitless efforts aimed at paving the way for the American and other foreign forces to stay in Afghanistan; to prolong the occupation and keep the war unabated. If the council wants, in earnest, to usher in peace in Afghanistan and put an end to the fighting, they should,  first and foremost, reach a conclusion with the Americans who have taken the “peace” as hostage that whether they are ready to respect and accept a solution based on pull-out of their forces from Afghanistan?
 
Currently, not only the Afghans but the people of the region, America and the West want this war to be stopped immediately and Afghanistan must be delivered from the claws of the invading foreign forces.  But the Americans are not ready to come down from the saddle of their stubbornness and brutality. Sometimes, they unveil their ambition of continuing the occupation for another four years; sometimes, they speak of sending new cache of weapons, surveillance aircrafts and re-enforcement. Even some American senators unfurl their pipedream of maintaining permanent bases in Afghanistan and put up notions in this regard.
 
We ask the steering high-up and members of the peace council, could you produce your  single tangible proposal that has ever extracted a positive response from the Americans? Was there any point in the review of the Obama’s war strategy for the years 2010-2011 to show their intention of conceding any importance to peace? If so, the peace council would have had the space to perform their task in its true sense and context and the Americans would have supported  them.  But, it seems,  the establishment of the peace council is part of the war strategy of Obama. The American troops and the Kabul hireling army and security apparatus are engaged in killing and torturing the Afghan Mojahid people. They want to uproot the Jihad and  the peace council, with a palatable diplomacy and stratagems, simultaneously want to weaken it. Allah, forbid, they want the Mujahideen to crumble. But we ask the Almighty Allah (SwT) to foil this conspiracy like your other conspiracies and face it with  shame and humiliation. Thus the fact may come to open that you are not supporters and seekers  of peace but lining your pockets with dollars and grabbing lucrative slots.
You are those well-known faces who have trampled down on their history, identity and honor to achieve these targets.  You sold the country to the Americans; you called the Western democracy of nakedness as being in agreement with Islam. You are trying  to beef up its continuation and,  last, you  serve  as  spice and pepper to season the present dispensation.
–Forward to Establishment of Islamic Sovereignty in the Country!

Enemies of the Afghan Mujahid people and the occupiers of our hero-bearing land admit now that 2010 was a year of troubles, casualties and worries for them. The Arab News reports that Pentagon has conceded that in 2010, American casualties in Afghanistan in terms of fatality and injuries   had gone up from hundreds into thousands. They say, Taliban’s strength and movability has increased.
Pentagon and the American war machine now have to disclose the facts about the war  of Afghanistan which they were not willing in the past to unveil or admit. They thought that the repeated launching of strategies by Obama would achieve some tangible   gains in 2010  to become stuff for  domestic and global consumption and, meanwhile,  show advancement at military and  political fronts.  Contrarily,  the Mujahiddeen frustrated the  vastly trumpeted operations of Kandahar and Helmand  by using their minuscule  cache of weapons and ammunitions and relying on the help of the Almighty Allah( SwT) . These operations were being carried out under the  direct supervision and command of Obama and the British Prime Minister. Moreover, the operations of Mujahideen  continued against the invaders in all parts of Afghanistan successfully  throughout  2010  on the basis of a triumphant  strategy , which had  far less casualties for the Mujahideen. They dealt constant blow at the invaders in every part of the country, dumbfounding the enemy to know which part of the province and district have the most  concentration of the Mujahideen forces.
The Mujahideen  regularly targeted their enemies in every area,  village, highway, plantation field, every ravine and gorge all around the clock. The invaders perceived every inch of the country as being  an apparition of threat and danger. As result , in November last year, in the Portuguese capital Lisbon, the NATO Summit decided to  withdraw  foreign forces from Afghanistan in 2014.
Obama sent General Petraeus to Afghanistan to conduct the war as he was the most experienced and eminent general in the eye of Obama. He tried  vainly  in 2010 to terrorize  The Afghans by implementing  the American shock and awe policy, resorting to aerial bombardment, destruction of villages and localities and civilian genocide. He thought the people would abstain from supporting the Mujahideen . However, far  from  turning away from the support  of Mujahideen, the common people’s unstinted support  to Mujahideen increased manifold in comparison with the past years.
The support was so strong and  close that the invaders were not able to tell the common man from a Taliban. On the other hand, the Americans spread the  rumors and  conspiracy of  negotiation in 2010, claiming that some officials of the Islamic Emirate have  had contacts with them and that some rounds of the talks had already taken place in some undisclosed places and  the next rounds  were to be held soon. This ploy of the American also went awry  with the help of the Almighty Allah(SwT)  and had no achievement. They were not able to lure even an active group commander or a low-ranking official of the Islamic Emirate  to entangle him in their cobweb  or beguile him through the hypes of negotiation.
It was due to this commitment and dedication of the Mujahideen and their leaders  with the Jihad and the Islamic Emirate that last week , the New York Time reported,  the Taliban now  have more unity and coordination among themselves.
In view of the status quo characterized by casualties and setbacks to the enemy and  with  the public opinions  being against the war,  what Obama and Petraeus expect to achieve in 2011 which would turn the tide  in their favor or vice versa,   is it not that they may face more humiliating setbacks and retreats?  Those  who have sagacity can  draw a conclusion  now    that Afghanistan has  become  a hotbed of death, destruction and collapse for the Americans  and no strategy by Obama  will ever  change  it  to  their advantage nor the genocide  launched by Petraeus will terrorize it into submission  or control  it. Contrarily, 20101 will be the year of victory  for the Afghan Mujahideen with the help of the Almighty Allah (SwT) . The pure blood of the Afghan Muslim nation will  bring in  yield in the current year, if God willing.