Taleban deputy leader warns of more attacks in Afghanistan in 2010

The USG Open Source Center translates an interview with the “Old Taliban’s” number 2 man, Mullah “Baradar” Abdul Ghani, on Taliban tactics against the US.

Taleban deputy leader warns of more attacks in Afghanistan in 2010
Afghan Islamic Press
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Document Type: OSC Translated Text

Taleban deputy leader warns of more attacks in Afghanistan in 2010

The deputy leader of the Taleban, Mullah Berader, has said that if the foreign “aggressor forces” persist with their activities in Afghanistan, they should not expect the Taleban to “soften their posture” either and if they wanted peace they must withdraw their forces. He also said Taleban attacks had proved successful so far and more of the same could be expected, perhaps using new tactics. The following is the text of an “exclusive” interview given by Mullah Berader to the private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency, put out by the agency on 31 December; subheadings inserted editorially:

Kandahar, 30 December:

Deputy leader of Taleban Islamic Emirate: If the aggressor forces in Afghanistan dream about invasion of the country, they should not expect us to show softness either.

Deputy leader of the Islamic Emirate of the Taleban Mullah Abdol Ghani, also known as Mullah Beradar, told the Afghan Islamic Press in an exclusive interview that if the foreigners keep dreaming about invading Afghanistan, the Taleban will not show any softening in their posture either.

The deputy leader of the Taleban Islamic Emirate answered questions from the Afghan Islamic Press sent to him in an email in the last week of December. The Afghan Islamic Press now publishes the text of the questions and answers on the last day of the current Gregorian year:

Exclusive interview of the Afghan Islamic Press with esteemed deputy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Mullah Beradar Akhond

Q: How do you evaluate your resistance during the current year which is almost ended?

In the name of God!
Fighting this year
A: The Americans, British and their other allies in the war in Afghanistan had expected to achieve decisive military results, suppress the Afghans’ jihad resistance, recapture all the areas and parts controlled by the mojahedin and pave the way for administration and activities by the puppet Kabul government at the end of the current year by conducting various great military operations, adopting military strategies and using different kinds of weapons during the year, but with special blessings from Great God and the unsparing support and sacrifice of the mojahedin nation, the current year had many surprising and consecutive glad tidings of triumphs and victories for the mojahedin of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The mojahedin not only countered the great military operations by the aggressor forces by forcing them to withdraw and proudly defended the areas controlled by the mojahedin, they also freed and pushed the invaders out of vast areas. The casualties and financial and losses they inflicted on the invaders could be found in reports, speeches and announcements of the Pentagon and other Western sources, who said the casualties of the past seven years has been equal to the losses and casualties of the current year. That means the current year has been the bloodiest year full of calamities and fears for them in the past eight years which is a great achievement of the mojahedin.

Cont’d (click below or on “comments”)

Taleban’s tactics for 2010

Q: What will be your military and political strategies in the coming year (2010)?

Part 1: Will the number of suicide attacks increase?
Part 2: Will you step up the planting of mines and mine attacks?
Part 3: Will you organize frontier wars? Will you increase explosions and sudden attacks on important targets?

A: Thank God the jihad direction and strategy during the current year was more successful and full of victories than we expected, particularly roadside mines, group attacks by suicide bombers on some government and foreign important targets in Kabul and some other provinces and ambushes against foreign and local aggressor forces were very effective. Perhaps, the same attacks may continue with some new tactics. Regarding our future political strategy, I should say that if the aggressor forces continue their military bullying, dream about invading Afghanistan, stand fast or send more troops, they should not expect us to show softness either.
Increase in foreign troops

Q: In your opinion, will the foreigners be able to defeat the resistance by increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan or not?

A: It is obvious that the aggressive forces in Afghanistan are not to some extent faced with lack of troops, militias, financial and military facilities, etc, but the problems they are faced with are their soldiers’ weak fighting morality and unsparing support of the Afghan mojahedin nation and their increasing coordination with jihad. Even if they (the foreigners) send more troops to Afghanistan, they will have no other achievements but heavy casualties.

Q: What is the major cause of the foreigners’ lack of success in Afghanistan so far?

A: Although the Americans anticipated eight years ago that the Taleban would no longer pose a military problem for them in Afghanistan, saying they (the Taleban) were finished for ever and could no longer move around or resist, these US expectations were proved wrong very quickly. Not only did the Taleban not leave the scene, they changed every foot of Afghanistan into a stronghold of jihad and resistance against the Americans. Now, the situation in Afghanistan has reached a stage where all the areas, deserts, mountains and villages of the country have changed into hot griddles and enemies for the invaders. The invaders tried to kill the spirit of jihad among the Afghans by using all kind of weapons such as arbitrariness, force, money, etc, but since the Afghans love their faith, belief, independence and national power, the invaders are, with the blessing of God, defeated and do not have any chances of victory.

Source of Taleban weapons

Q: Where do you receive weapons and ammunitions from for the current resistance?

A: In our fight against the aggressive forces in Afghanistan, we use weapons which were used by the mojahedin against the Russians. These weapons are still in Afghanistan. Some weapons dumps built during the period of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan still exist and the mojahedin use them. The mojahedin also capture some weapons and ammunitions from the enemy from time to time as booty of war, because the enemies escape from the battlefields immediately and leave all their weapons.
Efforts to split Taleban, Al-Qa’idah

Q: The foreigners want to separate the Taleban from Al-Qa’idah and reach an agreement with the Taleban. Do you think this is possible? How close are the Taleban and Al-Qa’idah at the moment?

A: The current jihad in Afghanistan is led by the Islamic Emirate. What the international community says about separating the Taleban and Al-Qa’idah is meaningless, it is just a pretext.

Q: Where are the Taleban leaders and Usamah Bin-Ladin? Is it true they are in Pakistan? Is the Taleban Leadership Council in Quetta or not?

A: So far as the leadership of the Islamic Emirate is concerned, they are not in Pakistan. We can also say that the leadership of Al-Qa’idah is not in Pakistan.
Peace talks

Q: They say some Taleban commanders and leaders support talks with the government which has caused differences and conflicts among the Taleban. Is it true?

A: I think the weapons and propaganda to split and separate the Islamic Emirate have lost their value by now. Over the past eight years, they have just been pointless rants by America and other aggressor forces.

Q: Have you ever talked to the government or the foreigners?

A: No.

Q: They say Abdollah Anas has negotiated representing the Taleban. Is he your representative?

A: We have neither permitted anyone to negotiate nor do we have any representative by the name of Abdollah Anas.

Q: If you are ready to negotiate, with whom will you negotiate and on what conditions?

A: Afghanistan has been attacked and invaded. If the aggressor forces take steps to end their invasion and put an end to their aggression and if we have guarantees of that, we will then explicitly announce our stance.

Q: After the new forces are deployed, the total number of the foreign forces in Afghanistan will be more than 130,000 soldiers. How and with what strategies will you and other resistance groups confront these forces?

A: The previous jihadi strategy has been very effective and efficient against the aggressive forces. Continuing the same strategy with some new initiatives will beat the Americans’ military arrogance and defeat them.

Q: If the foreigners leave Afghanistan, will you be able to negotiate with Hamed Karzai and his other allies?

A: Karzai’s administration is a symbol and unclean sign of the Americans. The Afghans are very sensitive about and strictly hate the administration. Still, this is a question which could be answered when the aggressors leave Afghanistan.

Q: As an Afghan, what do you think is the solution for the problem in Afghanistan?

A: Withdrawal of the aggressors and establishment of an Islamic system.

Q: When you come closer to power in the future, what kind of a system will you suggest?

A: The Afghans always demand and hope for an Islamic system in Afghanistan.

Q: How can you assure the Afghans that there will be no civil and domestic wars after the foreigners leave Afghanistan?

A: If the foreigners, particularly our neighbouring countries give up their obvious and secret conspiracies and stop interfering in domestic affairs of Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate has the pride and initiative to ensure peace and stability all around the country. Meanwhile, thank God unity and single leadership of the jihad line is also present which can avoid such calamities.

Q: How can you assure the world that no country will be attacked from here after the foreigners leave Afghanistan and you come to power?

A: We had given the world such an assurance also during the Islamic Emirate’s previous era. We have and will have the same stance in the future as well.

Q: Are you ready to include former communists, the mojahedin groups which fought amongst each other and members of the current administration in the future system?

A: This will be decided later depending on conditions.

(Description of Source: Peshawar Afghan Islamic Press in Pashto — Peshawar Afghan Islamic Press in Pashto — Peshawar-based agency, staffed by Afghans, that describes itself as an independent “news agency” but whose history and reporting pattern reveal a perceptible pro-Taliban bias; the AIP’s founder-director, Mohammad Yaqub Sharafat, has long been associated with a mujahidin faction that merged with the Taliban’s “Islamic Emirate” led by Mullah Omar; subscription required to access content; http://www.afghanislamicpress.com