Related News
Taliban: No Pakistan backing for Haqqani
Source: Agencies |
September 28, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Afghan Taliban yesterday attacked United States allegations that Pakistan supports the Haqqani militant group as a plot to undermine insurgent unity.
After a spectacular assault on the US Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul in mid-September, senior US officials openly accused Pakistan's principal spy agency of ties to the much-feared group.
The Pakistan government as well as the army rejected the allegations, and the Taliban said they were military tactics.
"America wants to depict the strength of Islamic Emirate as feeble and attribute its attacks to others," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an English-language statement emailed to reporters.
"The respected Maulawi Jalaluddin Haqqani is Islamic Emirate's honorable and dignified personalities and receives all guidance for operations from the leader of Islamic Emirate," the statement said, in reference to the Haqqani network's leader.
The Haqqani network is one of three Taliban-allied insurgent factions fighting in Afghanistan and perhaps the most feared - it is thought to have introduced suicide bombing to the country and is blamed for many high-profile attacks.
It has sworn allegiance to the Taliban, but has long been suspected of also having ties to Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate.
The outgoing chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, testified before the US Senate after the Kabul attack that the Haqqani network is a "veritable arm" of the ISI.
Last Saturday, Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani rejected US allegations as a sign of American "confusion."
Sirajuddin Haqqani, who heads the group, says it no longer needs sanctuaries in Pakistan, and it feels safe operating in Afghanistan.
The Taliban said the allegations aimed to create a climate of mistrust and distract from a deteriorating military situation in Afghanistan. The statement also warned Pakistan that the US aimed to "loot" the country's assets.
Civilian casualties are currently at record levels, although the majority are caused by insurgents, and violence is spreading in the once relatively peaceful north and west.
"America wants to show them that the internal situation of Afghanistan is under control and this current resistance is being supported by Pakistan," the statement said. "Hence if they put pressure on Pakistan and stop this intervention then the situation will come under control."
After a spectacular assault on the US Embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul in mid-September, senior US officials openly accused Pakistan's principal spy agency of ties to the much-feared group.
The Pakistan government as well as the army rejected the allegations, and the Taliban said they were military tactics.
"America wants to depict the strength of Islamic Emirate as feeble and attribute its attacks to others," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an English-language statement emailed to reporters.
"The respected Maulawi Jalaluddin Haqqani is Islamic Emirate's honorable and dignified personalities and receives all guidance for operations from the leader of Islamic Emirate," the statement said, in reference to the Haqqani network's leader.
The Haqqani network is one of three Taliban-allied insurgent factions fighting in Afghanistan and perhaps the most feared - it is thought to have introduced suicide bombing to the country and is blamed for many high-profile attacks.
It has sworn allegiance to the Taliban, but has long been suspected of also having ties to Pakistan's spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate.
The outgoing chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, testified before the US Senate after the Kabul attack that the Haqqani network is a "veritable arm" of the ISI.
Last Saturday, Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani rejected US allegations as a sign of American "confusion."
Sirajuddin Haqqani, who heads the group, says it no longer needs sanctuaries in Pakistan, and it feels safe operating in Afghanistan.
The Taliban said the allegations aimed to create a climate of mistrust and distract from a deteriorating military situation in Afghanistan. The statement also warned Pakistan that the US aimed to "loot" the country's assets.
Civilian casualties are currently at record levels, although the majority are caused by insurgents, and violence is spreading in the once relatively peaceful north and west.
"America wants to show them that the internal situation of Afghanistan is under control and this current resistance is being supported by Pakistan," the statement said. "Hence if they put pressure on Pakistan and stop this intervention then the situation will come under control."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
