Today, an official Taliban website announced that it would shortly be releasing a new video, featuring captured U.S. soldier Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl. Check the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor later today for more information.
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The following are excerpts from two interviews with Seifullah Jalali, the Taliban commander of Kabul Province, Afghanistan. In the first, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on December 3, 2009, Seifullah Jalali said that "we, the Taliban, control 70%-80% of Afghan lands" and called talk of any U.S.-Taliban negotiations "utter nonsense." In the second, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on December 4, 2009, he said that "the mujahideen were making other groups in the area understand that we must defend our country" and added that "people who were not convinced" of this were killed. He added that the Taliban and the Salafis "share the same holy book and the same religion; we must reunite against the infidels."
To view this dispatch on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/2285.htm.
Al-Arabiya TV, December 3, 2009
"Again, This Great Afghan Nation Confronts Injustice – This Time American Injustice"
Seifullah Jalali: "Again, this great Afghan nation confronts injustice – this time American injustice. We have arisen again, and we are confronting them with all possible means, including martyrdom operations. Their tanks, their bases, and their patrols have come under our fire, and they are no longer safe. We will force them to leave [Afghanistan], whether or not their claims that they will withdraw are true. We will force them to withdraw.
[...]
"The Islamic Emirate has recognized its ranks. We have appointed officials for all the provinces, districts, and villages in the country. We have organized everything, like [any] existing state. The moment the invaders withdraw from our land, we will assume control of the reins of power. Everybody will carry out their missions, as has been pre-arranged. The Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan will emerge once again, on the basis of a good constitution, which we recently drafted."
"The Talk About Negotiations At This Stage Between The Taliban And The U.S. Is Utter Nonsense"
"The talk about negotiations at this stage between the Taliban and the U.S. is utter nonsense. This report is groundless. The decision whether to conduct dialogue or not is the prerogative of our political leadership and the Emir of the Believers.
"The goal of our struggle is to put an end to the injustice suffered by our persecuted people, at the hand of American barbarism. Therefore, in my view, this is not the time for dialogue with the Americans. We do not share borders with them. They have come here, crossing tens of thousands of kilometers, and have occupied our land, barbarically killing our nation, although we did not harbor any hostility towards them before that. For no reason, they have done all these things to us. Therefore, the Americans have no alternative but to withdraw completely."
[...]
Interviewer: "Some people say that former [Taliban] foreign minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil began talks with the U.S. ambassador to Kabul. Does he represent you? Did you authorize him to start these negotiations?"
Seifullah Jalali: "That is their business. He represents himself alone. It is the policy of the Islamic Emirate not to conduct dialogue as long as there are foreign forces on Afghan land. Dialogue is impossible before the invaders withdraw from Afghanistan. As for Karzai, he is unable to release a single prisoner from Bagram Prison, so what guarantees do we have that he will carry out our demands, or even hold talks with us? Who can guarantee that he will not arrest our delegation to the negotiations, and hand them over to the Americans, to be transferred to Guantanamo? Therefore, talking with Karzai is pointless and impossible." [...]
"I Can Say With All Certainty That We, the Taliban, Control 70%-80% Of Afghan Lands"
"The Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan has formed several departments in preparation for its return to power. We have a justice department, and a department for war issues. We also have a media department, as well as other professional departments. In addition, we have divided the regions under our control. Each region has an emir, who is supervised by a commissioner. The commissioners answer to the Emir of the Believers. The Emir of the Believers, Mullah Muhammad ‘Omar Mujahid, has the authority to appoint the commissioner of each region.
[...]
"I travel all over Afghanistan. I can say with all certainty that we, the Taliban, control 70%-80% of Afghan lands. The government controls the centers of the cities only. All the villages, suburbs, and mountain regions are in our hands. Did you know that they can only get out of the cities in huge, heavily-secured convoys? Even so, they find it very difficult to move around, because we lie in wait for them. All the regions we control implement the laws and principles of Islam."
"The Afghan People Are Helping Us To Carry Out Our Operations Within the Cities"
"The Afghan people still remember the Taliban regime. The Taliban has left behind a phenomenal history, cherished by all deeply rooted Afghans, including the children. Everybody is ready to make sacrifices, in order to restore that regime. The Afghan people are helping us to carry out our operations within the cities. You may have heard about our recent operation, in which we targeted the NATO headquarters. In this operation, 70-80 members of the coalition forces were killed. We are the only ones who manage to get to these places. We carried out this operation with the support of the people. We had carried out the same operation in the past, against Italian forces, with the support of the people, as well.
"The battles we conduct within Kabul continue, at times, all morning. We, the military leadership of the Kabul Province, can attack, Allah willing, throughout the capital and the surrounding areas, as was the case recently in Sarobi. With the support of the people, we can attack everywhere."
"Islam Is a Religion of Love and Brotherhood... of Compassion and Peace; Therefore, We Strive to Implement This Comprehensive Regime"
"Through this Jihad of ours, we strive to implement Islam and its principles. Islam is a comprehensive religion that does not allow injustice and corruption. In addition, Islam does not permit the appointment of corrupt people [to jobs], or the theft of people's property and money. All this is forbidden in Islam.
"Islam is a religion of love and brotherhood, a religion of compassion and peace. Therefore, we strive to implement this comprehensive regime. The purpose of all our sacrifices is to restore the rule of Islam."
[...]
Interviewer: "With regard to Osama bin Laden specifically – do you still consider him a guest of yours?"
Seifullah Jalali: "This is up to the Emir of the Believers and our political leadership. We, as military men, obey the orders of the leadership, but in my personal view, all Muslims constitute one body, and the purpose of our sacrifices was to liberate Afghanistan, not to [protect] a certain individual. We have no intention whatsoever to attack any country. Similarly, we will not allow anyone to use our land to attack another country.
[...]
"Mullah Muhammed 'Omar Mujahid is in Afghanistan. He has no reason to be in Pakistan. All the mountains, suburbs, and city outskirts are held by the mujahideen. Therefore, he is safer in our regions. In addition, this enables him to convey his orders to the mujahideen. Why should he be in Pakistan? There is no need for that."
"The Claim That the Taliban Shura Council Is in Quetta, Pakistan, is Merely Propaganda"
"The claim that the Taliban Shura Council is in Quetta, Pakistan, is merely propaganda that the American disseminate through their collaborators, in order to plant in the hearts of the Afghan people the notion that we receive orders from the Pakistani intelligence. Thus, our image is being distorted. But the Afghan people know that their leadership is in Afghanistan. They are not deceived by this propaganda." [...]
"A Lot of Weapons, Ammunition, and Equipment Remain in Afghanistan From the Days of the Jihad Against the Soviet Union"
"A lot of weapons, ammunition, and equipment remain in Afghanistan from the days of the Jihad against the Soviet Union. We still use these weapons. Moreover, we conduct guerilla warfare, which does not require much ammunition. In addition, the common people help us. Most Afghans bear arms. Many of them hand their weapons over to us – their submachine guns, Kalashnikovs, RPGs, and missiles. The weapon we use most is landmines. We produce these mines ourselves, and we use them against the Americans and their allies. We take lots of weapons as booty during our fighting against the government forces, the Americans, and the international forces."
Al-Jazeera TV, December 4, 2009
"The Mujahideen... Have Made [Members of Arbakai Groups] Understand That We Must Defend Our Country; People Who Were Not Convinced Were Killed"
Interviewer: "Some U.S. reports are talking about forming a lashkar militia and tribal councils, led by some renowned commanders in north and south Afghanistan, in order to fight the Taliban and help the Americans against you. Is this true, and how will you confront this American strategy?"
Seifullah Jalali: "The infidels have always tried to sow discord among the Muslims. They have tried to recruit followers and to plant spies, in order to use them against the mujahideen. This was done in Logar, Kandahar, and Maidan. They have formed groups called arbakai. They showered them with money, and used their members against the mujahideen. But the mujahideen have advised the members of these groups to refrain from serving the occupation. They have made them understand that we must defend our country. People who were not convinced were killed. Allah willing, none of the enemies' plots will succeed.
"At this point, I must clarify what happens on the ground. There are many groups that – after getting permission from the Taliban – receive weapons from the foreign forces, via the government, and then hand these weapons over to us. These people kept their promise and delivered these weapons to us. Allah willing, the enemies will not succeed, no matter what they did."
"We and the Salafis Share the Same Holy Book and the Same Religion – We Must Reunite Against the Infidels"
Interviewer: "How would you characterize your relations with other groups of fighters, like those of Hekmatyar, or Haqqani, or the Salafi movement in Konar and Nurestan?"
Seifullah Jalali: "Sheikh Haqqani is an important member of the Islamic Emirate. I would not say that the Haqqani is not one of the pillars of the Islamic state. He is one of the important leaders of the Emirate. In our movement, we are not divided into Salafis and Barelvis. We are all Muslims. There should not be any disagreement among Muslims.
"The Americans are Christians, and the Israelis are Jews. They believe in different religions, different holy books, and even different prophets, yet they stand united against the Muslims. We and the Salafis share the same holy book and the same religion. We must reunite against the infidels. We must fight the Jihad against the infidels shoulder to shoulder. We must defend our country, and liberate our oppressed country from the injustice of these criminals." [...]
"With $100,000, We Can Destroy Dozens of Tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers"
Interviewer: "How do you cover the expenses of the resistance and the fighting? Where does the money come from?"
Seifullah Jalali: "Large amounts of money are spent on the mujahideen. This year, about $2 million was spent. As for me in Kabul, the expenses I need reach $300 per month or more. There is also the booty that the mujahideen take from their enemies.
"The most important booty is the weapons that the mujahideen took from the Americans, for example. These weapons are worth $200,000. When these sums reach the mujahideen, they are of great use to them. For example, an anti-tank rocket costs us $50. With $100,000, we can destroy dozens of tanks and armored personnel carriers.
"The enemy forces, on the other hand, cannot operate with only $100,000. Our expenses are not like those of the Americans or the collaborating government. Our expenses are very low, but they enable us to achieve what we want." [...]
"There Are Many Groups That – After Getting Permission From the Taliban – Receive Weapons From the Foreign Forces, Via the Government, and Then Hand These Weapons Over To Us"
"The French in the Sarobi region tried to send gifts to the mujahideen, and offered them lots of money in return for refraining from attacks against French forces. But the Taliban mujahideen responded by rejecting it categorically, and strongly demanded that the French and other forces withdraw from our country, which they had entered by aggression and violence.
"There are many groups that – after getting permission from the Taliban – receive weapons from the foreign forces, via the government, and then hand these weapons over to us. These people kept their promise and delivered these weapons to us."
