South Asia Studies Project

February 25, 2011 Special Dispatch No.3618 Taliban Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid Comments on the Political and Military Situation in Afghanistan, Says: 'Day by Day There is [an] Increase in Our Jihadi Activities; Our Armed Forces are More Disciplined Than Ever Before; We are Countering the Enemy and are Opening New Jihadi Fronts' The website of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government) has published an interview with its spokesman, in which he questions the Western claims of military "progress" in Afghanistan. The spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, says in the interview that the Western countries ensured the victory of some Afghans in the September 2010 parliamentary elections so that they can raise demands for dividing Afghanistan. He also says that General David Petraeus's claim of "progress" in Afghanistan was meant to give some points to President Barack Obama to claim progress in Afghanistan during his State of the Union speech. Following are excerpts from the interview: The full text of this report is available to MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor Subscribers. Subscription information is available at this link. JTTM subscribers can visit this page to view the report.