In a exclusive interview with afghanislamicpress.com, Gulbadin Hekmatyar, the fugitive leader of Hizb-e-Islami in Afghanistan, underlined the need for jihad against Western troops in Afghanistan, noting that while the Communists fought against the Muslim world for 70 years, the West has been fighting against Muslims for the past 1,400 years.
Describing the upcoming presidential elections in Afghanistan due August 20 next as a comedy drama, Hekmatyar stated that he favored an interim, coalition government comprising leaders who share similar spiritual beliefs.
The exclusive interview was conducted by the Peshawar-based Afghan news agency Afghan Islamic Press. Following are some excerpts from the interview: [1]
"We Do Not Consider Conventional Fighting Useful; The Time For Such a War Has Not Come - Neither Have We Acquired Facilities For It"
Q: In which provinces of Afghanistan are the Hizb-e-Islami forces fighting against foreign forces?
A: "The members of Hizb-e-Islami are active in the whole of Afghanistan. In some areas they are carrying out only cultural and motivational activities, while in other areas, besides the cultural activities, military operations are being conducted. Military operations are being carried out in areas where occupation forces are based….
"We do not consider conventional fighting useful. The time for such a war has not come; neither have we acquired facilities for it. This kind of war causes collateral damage and creates problems for civilians. We prefer guerilla fighting…."
Q: You have rejected talks with the Kabul administration. Have you held talks with foreign forces for solution of the Afghan issue?
A: "We have not been holding official negotiations, either with the Kabul administration or with foreign forces. However, both the sides have contacted us on different occasions. We apprised them of our stance for solving the crisis.
"The Kabul administration is powerless and unable to do any thing in this regard. If foreign forces do not agree with those who ask them to either stop blind bombardment of civilians or to give them power, then how can they do anything regarding issues like an end to the invasion, a complete withdrawal of foreign forces without any condition, transfer of power to non-coalition government, and independent elections…[?]"
"[Hizb-e-Islami] Will Continue Jihad Unless the Last Soldier of Invading Forces is Pushed Outside the Afghanistan Border"
Q: Would Hizb-e-Islami agree if the U.S. wanted to withdraw from Afghanistan and instead demanded a few bases here?
A: "Hizb-e-Islami does not agree to this condition. It will continue jihad unless the last soldier of invading forces is pushed outside the Afghanistan border, God willing! The Mujahideen of Hizb-e-Islami will mete out the same treatment to the invaders that they meted out to the Russian invaders."
"If Other [Resistance] Groups Consider the Presence of These [Islamic] Forces Necessary, Then We Can Agree To a Limited Number of Forces of Muslim Countries - But They Must Not Be from Neighboring Countries"
Q: Are you ready to accept forces from Islamic countries instead of NATO troops in Afghanistan?
A: "We do not feel the need for the presence of Islamic countries' forces in Afghanistan. However, if other groups consider the presence of these forces necessary, then we can agree to a limited number of forces of Muslim countries, but they must not be from neighboring countries. They must not support any group, should be deployed outside the cities, and must be under the control of the government."
"We Have Told our Fighters to Consider Every [Taliban and Al-Qaeda] Mujahid As Their Brother and Not to Halt any Cooperation With Them"
Q: How are Hizb-e-Islami relations with Al-Qaeda and Taliban? How much cooperation do you have with Taliban on the military front?
A: "We have no links or agreement with Taliban and Al-Qaeda. However, cooperation, coordination, and joint struggle exist between the mujahideen of both the groups on local level and in some areas. We wanted unity and coordination on political and military fronts at the country level and apprised their teams of our stance.
"The delegations agreed every time but some officials did not agree to it. Now, we do not have any agreement with them. We have told our fighters to consider every Mujahid as their brother and not to halt any cooperation to them."
"Iran and Pakistan Have Meted Out Great, Unforgettable Cruelties to Afghans and Afghanistan; Both Countries Supported the U.S. In Its Invasion of Afghanistan"
Q: What do you say about Iran, Pakistan and other neighboring countries' interference, especially those interferences which are aimed to create problems between nations and tribes?
A: "Iran and Pakistan have meted out great, unforgettable cruelties to Afghans and Afghanistan. Both countries supported the U.S. in its invasion of Afghanistan. Iran secretly supported the U.S., and Pakistan [did so] openly.
"Pakistan allowed military bases on its soil, while Iran set bases in Afghanistan and asked Shi'ites and pro-Iran groups to fight against Sunnis and Pashtuns under U.S. command. Iran finds its interest in the continuance of fighting in Afghanistan so that a strong [Sunni] Islamic government may not be established. Iran wants to mobilize minorities against Pashtuns and is trying to divide our country by weakening it…"
"The Only Difference We Can See Between the Politics of Bush and Those of Obama Is That the Latter Deployed More Troops to Afghanistan, to Intensify War and to Suppress the Opponents"
Q: For what purpose did the U.S. launch the war in Afghanistan and the region? Do you see any change between the policies of George Bush and his successor Barack Obama?
A: "The reason for the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and the region is to stop the establishment of an Islamic government, and in such an effort Russia, India, Iran and several other counties have joined them; capturing oil, gas and other mineral resources of the region and Afghanistan; competing with China and Russia; controlling this sensitive region; and establishing a pro-U.S. puppet government to protect their interests in Kabul.
"The only difference we can see between the politics of Bush and those of Obama is that the latter deployed more troops to Afghanistan, to intensify war and to suppress the opponents in this way. He considers Bush's attention to Iraq a mistake, and thinks that the U.S. war strategy should be focused on Afghanistan; to increase troops here; and to increase the number of their political and administrative advisors who would be given responsibilities in the U.S.'s Kabul government."
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Q: What is your message to Barack Obama?
A: "Obama has been repeating the failed experience of George Bush [in Iraq] and of [Leonid] Brezhnev [in Afghanistan in the 1980s]. The political strategy is chalked out by the same Bush war team, which brought dishonor to Bush and brought world hatred for the U.S. This war team will make Obama face the same fate faced by Bush."
"The Reins of [any Proposed Interim] Government Should Be Given to a United Group Whose Members Share a Single Moral and Intellectual Strategy"
Q: Is Hizb-e-Islami ready to form a joint government with communists, the Northern Alliance, and other parties?
A: "A coalition front is not possible with anti-religion and country-seller groups… The Northern Alliance was formed of the groups whose control is in the hands of others. Yesterday, they were fighting against the Afghan nation for the interests of Russians; today they are fighting for Britons. Hizb-e-Islami cannot form coalition with such groups.
"Actually, the experience of coalition governments has not yielded good results. The reins of government should be given to a united group whose members share a single moral and intellectual strategy and who have the experiences of joint political work. The power should not be divided among the groups and individuals who have neither a united strategy nor the same intellectual and spiritual beliefs…."
Q: Do you think the ongoing resistance against foreigners will succeed?
A: "I am fully satisfied that the resistance will succeed and that the invading forces will be compelled to leave our country."
"It Is Jihad Which Will Force the Enemy to Leave and Discourage Their Invasion of Afghanistan; Without Jihad, There Would Be No Talk of Talks"
Q: Do you think talks are useful for the solution to the Afghanistan issue or jihad?
A: "It is jihad which will force the enemy to leave and discourage their invasion of Afghanistan. Without jihad, there would be no talk of talks."
"Elections Under The Wings of Warplanes and the Presence of Invaders is Nothing but a Comedy Drama - It Is Not Legal, Nor Does It Have Islamic Status"
Q: Do you think the upcoming elections are legal and according to shari'a? If not, what message would you like to give to people and candidates?
A: "Elections under the wings of warplanes and the presence of invaders is nothing but a comedy drama. It is not legal, nor does it have Islamic status. No mature and sensitive person, even the non-believer, will believe in such election. We ask the people and candidates not to waste time in this useless game and damage their faith."
Q: Will Hizb-e-Islami attack election centers to spoil election activities?
A: "There is no importance to holding these American elections or to disrupting it. The real issue is the freedom of the country. It is not good that attention from attacks on invaders should be diverted. Americans want to make Afghans fight among themselves. Fools will be trapped in the conspiracies of the enemy and indulge in other clashes, instead of the real enemy."
"It Would Have Been a Great Thing if Pakistan Had Not Supported the Americans Against the Mujahideen"
Q: Do you believe that Pakistan is not supporting mujahideen as they did in the previous jihad in the 1980s?
A: "Pakistan does not have permanent policy on Afghanistan. They are doing what the U.S. demand from them and did it yesterday what the U.S. had demanded. Expecting Pakistan to support Mujahideen is useless. It would have been a great thing if Pakistan had not supported the Americans against the Mujahideen, and we would be thankful to them."
"Suicide Bombers are a Great Asset of the Resistance and They Should not be Wasted in Useless Operations; The Officials of Jihad Should Respect Them Well, as Every Drop of their Blood is Precious"
Q: Is your party conducting suicide attacks?
A: "We consider such attacks, which can inflict maximum loss to the enemy, to be useful, not attacks on militia posts and the national army. Suicide bombers are a great asset of the resistance and they should not be wasted in useless operations. The officials of jihad should respect them well, as every drop of their blood is precious and it should not be wasted…."
"It Would Be a Sad Moment For Me If the U.S. Removed My Name From the [Terror] Blacklist During the Presence of Their Forces in Afghanistan"
Q: What would be your reaction if the U.S. removed your name from the blacklist?
A: "It would be a sad moment for me if the U.S. removed my name from the blacklist during the presence of their forces in Afghanistan. I am proud that my name is on the blacklist of the forces of infidelity, cruelties, wickedness, and great evil…"
Q: What role can Russia, and especially China, play in the region?
A: "Take the issues of Chechnya and Turkistan; Russia and China have two such issues. They consider supporting the U.S. in Afghanistan and stopping the way of an Islamic government in Afghanistan in their national interest. That is why Russia gave NATO a route for supplies to their forces in Afghanistan.
"The decisions taken in the Security Council against Afghanistan [after 9/11] have the backing of Moscow and Beijing. Russia does not think herself in a position to take revenge from the U.S. and support the resistance….."
"This Enemy [the West] is More Dangerous Than the Earlier One [the Soviet Communists] - Their Enmity with Islam and the Muslim Ummah is Very Old, and Deeper; If the Communists Fought Against Muslims for 70 Years, They Have Fought for 1,400 Years"
Q: What is your message to the former Jihadi leaders and Mujahideen?
A: "My advice to them is: What you did against the earlier, do against the present invaders. This enemy [the West] is more dangerous than the earlier one [the Soviet Communists]. Their enmity with Islam and Muslim Ummah is very old, and deeper. If the communists fought against Muslims for 70 years, they have fought for 1,400 years.
"I advise those who have joined Americans to renounce it and rejoin the nation; otherwise they will be disgraced in this world and Hereafter."
"Our Prime Concern Was the Americans - If We Expel Them, Our Problems Would Be Resolved Quickly and Easily; We Need to Pay Full Attention to Our Real Enemy"
Q: You said in an interview that you were not concerned with foreigners, that instead your concern was Karzai. But he was installed by foreigners.
A: "Attention has not been paid to my words; I said that our prime concern was the Americans. If we expel them, our problems would be resolved quickly and easily. We need to pay full attention to our real enemy without wasting time on non-issues."
Q: Do you have any proposals to avoid fighting and form a government based on national consensus in case the foreigners leave the country?
A: "We have announced our suggestions time and again…. I can only say that all Afghan groups should develop consensus over some issues:
"1) Power should be transferred to an interim government.
"2) Future government should be formed according to the wishes of the masses. The head of the state should be elected by the people through independent elections. After doing so, a single drop of blood will not be shed for the sake of somebody's authority, nor will weapons be used at any time in any corner of the country.
"3) Government is a trust of Allah the Almighty and a right of the people. We should leave it for the Afghan people. It should be their prerogative whoever they consider fit for their leadership, and trust and accept as their leader.
"4) We should discard tactics like using someone else's forces, money and weapons to rule Afghans. We should assure the masses that we are not fighting for power; rather we are fighting for the independence of our country. After liberating the country from the clutches of occupational forces, we will not fight for power. We have to empower the nation whoever they want to choose as their leaders, they should be free to do so.
"5) We will sort out our differences according to shari'a and we will accept the verdict of shari'a."
"The Incursion of the Former U.S.S.R. [in Afghanistan] Was Carried Out Under the Banner of the Warsaw Pact, and the Current Invasion is Led by Washington Under the Umbrella of NATO - Both Attacks Were Conducted by the Enemies of Islam"
Q: In your opinion, what is the difference between the incursion of the former U.S.S.R. and the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, at a time when several former leaders and Mujahideen are working in the present government?
A: "There is no difference between these two except that the incursion of former USSR was carried out under the banner of the Warsaw Pact and the current invasion is led by Washington under the umbrella of NATO. Both attacks were conducted by the enemies of Islam. Apart from this, whoever has any other difference, he either lacks religion or rationalism or both of them."
Q: What would be the end of the U.S., keeping in view your political farsightedness and ground realities?
A: "God willing, the U.S. will meet the same fate as the former U.S.S.R. And God willing that day is not too far distant. We will witness the day with our own eyes."
"The Islamic Ummah in General and Afghanistan In Particular Are At a Critical Stage; Another Crusade is Being Fought Against the Ummah; All Infidel Forces and Internal Hypocrites Have Opened a Joint Front Against Islam and Islamic Ummah - And Afghanistan is the Center of This War"
Q: What message do you want to give to the Muslims and the Afghan nation regarding the prevailing situation in Afghanistan and in the region?
A: "The Islamic Ummah in general and Afghanistan in particular are in a critical stage; another crusade is being fought against the Ummah. All infidel forces and internal hypocrites have opened a joint front against Islam and Islamic Ummah - and Afghanistan is the center of this war. Victory and defeat will be a determining and decisive factor in this war. If we win this war, we would be the winners on all fronts.
"The entire Muslim Ummah should wage Jihad. Jihad should be considered obligatory like prayer and fasting. Our destiny and the fate of our coming generations are dependent on Jihad…."
Endnote:
[1] www.afghanislamicpress.com, Afghanistan, July 3, 2009. The text has been lightly edited for clarity.
