Today Taliban fighters in Miramshah, the main town in Pakistan’s Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan, distributed pamphlets proclaiming the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death, and vowed to wage jihad for the slain al Qaeda emir. From AFP:
Masked militants armed with assault rifles handed out copies of the pamphlet from pick-up vehicles in Miranshah, the main town of the tribal district that has become known as Pakistan’s premier al Qaeda and Taliban hub.
“Let us pledge today that we will continue our jihad (holy war) and sacrifice our lives and property in the way of Allah like Sheikh Osama did,” it said, unsigned and dated May 2, the anniversary of the Al-Qaeda leader’s killing by US troops.
“Today, a year since Sheikh Osama bin Laden embraced martyrdom, the enemy America is repenting. It is facing defeat and Pakistan’s future is also bleak,”it said.
We’re never told which flavor of Taliban – the Haqqani Network, Hafiz Gul Bahadar’s fighters, or the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan – distributed the pamphlets. The reality is that it could be any of the three Taliban factions, as all three support and shelter al Qaeda in North Waziristan.
Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
1 Comment
another ‘snapshot’ of the nightmare known as Pakistan