Taliban commander: We're fighting for 'independence'
By Petra Cahill, msnbc.com editor, msnbc.com news editor
By NBC News' Mujeeb Ahmad
SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan – Even as the Pakistani army steps up its offensive against the Taliban
in Pakistan's northern tribal region, there are increasing concerns about militants from Afghanistan seeking safe haven in a different part of the country:
Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's southwest Baluchistan Province.
American military and intelligence officials believe that the Taliban ruling council, or shura, which commands and controls jihad efforts in Afghanistan, have abandoned their historic base in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar and crossed the border into Quetta.
In Pakistan, the issue is raised every day in the press and on the streets: Have the Afghan Taliban moved their power base from Kandahar and set-up shop in Quetta? Quetta is my home – my family and friends live there – so I had a personal, as well as professional stake in finding out what's been going on.
Some colleagues urged me to talk to Mullah Manan, a commander of 70 foot soldiers in Helmand province in Afghanistan, to try to get some answers.
'Welcome to Spin Boldak'
It took weeks to arrange an interview with Manan, but finally the meeting point was set for Spin Boldak, a town in Afghanistan, near Kandahar.
Four of Manan's men were waiting for me on motorbikes when I arrived by car in Spin Boldak. We exchanged greetings and then they blindfolded me and helped me onto the back of one of the bikes.
We drove for what seemed to be more than an hour, careening at breakneck speeds along narrow mountain roads. The driver zigzagged around rocks and potholes while the others seemed to follow closely behind. When we finally skidded to a halt, my blindfold was lifted.
I was led into a room in a modest house built of mud and sun-dried bricks and told to sit on the floor and wait. The room was mostly dark; there were no windows and no furniture, and the air smelled of damp wet mud. A dark green door of rotting wood was left ajar to let in some light.
After about 15 minutes, tea was served. Shortly afterwards, a young man with a thick, black beard entered, flanked by two others. "Welcome to Spin Boldak. I am Commander Mullah Manan," he said, "the second in command to Mullah Abdul Hakeem, the commander of Helmand Province."
He wrapped a white turban around his head as he began to speak. "I just returned from a council meeting in Kandahar," he said. Manan laughed as he explained that the U.S. and NATO forces think they can identify the Taliban by their black turbans – but they don't understand that they only wear black at certain times. He seemed to enjoy pointing out that the Taliban are Afghans and dress like Afghans, which he said means they wear "baggy trousers, long loose-fitting shirts and white turbans."
I was anxious to ask him about the rumors that the Taliban's shura, or ruling council, had moved to Quetta. "This is Western propaganda," he said. "The only true Taliban shura is the one led by Mullah Omar. It has 29 members and is spread around Afghanistan – some of the members are even holding key government posts. Their identities are known only among the shura members," Manan explained.
He was referring to Mullah Muhammad Omar, a reclusive, one-eyed cleric who is regarded by all the Taliban as their supreme commander and the founder of the movement.
"Where is Mullah Omar?" I asked.
"Very few know his whereabouts, but I am sure he is still in Afghanistan," Manan replied. "Mullah Omar's orders are written down and then given to the shura members. They, in turn, pass them on to a chosen eight or nine others. Eventually everyone receives the orders. No one uses any form of telecommunications or electronic devices," Manan added with a smile.
Peace proposal?
I pressed him with more questions about Taliban activities in Quetta, particularly because I'm worried about the threat of drones destroying my city and killing my family and friends.
"We are not safe in Quetta," Manan answered, referring to the Taliban forces. "These days, the Pakistani security forces are looking for us and it is no longer safe to even cross the border to visit friends. Besides," Manan added, "we control almost 80 percent of Afghanistan, why should we hide in Pakistan?"
Manan lectured me on the Taliban's war against American and NATO troops, calling them occupiers who must be expelled from his country. He said he had personally killed 15 foreign troops.
"We don't distinguish between American, British or other Europeans," he said. "They are all white people; they are all occupiers. We can never accept them and we will fight until we liberate our country."
"Will you guarantee to the Americans that if they leave [Afghanistan] there won't be another 9/11 attack against them?" I asked.
"Look, we want an Islamic state with Islamic laws," Manan replied quietly, while his eyes seemed to bore right through me. "If the Americans leave, then we will not concern ourselves with them any longer."
Manan paused and then asked: "Do you understand what I am telling you?" And then he put it this way. "That means we will never again allow our country to be used in the same way as it was used against America in the past."
"That sounds like a peace proposal," I said.
Manan laughed. He was quick to point out that this was the Taliban viewpoint, but since no one recognizes them as an international force, no one is asking them to abide by any international obligations.
"Look," he explained, "the Americans are offering huge sums of money to anyone who will lay down arms and join them. We are fighting for our independence and for our country. We believe in our cause and the Americans should stop trying to bribe us."
"Make no mistake," Manan added, "some of us will take their money, but none of us will ever give up our fight."
Mujeeb Ahmed is on the Executive Council of the Balouchistan Journalists Federation and is a reporter for AAj TV, the second leading news network in Pakistan. He is based in Quetta and is a contributor to NBC News in Pakistan.
