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Mullah Omar Akhund Mullah Omar Akhund Taliban Afghanistan/South Asia 20011008  

Home Front: WoT
Did Team Trump Get the Wrong Abbey Gate Bad Guy?
2025-03-07
[PJMedia] During President Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress, he announced that with the help of American intelligence agencies and Pakistain, the planner of the Abbey Gate terrorist attack in Afghanistan was being brought to America at that moment to "face the swift sword of American justice."

It was an exhilarating moment. The news may have prompted a small feeling of "closure" among the families of the 13 American service members who died in that Afghanistan calamity on Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. I'm not working for you. Don't be such a horse's ass....
's watch.

But the Paks may have handed over the wrong guy. They say that Mohammad Sharifullah is "a commander of the ISIS (ISIS) affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP) [and was] an Afghan national captured in an operation conducted in the Pakistain-Afghanistan border
...also known as Pashtunistan, home of ignorance, poverty, and automatic weapons...
region." The Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump in a statement for "appreciating Pakistain’s role and support in counterterrorism efforts across the region."

But, could it be that the Paks, who hid the late Osama bin Laden
...... who has left the building......
 from the Americans for years, engaged in yet another subterfuge to stick it to us? Of course the Paks could have done that.

A former CIA "targeter" whose job was to find bad guys in Afghanistan says whoever told the Trump team that this Mohammad guy was the shot-caller for the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
 is lying to them.



Adams, who now works for the Defense Department, uses open source materials and sometimes calls her old contacts in Afghanistan to run down leads while looking for bad guys and connecting the dots for articles and books.

She thinks a different person was the actual shot-caller for a suicide kaboom at Abbey Gate at the Kabul Airport in those frantic days before the U.S. ignominiously bugged out.

The man who helped plan the attack, Adams believes, is Hafiz Haqqani, of the notorious Haqqani terror network, and who has connections to Al Qaeda's one-time number-two bad guy, Ayman Al Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...>
. In fact, Adams believes the man who told the boom jacket-wearing terrorist the precise place to detonate his bomb for maximum U.S. casualties is Zawahiri's son-in-law.



First, you have to understand what Adams believes is the leadership apparatus of the Taliban. She believes the Taliban is wholly infused by Al Qaeda. Adams says the families have intermarried. She says three of the top leaders of the Taliban have the last name of Bin Laden.

Adams is the first to point out that the United States bankrolls the Taliban — and by extension Al Qaeda and the Bin Laden family — $40 to $80 million per week.

As I reported previously, USAID money was used for a lot of the payoff to the terrorists.

Adams's claims were verified in a February congressional hearing.

Adams isn't new to finding bandidos Death Eaters who try to hide. She's written a recent work about the Abbey Gate terror plot called "HKIA: Know Thy Enemy."

She also found all the planners of the Benghazi terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2012, and wrote about them in her book, "Benghazi: Know Thy Enemy."

Remember that Secretary of State Crooked Hillary Clinton
...former first lady, former secretary of state, former presidential candidate, Conqueror of Benghazi, Heroine of Tuzla, formerly described by her supporters as the smartest woman in the world, usually described by the rest of us as The Thing That Wouldn't Go Away. Politix is not one of her talents, but it's something she keeps trying to do...
, Jake Sullivan, and Obama aide Susan Rice told Americans that the Benghazi attack was a misunderstanding that grew out of a movie no one watched — for which the movie maker was tossed in the calaboose
Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages!
 in America by President Obama. But Adams wouldn't rest until she tracked down every one of the bandidos Death Eaters who killed her CIA compatriots and America's Ambassador to Libya.

After last night's announcement, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X.com that the FBI and American intelligence worked to get their hands on the planner.

But Patel need only remember his own frustrations as a DOJ investigator involved for a time in the Benghazi prosecution to inform this latest case. In his book, "Government Gangsters," Patel was frustrated that "when it came to Benghazi, the B.O. regime, the F.B.I. and the D.O.J. wanted to seem tough on terrorism, so they kept minimal prosecutions open and brought up big-sounding charges that we couldn’t support."

And before he became the nominee to head the FBI, Patel told the Shawn Ryan show that the top brass "went and got basically the wrong guy [involved in Benghazi]. And then we prosecuted that wrong guy. Not that he wasn’t a part of it. He just wasn’t like the top tier of guys I would have gone after. And they screwed up the prosecution because they didn’t listen to us."



Patel, more than most, understands that he'd better get the right guy targeted and act accordingly.
Link


Government Corruption
Biden's USAID Paid Terrorists, and Here's HOW They Did It
2025-02-17
[PJMedia] Readers were shocked when we reported that USAID had paid Taliban
...the once and current oppressors of Afghanistan...
 and Al Qaeda terrorists. Now we've found out how they moved the money.

In the story "USAID Pays the Terrorists Who Kill Us," I wrote:

The U.S. State Department and USAID pay millions of dollars per week to the Taliban, the bin Laden family leading the group, and the Haqqani terror network. Remember those guys? Didn't we wage a 20-year-long war to get rid of them ...???

...We left Afghanistan, left behind billions of dollars in equipment, the strategically important Bagram Air Base, and all the biometric data of our Afghani supporters who put their lives on the line to help our efforts to get the Taliban and the murderous Moslems they were hiding from us. So, of course, when Joe The Big Guy Biden
...46th president of the U.S. We hold these truths to be self-evident. All men and women created ... by the — you know — you know, the thing...
, Tony Blinken, and Jake Sullivan had us bug out in disgrace, they left the Taliban a ready-made kill list of our allies.

Former CIA targeter and DoD employee Sarah Adams has reported that the bin Laden, Mullah Mohammad Blinky Omar
...a minor Pashtun commander in the war against the Soviets who made good as leader of the Taliban. As ruler of Afghanistan, he took the title Leader of the Faithful. The imposition of Pashtunkhwa on the nation institutionalized ignorance and brutality in a country already notable for its own fair share of ignorance and brutality. Died of an unspecified ailment in a Pak hospital...
, and Taliban families have intermarried. Paying the Taliban is paying al-Qaeda. That wasn't the plan when U.S. troops went into Afghanistan 20 years ago to get the late Osama bin Laden
...... who is now sometimes referred to as Mister Bones......
 and his al-Qaeda terror cell, which brought down the World Trade Center Towers.

After the Biden administration left Afghanistan in shame on Aug. 30, 2021, somehow, inexplicably, the U.S. government, through USAID, began to pay off the same people who tried to kill us.

According to the Horowitz Freedom Center's Daniel Greenfield, USAID laundered $1.7 billion to the Taliban through a series of banks, accounts, shell organizations, and other entities. USAID says it had no idea. You make the call after you see how Greenfield connected the banking dots.



In November 2022, the bag men for the Afghanistan Bank crowed over the stacks of cash that fell off the back of a plane.

There was $40 million in this shipment, according to Google Translate.

Greenfield reported at Front Page Magazine that the $40 million "on the tarmac was part of a much larger scheme under which USAID and the State Department provided over $1.7 billion in funding to the U.N., which then shipped $2.9 billion in cash to Afghanistan."

Greenfield reports the money from USAID was laundered through the U.N., turned into hundreds of dollar bills at a New York bank that kept the Afghanistan bank accounts, and then put in shrink-wrapped bags on pallets and sent to the terrorists. That money, in turn, was put into private Afghanistan banks since, at the time, normal banking with the Taliban was operational. That money was then doled out to USAID-approved NGOs.

The money was to go to humanitarian causes, according to an Inspector General's report, but as we've since learned, the Taliban, and by extension, al-Qaeda, sit on the boards of all the NGOs in Afghanistan, so "humanitarian aid" is funneled to terror training camps and other non-humanitarian needs, according to Adams. I'll just bet they'll rebuild the schools for girls they destroyed any minute now.

"USAID claimed it didn't send money to the Taliban because it put the money in UN accounts it didn't control," Greenfield reported. "UN claimed it didn't send the cash to the Taliban, just put it in a private bank and the NGOs did business with the Taliban when they converted dollars to Afghani," he says. Greenfield reported that the Biden administration "sent both dollars and Afghanis to the Taliban."

The conclusion is that this was no mistake and no misunderstanding. This was an intentional act by the Biden administration to funnel money to the Taliban.

And here's the dirty payoff. "The Biden admin funded the entire Taliban economy by not only printing money for them, but sending them the dollars to exchange for Afghanis that the Taliban used to make the Afghani into a top currency. The dollars gave the Taliban control over Afghanistan," he writes.

Not only did we cede the country, but we also paid the Taliban off to take it over, and we bugged out in shame.

This sounds similar to how Biden hid his millions of shakedown dollars from Russia ($3.5 mil), Ukraine ($6.5 mil), Romania ($3 mil), China ($8 mil), and Kazakhstan ($142,300 for Hunter to buy a car). It makes you wonder if Biden got a Taliban kickback, doesn't it?
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria’s rebel leader Golani: From radical jihadist to ostensible pragmatist
2024-12-08
[IsraelTimes] Since breaking ties with al-Qaeda in 2016, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has sought to portray himself as a more moderate leader; whether that is true remains up for debate

Abu Mohammed al-Golani,
…that’s his nom de guerre, also spelt Abu Mohammad al-Julani. His real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a and the CIA considers him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist….
leader of the Islamist rebel alliance that has captured swaths of Syria in a lightning offensive, is an murderous Moslem who has adopted a more moderate posture to try to achieve his goals.

At the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
 (HTS), which is rooted in Syria’s branch of al-Qaeda, Golani says the goal of his offensive is to overthrow President Bashir al-Assad’s rule.

"When we talk about objectives, the goal of the revolution remains the overthrow of this regime. It is our right to use all available means to achieve that goal," Golani told CNN
...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for...
 in an interview aired on Friday.

Golani for years operated from the shadows. Now, he is in the limelight, giving interviews to the international media and appearing on the ground in Syria’s second-largest city Aleppo after wresting it from government control for the first time in the country’s civil war.

He has over the years stopped sporting the turban worn by jihadists, often favouring military fatigues instead.

On Wednesday, he wore a khaki shirt and trousers to visit Aleppo’s citadel, standing at the door of his white vehicle as he waved and moved through the crowds.

Since breaking ties with al-Qaeda in 2016, Golani has sought to portray himself as a more moderate leader.

But he is yet to quell suspicions among analysts and Western governments that still classify HTS as a terrorist organization.

"He is a pragmatic radical," Thomas Pierret, a specialist in political Islam, told AFP.

"In 2014, he was at the height of his radicalism," Pierret said, referring to the period of the war when he sought to compete with the jihadist Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 group. "Since then, he has moderated his rhetoric."

Born in 1982, Golani was raised in Mazzeh, an upscale district of Damascus. He stems from a well-to-do family and was a good student.

During the offensive he launched on November 27, he started signing his statements under his real name — Ahmed al-Sharaa.

In 2021, he told US broadcaster PBS that his nom de guerre was a reference to his family roots in the Golan Heights, claiming that his grandfather had been forced to flee after Israel’s takeover of the area in 1967 during the Six Day War.

According to the Middle East Eye news website, it was after the September 11, 2001 attacks that Golani was first drawn to jihadist thinking.

"It was as a result of this admiration for the 9/11 attackers that the first signs of jihadism began to surface in Golani’s life, as he began attending secretive sermons and panel discussions in marginalized suburbs of Damascus," the website said.

Following the US-led invasion of Iraq, he left Syria to take part in the fight. He joined al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and was subsequently detained for five years, preventing him from rising through the ranks of the jihadist organization.

In March 2011, when the revolt against Assad’s rule erupted in Syria, he returned home and founded the al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
 Front, Syria’s branch of al-Qaeda.

In 2013, he refused to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who would go on to become the emir of the Islamic State group, and instead pledged his loyalty to al-Qaeda’s Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...>
.

A realist in his partisans’ eyes, an opportunist to his adversaries, Golani said in May 2015 that he, unlike IS, had no intention of launching attacks against the West.

He also proclaimed that should Assad be defeated, there would be no Dire Revenge attacks against the Alawite minority that the president’s clan stems from.

He cut ties with al-Qaeda, claiming to do so in order to deprive the West of reasons to attack his organization.

According to Pierret, he has since sought to chart a path towards becoming a credible statesman.

In January 2017, Golani imposed a merger with HTS on rival Islamist groups in northwest Syria, thereby claiming control of swaths of Idlib province that had fallen out of government hands.

In areas under its grip, HTS developed a civilian government and established a semblance of a state in Idlib province, while crushing its rebel rivals. Throughout this process, HTS faced accusations from residents and rights groups of brutal abuses against those who dared dissent, which the UN has classed as war crimes.

Aware perhaps of the fear and hatred his group has sparked, Golani has addressed residents of Aleppo, home to a sizeable Christian minority, in a bid to assure them that they would face no harm under his new regime. He also called on his fighters to preserve security in the areas they had "liberated" from Assad’s rule.

"I think it’s primarily just good politics," said Aron Lund, a fellow of the Century International think tank.

"The less local and international panic you have and the more Golani seems like a responsible actor instead of a toxic jihadi murderous Moslem, the easier his job will become. Is it totally sincere? Surely not," he said.

"But it’s the smart thing to say and do right now."

Related:
Who are the rebels battering Syria’s regime, and do they pose a risk to Israel?
[IsraelTimes] The two groups leading the assault, HTS and the SNA, are now focused on their common foe, Bashar Assad. Where might they turn their attention in the future?
Related:
Abu Mohammed al-Golani 05/15/2023 Tahrir al-Sham seeks to move away from al-Qaida past, get off Western terrorism lists
Abu Mohammed al-Golani 08/25/2021 Blast in northern Syria kills 8 militants, wounds others
Abu Mohammed al-Golani 06/23/2020 HTS: ‘Al-Talli spreads confusion, encourages disobedience and creates cracks among our brothers’

Link


Afghanistan
Resurgent al-Qaida training camps latest black eye from Biden Afghanistan withdrawal
2024-02-25
[JustTheNews] UN report claims al-Qaida now has eight training camps in Taliban-controlled country.

Two reports released just days apart are providing stark new evidence of the lasting consequences of President Joe Biden’s bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan and his administration’s dealings with the Taliban ever since.

The United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team reported late last month that the terrorist group al-Qaida, though weakened from its heyday in the early 2000s, has reconstituted as many as eight training camps and five religious training schools known as madrassas on Afghan soil under the Taliban’s rule while also increasing its propaganda operations and recruitment.

“The relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaida remains close, and the latter maintains a holding pattern in Afghanistan under Taliban patronage,” the report stated bluntly. “Regional States assess that the presence of Al-Qaida senior figures in the country has not changed and that the group continues to pose a threat in the region, and potentially beyond.”

You can read the full report here.

While the UN report blamed the Taliban for its hosting of al-Qaida, the Biden administration continued to send massive humanitarian dollars to the Afghan regime, in many cases through the UN and global charities, according to a separate report from an American watchdog.

John Sopko, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, reported a few days after the UN report was issued that the United States accounted for all but $300 million of the $2.9 billion in humanitarian aid sent to the Taliban since the withdrawal of American troops in August 2021. Most of it, he noted, came in cash.

“The U.S. is the largest international donor, having provided about $2.6 billion in funding for the UN, other PIOs, and NGOs operating in Afghanistan since August 2021,” the report noted. “More than $1.7 billion of that funding came from State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support humanitarian activities.”

You can read Sopko's report here.

Experts said the flow of cash to help the Taliban while it allows al-Qaida to flourish sends a dangerous message to bad actors, and much of it is routed through the very UN that issued the report.

“America is the biggest funder of this thing. So the United States taxpayer is disproportionately on the hook paying for these activities,” former Deputy National Security Adviser Victoria Coates said recently.

And coupled with the billions in high-tech weaponry Biden left behind in Afghanistan, the dynamic is creating heartburn in Congress.

“This administration has a history of giving money to terrorist organizations, abandoning $80 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan so the Taliban can run around with our M4s and our Blackhawks, and all of our equipment. They have an American last agenda,” Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., told the Just the News, No Noise television show last week.

The Taliban, of course, claims it does not harbor al-Qaida and that the UN report was “propaganda.”

"There is no one related to al Qaeda in Afghanistan, nor does the Islamic Emirate allow anyone to use the territory of Afghanistan against others," the Taliban said in a statement.

But U.S. officials told Just the News they have significant intelligence of al-Qaida’s presence and reconstitution inside Afghanistan since the Taliban overthrew the democratically elected government as U.S. troops were withdrawing in 2021.

They noted that when U.S. drones killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in 2022, he was living inside a Taliban Cabinet member’s guest house in Kabul’s diplomatic district.

U.S. officials added they are concerned by al-Qaida’s resilience, especially since American intelligence efforts have less visibility inside Afghanistan since the bungled withdrawal.

The UN report, culled from intelligence from its various member nations, said that while al-Qaida does not have the capability to command and conduct long-range terror attacks like 9/11 right now, it is clearly showing signs of expansion and regional reach after years of diminishment from the Bush to the Trump years.

“Al-Qaida was reported to have established up to eight new training camps in Afghanistan, including four in Ghazni, Laghman, Parwan and Uruzgan Provinces, with a new base to stockpile weaponry in the Panjshir Valley,” the report said. “Some camps might be temporary.

“Five Al-Qaida madrasas operate in Laghman, Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan and Parwan Provinces,” it added. “The group maintains safe houses to facilitate the movement between Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Provinces of Herat, Farah and Helmand, with additional safe house locations in Kabul.”

Equally troubling, the Islamic State terrorist group is also showing resiliency in several regions of the world, particularly Afghanistan, the UN warned.

“Member States assessed that, despite the recent loss of territory, casualties, and high attrition among senior and mid-tier leadership figures, ISIL-K continued to pose a major threat in Afghanistan and the region,” it noted.
Related:
United Nations Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team: 2023-09-17 On eve of 9/11 Anniversary, U.S. officials continue to downplay Al Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan
Related:
Ghazni: 2024-02-22 Taliban execute two murderers by machine-gunning them through the spine in front of thousands of spectators at football stadium
Ghazni: 2023-10-04 Taliban Close Gates of Two Private Schools in Ghazni Due to ‘Shaved Beards of Educators’
Ghazni: 2023-10-03 Daily Evacuation Brief October 2 - 3, 2023
Related:
Laghman: 2024-02-22 Taliban execute two murderers by machine-gunning them through the spine in front of thousands of spectators at football stadium
Laghman: 2024-01-09 Reports of Poppy Cultivation in Badakhshan Concerning: Fitrat
Laghman: 2023-11-28 Daily Evacuation Brief November 27, 2023
Related:
Parwan: 2024-01-09 Taliban detains group of women at Khair Khana, Kabul
Parwan: 2023-11-28 Daily Evacuation Brief November 27, 2023
Parwan: 2023-11-28 At least 10 Taliban members killed in attacks, Front Freedom claims
Related:
Uruzgan: 2023-09-30 Sirajuddin Haqqani in Panjshir Stresses Trust-Building
Uruzgan: 2023-09-28 Taliban’s Disruption of Aid Programs Push Hazaras To the Brink
Uruzgan: 2023-09-25 The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan: The Taliban have killed 17 Hazaras in Uruzgan Province in the Last Two Years
Related:
Panjshir Valley: 2023-01-16 Afghanistan: The Taliban's punishment of women is an act of desperation
Panjshir Valley: 2022-11-07 Taliban reveal burial place of founder Mullah Omar, nine years after death
Panjshir Valley: 2022-09-15 Taliban are “looking into” a video circulating on social media that appears to show its fighters executing captured members of an Afghan insurgent group
Related:
Kunar: 2024-01-04 Ex-MNA Mohsin Dawar survives gun attack in North Waziristan
Kunar: 2023-10-06 Daily Evacuation Brief October 6, 2023
Kunar: 2023-09-29 Daily Evacuation Brief September 29, 2023
Related:
Nangarhar: 2023-09-24 Daily Evacuation Brief September 24, 2023
Nangarhar: 2023-09-20 Over 100 Afghan Security Outposts Built Along Durand Line
Nangarhar: 2023-09-17 On eve of 9/11 Anniversary, U.S. officials continue to downplay Al Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan
Related:
Nuristan: 2023-10-05 Daily Evacuation Brief October 5, 2023
Nuristan: 2023-09-24 Daily Evacuation Brief September 24, 2023
Nuristan: 2023-09-20 Over 100 Afghan Security Outposts Built Along Durand Line
Related:
Herat: 2024-01-22 PTI-backed NA candidate among 10 injured in Karachi 'attack'
Herat: 2024-01-09 Afghanistan Exports Nearly $2 Billion Last Year: MOCI
Herat: 2023-12-15 The West is furious: China renamed Tibet
Related:
Farah: 2024-02-03 LTCOL BYRON OWEN: The Insane Battle for Shewan, Outnumbered, Yet Victorious, No Americans Lost
Farah: 2024-01-22 PTI-backed NA candidate among 10 injured in Karachi 'attack'
Farah: 2024-01-14 Four Ukrainians on UN Helicopter Seized by Shaboobs in Somalia
Related:
Helmand: 2024-01-08 ISIS claims responsibility for attack on civilians in Kabul
Helmand: 2023-10-03 Daily Evacuation Brief October 2 - 3, 2023
Helmand: 2023-09-17 On eve of 9/11 Anniversary, U.S. officials continue to downplay Al Qaeda’s presence in Afghanistan
Link


Home Front: WoT
9/11: Reflecting on 22 Years Since the Darkest Day in Modern U.S. History
2023-09-11
Seen on one of the Afghan news sites, which seems interesting today.
[KhaamaPress] On September 11, 2001, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks by the hard boy group al-Qaeda changed the course of global history. On the 22nd anniversary of this tragic incident, it’s essential to reflect on the events of that fateful day, its implications, and how it shaped global counterterrorism strategies and geopolitics.

On the morning of 9/11, 19 al-Qaeda gunnies hijacked four commercial airplanes. Two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. Within hours, the mighty Twin Towers collapsed, turning downtown Manhattan into a smoke-filled ruin.

Meanwhile,
...back at the wreckage, Captain Poindexter wished he had a cup of coffee. Even instant would do...
 American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the Pentagon, the Department of Defense’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was headed towards either the U.S. Capitol or the White House but crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to overcome the hijackers.

By the day’s end, almost 3,000 people from over 90 countries had bit the dust, marking the single deadliest terrorist act in world history.

Al-Qaeda, under the leadership of the late Osama bin Laden
...... who used to be alive but now he's not......
, quickly became the prime suspect. While the hard boy group orchestrated the attacks, they found sanctuary with the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
 in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s refusal to extradite bin Laden and dismantle terrorist camps eventually led to the U.S. launching the War on Terror.

Operation Enduring Freedom was initiated on October 7, 2001, to dismantle al-Qaeda and unseat the Taliban. Though the Taliban regime collapsed within months, the conflict continued for two decades. The U.S., during this period, established the Department of Homeland Security and enacted the USA PATRIOT Act, granting expanded surveillance powers to intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

The War on Terror also played a role in the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, propelled by the belief that Saddam Hussein might produce weapons of mass destruction and potentially ally with hard boy groups.

Nearly a decade post-9/11, in May 2011, U.S. Navy SEALs located and eliminated Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad
... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden....
, Pakistain. But al-Qaeda’s threat wasn’t entirely neutralized. Last year, another prominent al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
, met his end in Kabul, the result of a U.S. dronezap as detailed on the U.S. Department of Defense website.

However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly...
 despite these successes, Afghanistan’s political landscape remained volatile. As U.S. military presence diminished, the Taliban regained control, culminating in their capture of Kabul in August 2021.

22 years post-9/11, the globe faces a different landscape. The attacks reshaped geopolitics, influenced security policies, and altered perceptions of freedom and safety.

With the rise of other hard boy factions like ISIS post-Al-Qaeda’s decline, counterterrorism remains crucial. To ensure lasting peace, nations must address extremism’s root causes, from socio-economic issues to political disenfranchisement.

Commemorating 9/11’s 22nd anniversary reminds us of the innocent lives lost, the heroes of that day, and the unyielding human spirit. The lessons from 9/11 and its aftermath are enduring, continuously influencing global decisions.
Link


Afghanistan
Heaven of Foreign Militants: The Taliban Are Extensively Hosting Extremist Groups
2023-09-10
[8am] The Doha Agreement obligated the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
 to cut their connections with regional and international terrorist groups. Despite this commitment, with the Taliban’s return to power, concerns have been raised by the United Nations
...where theory meets practice and practice loses...
 Security Council, United States, Russia, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and other security bodies regarding the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. A report from the Hasht-e Subh Daily, two years after the Taliban’s resurgence, reveals that a considerable number of regional jihadists, along with their families, are actively operating within Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

These findings indicate that approximately 300 families linked to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Ansarullah of Tajikistan have settled in the northeastern region, particularly in Badakhshan province. Reliable sources in eastern Afghanistan further verify that thousands of families associated with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) murderous Moslems are currently residing under Taliban governance. Moreover, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) fighters, despite China’s backing of the Taliban, are capitalizing on the benefits of their presence in Afghanistan. Many of these murderous Moslems maintain ties not only with the Taliban but also with al-Qaeda.

Moreover, the Taliban not only incorporate certain jihadists into their own ranks but also furnish them with Afghan identification documents and passports, dispersing them across different regions of the nation. Intriguingly, these murderous Moslems have also formed familial connections with Afghan households to strengthen their foothold under Taliban governance in Afghanistan.

UNVEILING AL-QAEDA: THE PRESENCE EXPOSED BY AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI
One of the groups that causes widespread concern among many countries is al-Qaeda, which they believe should not be present in Afghanistan. The Doha Agreement directly addresses this issue, with the United States securing a commitment from the Taliban to sever ties with this group. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the death of Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 in Afghanistan exposed a remarkably close relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaeda—one that not even the Doha Agreement managed to break. Even prior to al-Zawahiri’s demise, suspicions lingered about the Taliban’s intentions. The United Nations Security Council repeatedly asserted that the Taliban maintained connections with al-Qaeda hard boys. During that time, reports indicated that al-Qaeda operated in 15 provinces across Afghanistan. al-Qaeda members usually assumed a secondary role in battles alongside the Taliban, primarily focusing on offering guidance and training. Now, with the Taliban’s resurgence to power, this group’s members are inclined to rejuvenate their network and leverage the Taliban’s rule.

Zawahiri’s Letter to bin Laden, discussed in the Hasht-e Subh Daily during the reexamination of the Abbottabad
... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden....
 case, indicates that al-Qaeda does not intend to leave the Afghan geographical sphere under any circumstances. In the letter, Zawahiri states that al-Qaeda must remain close to the Taliban leadership and work on building trust. Conversely, the letter also demonstrates the commitment of the Taliban leadership to preserve and support al-Qaeda. While the undeniable presence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan is evident, determining the exact number of individuals in this network remains challenging. The Taliban even deny the presence of a single al-Qaeda member and have made significant efforts to conceal the identities of these individuals.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the National Directorate of Security
...the Afghan national intel agency...
 (NDS) of the previous government recently reported that around 300 al-Qaeda members are fighting alongside the Taliban in their conflict. The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee, on the other hand, has cited estimates ranging from 400 to 600 hard boys. Despite the Taliban’s concerted efforts over the years, particularly in the past two years, to avoid exposing the identities and locations of al-Qaeda members, their active presence within the Taliban’s structures as advisors is a detail that the Taliban cannot conceal.

TTP AND SANCTUARIES ON THIS SIDE OF THE BORDER
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) is also one of the murderous Moslem groups aligned with the Taliban. These two groups share a deep bond, and their recent activities have demonstrated that both, adhering to a common ideology, have been collaborating against the republic system. In the past, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) provided refuge to the Afghan Taliban, but now the hosting role has shifted to the Afghan Taliban. Among all jihadist groups worldwide, they are the sole entity with territorial control. Alongside their close interaction and alignment with the Taliban, the Pak government has repeatedly urged the Taliban to deny sanctuary to the TTP within Afghan soil. In response, the Taliban asserts that no foreign jihadist group has a place in Afghanistan and poses no threat to other countries.

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily indicate that around 10,000 Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) murderous Moslems are present in Afghanistan with their families. Most of these hard boys, along with their families, reside in the districts of Goshta, Bati Kot, and Lal Pur in Nangarhar
The unfortunate Afghan province located adjacent to Mohmand, Kurram, and Khyber Agencies. The capital is Jalalabad. The province was the fief of Younus Khalis after the Soviets departed and one of his sons is the current provincial Taliban commander. Nangarhar is Haqqani country..
 province; areas close to the Durand Line, which provide convenient movement for TTP. According to local sources, while many TTP murderous Moslems have been in these areas, particularly in the Salalah region, for several years, their numbers have increased after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Sources state that TTP murderous Moslems and their families are present in regions like Salalah, Mama Khel, Ziarat-e Dagh, Zharai, and Ograi of the Goshta district, where they fulfill their basic needs from the markets of the Goshta district.

Most of these hard boys, who are also believed to be part of the Taliban’s reserve forces, have traveled from Lal Pur district in Nangarhar to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistain to wage war against the Pak government. An informed source, who prefers anonymity in the report, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily: "Many of them have gone from Lal Pur mainly to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. I know a commander who recently went with 30 individuals. The commander is known as Naaser, with the pseudonym Qahraman, he is for the Spin Tankai area in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Other commanders are named Bismillah and Enayatullah. Another one is known as Mullah Piran, originally from Swat, who is currently residing in Kashkot and Gaurik areas. Now the Emirates (Afghan Taliban) members also take the TTP’s seal of approval and head to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, claiming to wage jihad. This was a statement from a TTP commander who was saying that the Afghan Taliban have declared jihad against Pakistain."

On January 4, 2023, Pakistain conducted an aerial attack on the Salala area, but its Foreign Ministry denied responsibility. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 local sources and non-governmental individuals in the Goshta district confirm Pakistain’s Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s on the positions of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP). According to them, the attack took place in an area where families of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) were residing. Local sources stated that after the bombing, flames and smoke were observed in the region. The exact casualties of this event were not publicly disclosed, as the Taliban warned people not to discuss the matter among themselves. A source informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily, "No one can raise their voice out of fear, and [people] don’t talk about it among themselves."

Nonetheless, a recorded audio tape came into the possession of the Hasht-e Subh Daily in which members of the Taliban discuss the attack on TTP positions in the Arazi bazaar. The United Nations Security Council also confirmed the presence of TTP murderous Moslems on Afghan soil in a report. The monitoring committee of the UN Security Council referred to the TTP as the "largest constituent" of the Taliban. According to the report, the TTP has between 3,000 to 4,000 murderous Moslems in Afghanistan. The report identifies Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud as the current leader of the TTP and based on that, the TTP has become stronger and can pose a bigger threat in the region. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 Fazal Ur Rehman Khattak, the leader of the National Awami Party (NAP), in a conversation with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, regards the TTP as an inseparable part of the Afghan Taliban. He states, "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) is an inseparable part of the Afghan Taliban. This organizational distinction between them required intelligence games so that the international community would not see their bases within Pakistain as the Afghan Taliban’s region. Like before, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) exists in Afghanistan." Khattak also confirms the presence of thousands of TTP murderous Moslems in Afghanistan, saying, "Regarding their numbers, it’s difficult to be certain, but their count is not less than a few thousand." Last year, this Pak politician mentioned in a special interview with the Hasht-e Subh Daily that most ISIS members are murderous Moslems of the TTP. Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of Afghanistan, mentioned the presence of TTP murderous Moslems in Afghanistan in his speech at the Herat
...a venerable old Persian-speaking city in western Afghanistan, populated mostly by Tadjiks, which is why it's not as blood-soaked as areas controlled by Pashtuns...
 Security Conference which was held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. In his speech, Mr. Nabil stated: "Currently, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP), under the leadership of Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, are active along the Durand Line, with six to six and a half thousand hard boys."

NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN: BASE OF OPERATIONS FOR TAJIK AND UZBEK MILITANTS
The presence of Central Asian murderous Moslems in the northern part of the country was a contentious issue in the former government. Security sources claimed the presence of dozens of foreign murderous Moslem groups in Badakhshan province. At that time, the Khostak Valley in the Jurm District of Badakhshan province hosted around 300 Central Asian hard boy families. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 after the collapse of the Republic system, most of these foreign groups redirected toward the central parts of districts and cities in the northeastern region of Afghanistan. A source informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily, "During the Republic regime, [foreign hard boys] were here in Khostak, and now they’ve all moved down to the valley. The majority of their families have gone to the province of Takhār. Another group has gone to the forests of Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province. About 20 to 30 families have gone to Baharak district. A few families are located in Fayzabad City. Five families have gone to Jurm District. Similarly, they’ve moved away from the Khostak Valley because no one is dealing with them, so they’re not causing any disturbances. They operate freely and conduct their activities normally. Another group of them has gone to Kalafgan District in Balkh province."

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 according to another informed source from Badakhshan province, the number of foreign murderous Moslems present in the Ragh district of Badakhshan province, along with their families, amounts to around 200 to 250 individuals. This source states that the conditions for living and operations have been established for these groups in various districts and urban centers, and as a result, they are attempting to spread out across different densely populated areas. The source adds, "The number of foreign murderous Moslems in Ragh has reached around 200 individuals. They are Tajiks, they are Uzbeks. Khostak Valley used to be their center, but now they have dispersed; they have come to the district of Raghistan, and they are seeking refuge. Some of them have gone to the Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province with their families. They are also present in Fayzabad city. A group of them is in the Maimay area too."

Another source confirmed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that a significant number of these groups have received support from the Taliban and have established family ties. This source adds, "Most of them have obtained Afghan identity cards with the help of the Taliban. Several Tajiks [Tajikistani hard boys] have obtained ID cards in Fayzabad City. A number of them have obtained ID cards in various districts." The source states that around 20 families of Tajikistani Taliban members are living in three villages in the Ragh district. The source elaborates, "Two families among them have married locally, giving and taking daughters of each other. They are living in areas like Sefidab, Dahn Shala, and Khonilar. Similarly, they have dispersed across various areas of Badakhshan province. They have a strong interest in Ragh district due to its gold resources. These people [foreign hard boys] possess resources and capital. Their true intentions and plans remain unknown. The situation is quite complex." The source further revealed, "Before the fall of Badakhshan province to the hands of the Taliban, the center of foreign murderous Moslems was in Khostak valley. A person named Gul Heidar Shafaq has conducted major coordination. Another person named Abdul Rahim is involved. These two Tajiks have plans in this region, but it’s unclear what they are doing."

Referring to the killing of a commander from the Tajikistan border forces at the Afghanistan border, a source states, "A group of them, who were in Maimay, around 6 to 8 individuals, intended to intimidate the Tajiks, transfer their substances [drugs], and monitor the situation. They went for sabotage but clashed with Tajik security forces, resulting in the death of two and the return of four. Foreign murderous Moslems who were in Badakhshan province have mostly gone to Imam Sahib district in Kunduz province, where they have established training centers. Their number exceeds a thousand. They have centralized their operations there, focusing on training and procuring military equipment. It appears significant plans have been laid for Central Asia, but no one dares to voice concern."

Another source tells the Hasht-e Subh Daily that those families of foreign murderous Moslems who have come to Faizabad City, the center of Badakhshan province, live in the area close to the "former national army recruitment center". Additionally, according to the source, foreign murderous Moslems who previously collaborated with the Taliban against former security forces are now in command of the former National Army recruitment center. The source adds, "Foreigners have their base in the same recruitment and mobilization center. Foreign groups that were with the Taliban, of them are now in the former recruitment and mobilization center. They have a very limited presence within the city. They go out during the evening and night." The source further states that some families of foreign murderous Moslems in Badakhshan province are involved in arms trading and gold mining activities.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 one of the residents of Badakhshan province has shared his observation with the Hasht-e Subh Daily regarding the presence of foreign murderous Moslems in Kunduz province. They report seeing individuals who cannot speak languages like Persian, Pashto, Uzbek, and Turkmen. According to this source, "It was a few months after the fall [of the previous government]. Our vehicle’s diesel pump was broken. They had just opened a square in the city of Kunduz. There was an automobile repair shop nearby. There were two vehicles packed with individuals. One of their vehicles was broken, so they took it inside the shop. They had a model of a fielder vehicle without a license plate with Left Hand Traffic (LHT). They were dressed in white clothes and wearing handmade traditional skullcaps. They were speaking among themselves, and we couldn’t comprehend. I think they might have been Uighur or Kazakh because they sounded similar to Russian or Kazakh. They had long beards, and their hair was machine-cut. They resembled local Turkmen, but they weren’t Turkmen because it was clear they had no familiarity with the people or the region. Everyone was saying that these are foreign Taliban."

Simultaneously, sources in Badakhshan province reveal that most of the Tajikistani murderous Moslems have gone to the forests of the Imam Sahib district, where they are engaged in training and planning. An informed source estimates the number of Tajik murderous Moslems in this district to be around 30. According to them, the Taliban use these individuals as a means of pressuring Tajikistan. The source adds, "Their number is not more than 30. They have a couple of tanks. Some days, they go to Shir Khan Bandar with the Taliban. There, they showcase themselves to the Tajik trucks passing through the border. They engage in fishing in the Shir Khan Bandar River. Everyone knows them there because they are well-armed and possess American weapons. Tajiks believe they can conquer their country in a day. The Taliban employ them for psychological warfare and pressuring the Tajiks."

A former government official with an in-depth understanding of the northeastern region of the country also informed the Hasht-e Subh Daily that all jihadist groups, including ISIS, Ansar Allah, and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), are active in northern provinces, particularly the provinces of Badakhshan, Kunduz, Takhar, Balkh, and Sar-e Pol. They added, "Under the Taliban’s protection, they have bases in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province in Spin Zar housing schemes, Shah Ron area, and other locations."

Regarding the presence of leaders from ISIS, Ansar Allah, and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the source stated, "Sheikh Abdul Haq Uighuri, responsible for the military network of ISIS, and Mullah Ibraheem, head of Ansar Allah hard boy group have military bases in Baghlan province. Furqan (one of their commanders) lives in the house of Commander Gul Ahmad in the vicinity of Central Silo in the city of Pul-e Khumri, the center of the province."

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of the former government of Afghanistan, stated that the Tajikistan Ansar Allah group, Jundallah
..."Soldiers of God," a name used by two multiple separate terror outfits, one active in Iran and the other in Pakistain. Both are Sunni organizations that target Shiites. The Pak version has close relations with al-Qaeda and the Pak Talibs and is probably a false nose and mustache for Lashkar-e-Jhangvi...
 group, and the Islamic Jihad
...created after many members of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood decided the organization was becoming too moderate. Operations were conducted out of Egypt until 1981 when the group was exiled after the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. They worked out of Gaza until they were exiled to Lebanon in 1987, where they clove tightly to Hezbollah. In 1989 they moved to Damascus, where they remain a subsidiary of Hezbollah...
 group led by Alim Beg Mohammadov and the Tajik Taliban led by Mehdi Arsalan/Mohammad Sharifov are also present in northeastern Afghanistan, with around 200 to 300 hard boys. Informed and local sources in Badakhshan province also confirm the number of murderous Moslems in these groups and state that they are mainly stationed in border areas with Tajikistan.

THE PRESENCE OF THE EAST TURKESTAN ISLAMIC MOVEMENT (ETIM) IN AFGHANISTAN
According to the findings of the Hasht-e Subh Daily, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is also actively present in Afghanistan. Haji Furqan, the overall commander of the military fronts of this group, spends most of his time in Faizabad City, the center of Badakhshan province. Informed and reliable sources confirm to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that this member of the leadership of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is currently residing in Faizabad city and his security is ensured by the Taliban. He has married in Badakhshan province and has acquired a forged identity and passport. This matter has also been confirmed by the United Nations Security Council’s monitoring committee report. The United Nations report states that Badakhshan province serves as the main base for this group. An individual named Abdul Haq al-Turkistani is responsible for leading this group.

Sources continue to confirm that this group is currently rebuilding its strongholds in the Wurduj district of Badakhshan province. A source tells the Hasht-e Subh Daily: "They have occupied the area and are reinforcing their strongholds. They control the region entirely." The United Nations Security Council’s monitoring committee report also states that this group has reconstructed several strongholds in Badakhshan province and expanded its operational area. According to the report, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) has clandestinely procured arms to enhance its military capabilities.

Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy's udder had begun to ache...
 Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) of the former government of Afghanistan, estimates the number of murderous Moslems in the Turkestan Islamic Party
...... Uighur jihadi group based in Badakshan, Afghanistan and listed under Tehrik-e-Taliban in the Al Qaeda organization table. Their Syria subsidiary currently reports to Al Nusra in the Idlib-Latakia region, where the Russians and Americans have been taking turns shooting them — they’re on their third Number 1 in three years......
 (TIP/ETIM) to be around 700 to 800 individuals. Mr. Nabil has stated that the Uighur murderous Moslems are led by Haji Furqan and Sheikh Abuzar, who are mostly active in the northern and northeastern regions of the country. Mr. Nabil also mentions that this group is active in the provinces of Badghis and Ghor, with an estimated 100 to 150 hard boys.

According to the United Nations Security Council’s Monitoring Committee report, it has been mentioned that this group is actively engaged in exchanging military experiences and manufacturing kabooms in collaboration with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) and Ansarullah group. The Security Council’s report states that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is focusing its attacks on China’s interests in Afghanistan. The East Turkestan Islamic Movement’s (ETIM) primary goal is to establish an independent Islamic state for Uighurs in China and other Turkic-speaking groups in East China and Central Asia. While this group was previously listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, Washington removed it from the list last year.

Sources speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily claim that Haji Furqan is between 65 to 70 years old. One source states: "[Haji Furqan] mostly resembles Afghan Turkmens. He has a long beard, and a strong build, and is considered a religious scholar. He possesses eloquence and fluency, speaking fluent Persian. His preaching has had a significant impact in the areas he has operated in, attracting a larger following. The Taliban hold him in high respect. He has also trained the Taliban in using mines, explosives, and tanks during their fight against the former Afghan government."

Another source, speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, stated that Haji Furqan spent most of his time during the Republic era in the village of "Keyu" in the Jurm district, near the Khostak and Warduj valleys. This source added, "During the Republic era, Haji Furqan was a primary financial supporter of Qari Fasihuddin [the chief of staff of the armed forces of the Taliban]. To the extent that Furqan gave money to the Taliban in Badakhshan province, the Taliban themselves [the Taliban regime] did not provide financial assistance." This source mentioned, "Furqan is currently on the move. He is mostly in Fayzabad. He has a close relationship with a drug smuggler and the third-ranking member of the Taliban in this province, and he spends most of his time at his house. He has taken a wife and established personal connections."
Furthermore, this source mentions another Taliban member who monitors the security situation of Haji Furqan, but due to security issues, the name of this Taliban member is not disclosed.

It is noteworthy that according to the claims of sources, Haji Furqan has also been involved in the Kharooq uprisings in Tajikistan’s Badakhshan province. According to one source, some members of this group operate under different aliases in a secretive manner in Tajikistan, and their financial resources are provided by drug smugglers. It is mentioned that Haji Furqan has spent some time with the al-Qaeda network and currently maintains close ties with that network as well. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the Hasht-e Subh Daily cannot independently confirm Haji Furqan’s role in the Kharooq uprisings in Tajikistan’s Badakhshan province.

Members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) have also attempted to establish familial ties in Afghanistan. Some members of this group have obtained Afghan identity cards and passports with the help of the Taliban. The United Nations Security Council report states that this group seeks to establish a presence in Afghanistan through various methods, including marriage, acquiring identities through fraudulent documents, and portraying their members as Afghan residents.

Earlier, Ramazon Rahimzoda, the Interior Minister of Tajikistan, had stated that the Taliban had distributed passports to around 3,000 members of "terrorist groups." He added that terrorist groups in northern Afghanistan are located near the Tajikistan border. Rahimzoda also asserted that over 20 terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan.

Previously, the Taliban have repeatedly declared that they have severed ties with terrorist groups in the region and denied the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan. This group, which interacts with regional countries, has also provided written assurances to China that it will not support the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and other groups opposing the government of China in Afghanistan. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 it is noteworthy that the leadership members of this group (ETIM) in northeastern Afghanistan receive protection and identity documents under the stringent security management of the Taliban. Rahmatullah Nabil has also confirmed that foreign terrorist groups, due to their deep and ideological connections with the Taliban, have obtained Afghan identities and have settled in various parts of the country under different names.

It should be noted that alongside the United States, China, Pakistain, and Central Asian countries, Russia has also expressed serious concerns about the infiltration of murderous Moslem groups in Central Asia. Although Vladimir Putin
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...
, the President of Russia, handed over the Afghan embassy in Moscow to the Taliban, he has issued warnings about the presence of terror groups in Afghanistan. He stated that these terrorist groups pose a threat to the stability and security of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. It remains unclear how long these concerns will persist, but documents and evidence indicate that the relationship between the Taliban and regional and global jihadist groups is not conclusively terminated. It appears that in any case, the group will either protect them within their structures or under their support.
Link


Terror Networks
Whatever Happened to Al Qaeda?
2023-08-06
[ForeignPolicy] The once-powerful organization’s disappearance from headlines and the broader foreign-policy conversation is remarkable.

On July 31, 2022, a U.S. dronezap killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
 at a Taliban
Link


Afghanistan
Daily Evacuation Brief May 16, 2023
2023-05-16
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
  • TALIBAN FORCES CONDUCT DRILLS IN THE SUPREME LEADER’S COMPOUND IN KANDAHAR – The Governor’s office in Kandahar announced that a series of drills by Taliban security forces would take place yesterday (possibly today) at the Mullah Omar compound. The drills did involve some live use of ordinance. A source in Kabul claimed that a Ministry of the Interior officer assigned as an observer to the security detachment for the Supreme Leader was denied access to the training. The source said the drills focused on defending the perimeter of the compound and reacting to a notional drone strike and/or rocket attacks.

  • MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR HAQQANI VIEWED AS POSSIBLE REFORM MINDED ALTERNATIVE TO THE SUPREME LEADER – In a recent controversial interview, Karen Decker, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Afghanistan was asked if Sirajuddin Haqqani was a terrorist and if he was still wanted by US authorities for terrorist actions. Decker danced around the response and many see this as evidence the US and other international states may be warming to him as a potential counter-balance to the hard-liners in Kandahar. Both Haqqani and Yaqub (Minister of Defense) have made no secret of their views on the future direction the country should take and have openly challenged the parochial view of the Deobandist-minded cabal that surrounds the Supreme Leader. Clearly many are hoping that one or both of these men ‘solve’ the problem that Kandahar poses. However, several experts have pointed out that the rank and file of the Taliban share the vision the Supreme Leader has established and any potential challenge (bloodless or not) would most likely devolve into a civil war.

  • WAR CLOUDS FORMING OVER IRAN – The situation in Iran has continued to worsen over the course of 2023. Tehran seems intent on goading the US and the West into taking some kind of action in the Persian Gulf and many are now saying that a de facto state of war exists with Israel. Tehran has cozied up with Russia and is doing its best to make itself an indispensable supplier of arms and ammunition for Russia’s war in Ukraine. It received a bump in approval ratings for reestablishing relations with Saudi Arabia but many believe the foundations on which the Chinese brokered rapprochement has been laid could evaporate if the promises to halt military/technical/financial aid to the Houthi rebels in Yemen are not kept. While the protests that rocked the country in late 2022 have fallen off, Iran faces a dismal economic situation that has been made worse by falsified economic data that fails to reflect the economic realities faced by average Iranians. Finally, the rapid progress in the enrichment program has all but given Israel a countdown clock for action. In short, several pre-conditions for conflict now exist and some are saying that war is inevitable. Should a conflict erupt, few will be surprised.



NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN ‘FREEDOM PROTESTS’ – The ousted former Prime Minister's calls for nationwide protests (Freedom Protests) have taken on an ominous tone. His YouTube speech after his release seemed to incite followers to ‘’snatch’ freedom and to be prepared to ‘sacrifice’ for it. The government has responded with similar incendiary remarks such as the Foreign Minister’s statement to Parliament that the PTI party has ‘one last chance’ to prove itself. The Army has made no bones about its intent to safeguard its bases and troops. Several small demonstrations have continued to take place in certain cities, both for and against the regime. However, these have not resulted in significant clashes. Most are looking to 17 May as the next potential flashpoint when Khan’s immunity from arrest expires. We agree that 17 May will likely be the next crucible date for the drama but at-risk Afghans in Pakistan should not discount the potential for problems starting today or tonight. We recommend people stock up on food/water and be prepared to shelter in place from Wednesday afternoon. We do not assess a specific threat to Afghan citizens in Pakistan but believe the main threat will come from being caught between the government and PTI lines.
Link


Afghanistan
Daily Evacuation Brief May 13, 2023
2023-05-13
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
  • NEXT FLASHPOINT FOR PAKISTAN COULD BE 15 MAY – After ousted Prime Minister, Imran Khan was released from the Islamabad High Court on Friday, he announced that he had received protective status until 15 May. The bench went on to grant protection from arrest until 17 May for any cases that had been/would be lodged against him after 9 May. Some sporadic clashes between PTI protestors and police were reported on Friday but the majority of the chaos had subsided. Police units in Karachi and Punjab carried out arrests on Friday night of those who were said to have been responsible for some of the buildings being set on fire over the last three days. The PTI says that over 40 people were killed while the government’s official death toll stands at 12. The military forces are still deployed in Islamabad, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is believed they will remain on the streets until the middle of next week when Khan faces his next legal test.

  • AFGHAN WOMEN’S PROTESTS ALLIANCE ACCUSE UN OF COMPLICITY WITH THE TALIBAN – The group released a statement on Friday that called for a stronger stance in dealings with the Taliban. The group went on to accuse the UN of acceding to the Taliban’s demands and setting a precedence that runs counter to its own published values. Previously, the Alliance has called for a suspension of all UN activities until the restrictions on women were lifted by the Taliban.

  • HUNDREDS OF AFGHANS RETURN FROM PAKISTAN – Over 800 Afghans reportedly passed through the Spin Boldak crossing this past week. Most said they were fleeing the situation in Pakistan and some complained that Pakistanis had threatened and harassed them when the protests broke out. The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation made calls to the international community to help support those who had returned.

  • HAQQANI CRITICIZED IN KANDAHAR FOR RECENT COMMENTS – A source familiar with the situation in Kandahar says the Supreme Leader’s counselors were livid after the Minister of the Interior’s remarks at a ceremony making the death of Mullah Omar Mujahid on Thursday. A closed-door meeting reputedly took place (the Supreme Leader was not present at the meeting) where strategies to ‘contain’ the Minister were discussed. The source could not speculate on what (if any) decisions were taken by the group but stressed that the level of animosity towards the Minister is extremely high and that he is being accused of derailing the Supreme Leaders’ national plan.


NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN PROTESTS: QUIET REIGNS FOR THE MOMENT – While some of the PTI protestors who had traveled to Islamabad to support the former PM have been witnessed leaving the city, several large camps remain. Sources in Islamabad say they have been ordered to stay by the acting PTI party leadership until next week when the former PM is expected to be arraigned in court and could face another arrest. Several thousand PTI party members/leaders remain in custody and there are concerns among the security forces that protestors may try to storm the jails and prisons to try and free them. While we welcome the calm, at-risk Afghans are encouraged to remain vigilant and be ready to seek immediate shelter should tensions flare up over the weekend.
Link


Afghanistan
Daily Evacuation Brief May 11 and 12, 2023
2023-05-12
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
  • SUPREME COURT IN PAKISTAN ORDERS FORMER PRIME MINISTER TO BE RELEASED – Imran Khan left the courtroom on Thursday under heavy guard and was transported to a Police command facility at Police Lines yesterday. The court mandated that he stay in a guest house at the police facility ‘for his own protection’. The 3 Justices on the bench ruled his arrest had not been lawfully carried out. The government denounced the ruling and swore to rearrest him on a number of charges related to both the corruption case he has been dealing with as well as charges related to the violence that took place over the last several days. The protests died down on Thursday but Police officials said that over 2,000 PTI followers were arrested and approximately 10 were killed with another 400 or so injured in the chaos. Many in the regime (including some opposition party members) have called for some of the Justices to resign their posts. Critics have argued the government has failed to wage an effective legal campaign and the court’s decisions must be respected. Khan is due back in Islamabad’s High Court today and several thousand PTI members have gathered near the Judicial Complex and are facing off against Police and Military units.

  • CASH SHIPMENTS RESUME TO AFGHANISTAN – The Da Afghanistan Bank confirmed that another $40 million in economic aid had been received on Thursday. The shipments were said to have been interrupted since the ban on female humanitarian aid workers was put in place. Several US lawmakers have voiced concerns over a recent inspector general report and testimony that suggested the funds could be finding their way into Taliban coffers.

  • DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER CAUTIONS NEIGHBORS TO STAY OUT OF AFGHANISTAN’S INTERNAL AFFAIRS – Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister, made remarks at a remembrance event for Mullah Omar which were directed at Afghanistan’s neighbors, warning them to not meddle in internal matters. A source in Kabul says that Kandahar has been concerned by remarks made at several regional meetings on Afghanistan by representatives of Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan about the situation in the country. The source went on to say that leaders in Kandahar are pushing the Taliban Ministers to blunt criticisms about inclusive political representation in the country recently. If true, it confirms many of the statements made recently by other senior Taliban leaders which claim the Taliban is already inclusive and representative of the ethnic groups in the country.

  • HAQQANI SPEAKS OUT AGAIN AGAINST THE ‘OLD GUARD’ – The Minister of the Interior, Sirajuddin Haqqani, used his time at a ceremony marking the death of the founder of the Islamic Emirate (Mullah Omar Mujahid) to take a few shots at the leadership in Kandahar. In his remarks, he criticized the lack of ethnic voices within the Taliban leadership which has been widely interpreted as a rebuke of the Supreme Leader and his inner circle to consolidate power in Pashtun hands.


NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN COULE ERUPT AGAIN BASED ON TODAY’S COURT APPEARANCE BY THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER – The current regime has vowed to rearrest former PM, Imran Khan, and has filed additional charges against him for inciting the violence that took place over the last three days. Khan is scheduled to appear before the Islamabad High Court and the Supreme Court appears to have washed its hands of him when they told him on Thursday that he would have to abide by the High Court’s rulings. Many of the PTI protestors remain camped in Islamabad and they are expected to station themselves around the Judicial Complex in the event the government tries to arrest the former PM again. At-risk Afghans should be aware that the protests could reignite quickly and the situation remains volatile.

Daily Evacuation Brief | May 11, 2023

[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
  • PAKISTAN CHAOS CONTINUES – Protests continued across the country throughout the night and clashes between security forces and protestors continued throughout the night. There have been casualties reported but information has been difficult to verify due to the government curbing internet and cellular usage. At this point, any casualty figures would be mere speculation and irresponsible to print. Further arrests of the PTI leadership have been made and these have served to inflame the party followers. The party leader, Fawad Chaudhry was arrested last night in front of the Supreme Court. The Army has been called into areas where the protestors have congregated and tear gas is being used to attempt to disperse the rioters. Multiple buildings and vehicles have been set alight in cities across the country and private security companies have hired additional security to guard their offices and warehouses. Social media has been blocked but some people continue to post by using VPNs. There are rumors that some Afghans have taken part in the protests but these rumors have not been verified. PTI protestors attacked the current Prime Minister’s residence in Lahore and threw Molotov cocktails inside the residence and burned a nearby police checkpoint and several vehicles in the area before being chased off by a reinforcing column of police. A source in Rawalpindi claimed the security forces have successfully blocked PTI reinforcements from uniting in a central location. The source said that the number of protestors who successfully made it into Islamabad and Rawalpindi was far lower than initially expected.

  • ‘FAKE NEWS’ IN PAKISTAN RIOTS ESCALATING RIOTS – The spread of fake news and AI-generated photos, some of which depict former Prime Minister Khan being hanged and shot, are circulating on social media. According to a source with a European cybersecurity firm, the bulk of the misleading information is coming from China and India. In one instance, a photo of a severely wounded Imran Khan shared on Twitter had been retweeted nearly 800,000 times in a matter of hours. A source in Islamabad said that Police have questioned some protestors who had made their way past police and near the US Embassy and were told they had received a message on Telegram telling them that the Embassy was planning to evacuate the current Prime Minister from the rooftop. An apartment building that houses mainly teachers from a school district in Southern Rawalpindi was evacuated when the owner of the building spotted a fake threat to burn the building by a supposed ISIS/DAESH Facebook account.

  • CHINESE CITIZENS TARGETED IN TERRORIST ATTACK IN KARACHI, PAKISTAN – According to Pakistani Police, 2 unidentified terrorists attempted to kill Chinese workers at the Dawood Jetty. 1 suspect was killed and 1 escaped in the unsuccessful attack. 1 Pakistani police constable was wounded in the engagement.

  • POWER DISRUPTIONS IN KABUL – A problem with a relay station in Baghlan Province has caused power outages in some neighborhoods of Kabul. It is not clear how big the problem is but workers arrived yesterday evening to attempt a repair.


CONFLICT TRACKER
Kabul: An unidentified Resistance group attacked a Taliban unit in the 7th Police District during the early morning hours on Wednesday. 3 Taliban were reportedly killed and 2 more were wounded in the attack.
Kapisa:The NRF reportedly reportedly hit a Taliban checkpoint in an undisclosed location in the province, claiming to have killed 6 Taliban in the attack while wounding 4 others.
Takhar: The NRF claim they killed Taliban District Intelligence Chief Qari Nabi in an attack in the capital city on Wednesday.

NEXT 24-HOURS
SITUATION IN PAKISTAN TO CONTINUE – The situation in the country shows no signs of slowing down over the next twenty-four hours. Several thousand PTI party reinforcements arrived on the outskirts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi overnight and seem to have established corridors to get into the city. Some expect the former Prime Minister’s wife will be arrested today and tomorrow, further inflaming the situation. A source in Islamabad said that a decision to cut power across the city was being considered as a means of halting the mayhem but was being considered only as a last resort. The source said a new set of rules of engagement was prepared on Wednesday night that would be issued to Army units should the situation worsen but the specifics were not available. While nothing has been confirmed about Afghans participating in the riots, the stories circulating on the internet and by word of mouth add an extra layer of risk for at-risk Afghans staying in Pakistan. Even with the government's prohibition on Internet and cellular communications, we have confirmed that many in Pakistan still have access and are able to communicate. We continue to recommend Afghans shelter in place and wait for the situation to become clearer before venturing out.
Link


Afghanistan
Explosion in Zabul Kills a Child, Injures 3 More
2023-04-02
[KhaamaPress] A child was killed and three others injured when an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) went kaboom! in Southern Zabul province, according to local sources.

The explosion caused by an IED of past wars resulted in the death of one child and the injury of three others in the Sarkhakan area of the Shah Joi district of Zabul province on Friday evening, Qari Zabiullah Jawhar, the provincial police front man said.

It is reported that a group of children from nomad families were playing next to a tractor in a field when the bomb went off, killing one and injuring three others.

On Tuesday (March 28), a similar blast claimed the lives of two children and injured four others in the northern Jawzjan province according to local sources.

In recent days, the incidents caused by the earth-shattering kabooms of unwent kaboom! devices have increased in some parts of the country, resulting in the death injury of men, women and kiddies.

Afghanistan reportedly is one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. Dozens of people, mostly children, are killed and maimed every month due to blasts of unwent kaboom! ordnances left over from the past four decades of wars and internal conflicts.

Despite the efforts of the United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
 Mine Action Services (UNMAS) in direct collaboration with UNAMA and other relevant government bodies, the presence of land mines and unwent kaboom! devices poses major threats to the lives of ordinary people.

Since November 2022, Afghanistan’s international partners have generously contributed to support demining in the country. These countries include Australia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Sweden, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Related:
Zabul province: 2023-01-08 Displaying Images of Living Things Banned by Taliban in Zabul
Zabul province: 2022-11-07 Taliban reveal burial place of founder Mullah Omar, nine years after death
Zabul province: 2022-09-23 Hundreds of People in Southern Afghanistan Contract Tuberculosis
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Foreign fighters in NW Syria invested by Turkey, HTS
2023-03-24
[NPASYRIA] Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly al-Nusra, before that it was called something else
...al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, from which sprang the Islamic State...
 (HTS, formerly al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
 Front) continues to use imported muscle as political leverage in coordination with The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the occupiers of Greek Asia Minor...
, as well as a tool against government forces and opposition factions, taking advantage of the large number of foreigners who cannot leave areas under their control.

In 2012, imported muscle from different countries began entering Syria through Turkey. Ottoman Turkish intelligence reportedly guided the bully boyz into different factions, the most prominent of which are the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
 (ISIS), al-Nusra Front, Jund al-Sham, and Jama’at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad.

LOCATIONS OF DEPLOYMENT
Exclusive sources from HTS’ Office of Foreign Fighters told North Press that there are "over 7,500 fighters" not of Syrian nationality affiliated with HTS in Idlib. "Almost 6,200 — including Uyghurs, Caucasians, Tajiks, Chechens — are the vanguard in the HTS frontlines,
...also known as cannon fodder...
whereas non-Syrian Arabs, mostly from north Africa, hold administrative, security, and military positions."

Foreign fighters who left HTS or refuse to be affiliated with it, whether in combat or ideology, are not included in official statistics. They live with their families in the towns of al-Fu’ah, Kafraya, and Sarmin, in the northeastern countryside of Idlib, as well as in Ariha, Jisr al-Shughur, and various other villages. HTS’ prisons hold 340 imported muscle under charges of joining ISIS or espionage, according to the source.

A military source of HTS, affiliated with the Red Bands, one of the most brutal faction in its ranks, said they hold between 900-1,200 imported muscle from Chechnya, Tajikistan, and East Turkestan [China], in addition to Moroccans, Algerians, Libyans and several from Iraq and Egypt."

The most prominent foreign faction affiliated with HTS is the Bukhari Jamaat, which is composed of Chechens and Uyghurs, as well as Russian Caucasian groups. Jama’at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad has Uzbek, Turkmenistani, and Moroccan members. It also harbors fighters from Gulf countries, in addition to numbers of Syrians, and an Uzbek group, which holds over 550 krazed killers.

One of the most loyal foreign factions to HTS is the Turkmen Islamic Party, which holds the largest number of imported muscle, specifically Uyghurs, and is directly supported by Turkey because of their members’ Turkic origins. They also undergo training and security courses within Ottoman Turkish territory and have a hospitalization center in Antakya. Turkey has facilitated their entry into the country, according to the source.

The same source noted that there is also an Iranian faction, named the ’Sunni Youth in Iran’ under the command of ’Abu Muhammad al-Irani’, a former commander of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. ’Abu Yahya al-Asfehani al-Irani’, another high-ranking member of the faction, holds around 150 Iranian fighters, and is affiliated with HTS on the frontlines in Idlib.

HTS also harbors prominent leaders from al-Qaeda in Pakistain and Afghanistan, as well as Iraq, who "have the greatest influence on [HTS leader] al-Jolani’s military approach," according to the source.

Abu Ayub al-Maghrabi is the emir in charge of borders and border crossings and was a former al-Qaeda leader in Pakistain, before heading to Syria. Abu Abdulrahman al-Qahtani, one of Jolani’s top men, was a colleague of Abu-Zaid al Kuwaiti, an al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan and the "most distinguished student of [al-Qaeda leaders] the late Osama bin Laden
...... who is now beyond all cares and woe......
 and al-Zawahiri
...Formerly second in command of al-Qaeda, now the head cheese, occasionally described as the real brains of the outfit. Formerly the Mister Big of Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Bumped off Abdullah Azzam with a car boom in the course of one of their little disputes. Is thought to have composed bin Laden's fatwa entitled World Islamic Front Against Jews and Crusaders. Currently residing in the North Wazoo area assuming he's not dead like Mullah Omar. He lost major face when he ordered the nascent Islamic State to cease and desist and merge with the orthodox al-Qaeda spring, al-Nusra...
." Additionally, there is Mazhar al-Ways, the most notable member of HTS’ Shura Council, who operated under the command of ISIS between 2013 and 2014 in ISIS’ so-called ’Wilayat al-Khair’ province in Deir ez-Zor.

There is also Musleh al-Alyan, one of the "most famous politicians of HTS from Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Fifteen of the nineteen WTC hijackers were Saudis, and most major jihadi commanders were Saudis, to include Osama bin Laden. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman quietly folded that tent in 2016, doing terrible things to the guys running it, and has since been dragging the kingdom into the current century...
," together with ’Abdullah al-Mehisani’, a Saudi national and "the most prominent jihadi agitator," who currently works covertly from his residence in Sarmada, in north Idlib.

The Uzbek faction within HTS includes Abu Salah al-Turkistani and Khattab al-Shishani, students of Saifullah al-Jazrawi, one of al-Qaeda’s emirs in Afghanistan during al-Zawahiri’s rule. Many of those who fought under al-Qaeda’s banner are currently in the ranks of HTS, but "avoid publicity for fear of liquidation," according to the source.
Related:
Bukhari Jamaat: 2015-09-23 Suicide bomber bursts into tears and is comforted by jihadis before fatal attack in Syria
Link



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