The January/February 2010 issue of Nawai Afghan Jihad included an article by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman, Azam Tariq, entitled “The Reality of the Waziristan Operation.”
Azam Tariq mainly talks about the recent military operation in Waziristan and the complicity of Pakistani politicians and special forces (SFs) in importing and waging America´s war on Pakistani territory.
Like most TTP leaders, Azam underlines that theirs is a “defensive” jihad against the Pakistani regime. The image created is that of a hapless group being provoked into fighting an unwanted jihad. That is, against its own volition, the TTP must fight the Pakistani state and army.
While the cardinal enemy, and “target of all jihadi struggles”, is the U.S. for it sits at the helm of all infidel nations, Pakistan´s “secular rulers” and their shameless submissiveness to the U.S. has left the TTP no choice but to fight the “domestic” infidels first. The question, then, Azam sarcastically asks, is: “Where do the mujahidin find that elusive Aladin´s lamp which will enable them to ignore the infidel´s (U.S.) puppets in Pakistan and go straight after the beast itself?”
Azam explains that incriminating the Pakistani government and army are certain “ground realities,” encapsulated here as follows:
• Drone strikes: Pakistani airspace for a long time has been give to the U.S. so to carry out such attacks.
• Spies captured by the TTP have confessed to the involvement of Pakistani SFs in distributing SIM cards on ground. That is, the drone missile strikes would not be possible without the help of the Pakistani Army.
• Americans are always landing at Islamabad airport with instructions/orders for the GoP.
• Pak Army´s Military Intelligence (MI) spy service supports Blackwater, and “everyone knows” that Blackwater is behind the bomb attacks on bazaars, markets and the public.
• Obama has clearly stated that America´s victory/defeat in Afhganistan depends heavily on Pakistan. Pakistani political parties – PPP, ANP, MQM – have all risen to the occasion, offering themselves up to the Americans.
Azam also denies claims pertaining to the “success” of military operation in Waziristan. He alleges that all areas to have been “cleared” by the Army, including Mehsud territory, are false. In fact, the mujahidin are engaged in a fierce battle with the SFs in those very areas, inflicting great damage on the latter. With regards to the “innumerable” mujahidin to have reportedly been killed, Azam claims that only 20 mujahidin have so far been “martyred.” The remaining victims, he writes, were “women, children and the elderly.”
