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Taliban to 'take on India' after defeating allied forces
KHAR: Deputy Commander Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Maulana Faqir Muhammad has said India is an eternal enemy of the Ummah and would be confronted after defeating the allied forces stationed in Afghanistan.

Responding to Pakistan's report accusing Indian intelligence agency RAW of helping militants in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, Faqir Muhammad said it was yet another attempt to malign the TTP movement and to portray Taliban as terrorists. "We are true Muslims and true Pakistanis and are more concerned about the country's safety than any other countryman.
"We consider India as our eternal enemy and plan to deal with them once we defeat the Americans."
We consider India as our eternal enemy and plan to deal with them once we defeat the Americans," the TTP commander told The News in an exclusive interview on Monday.

He accused the government of plunging the country into lawlessness by sealing its border with India, forcing the militants combating Indian forces to come to the tribal areas. He said the TTP was not concerned with the accusation levelled against them, "as people would know about our friendship with India once we take on them."

Faqir Muhammad, who leads TTP in Bajaur, said after they decided to take on India, the TTP would not only conduct operations in Kashmir but would carry out attacks throughout that country. He said the real Kashmiri 'Mujahideen' have realised that the government was no more interested in the freedom of Kashmir and they therefore joined the ranks of TTP after closure of the line of control. Being a true Muslim, a 'Mujahid' never abandons his efforts for helping out fellow brothers, he added.

The TTP deputy chief rejected the reports that Al-Qaida leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri was killed or maimed in a recent US missile strike in South Waziristan Agency, saying, TTP head Baitullah Mahsud had no contacts with Zawahiri whatsoever. He said even very important persons in the Al-Qaida did not know the whereabouts of Zawahiri.

He said they did not start the war, rather it was imposed on them and other tribesmen by the USA. The repeated US announcements to carryout direct operations in the tribal belt of Pakistan prompted various resistance groups operating in the tribal areas to forge unity among their ranks and form a united front against the coalition forces stationed in Afghanistan. He said all the militant groups in the tribal areas were working under their command and if any group was working in independent capacity, it was supportive of the TTP.

He said the only solution was that USA should pull out its forces from Afghanistan and other Muslim countries. If USA continues to attack Muslim countries, the movement of 'Mujahideen' would grow in strength.
He said the only solution was that USA should pull out its forces from Afghanistan and other Muslim countries. If USA continues to attack Muslim countries, the movement of 'Mujahideen' would get strength, he added.

Regarding the process of dialogues with the government, he said the government was not sincere in talks. "We are very much clear about the talks. We never denied talks with the government. If the government were not aggravating the situation here, we too would not do so. We do not want activities inside the country so that we could focus more attention across the border," the TTP leader added.

Regarding the ongoing operation in Swat, he said it was the government that started 'excesses' there. If the government stopped the operation, situation would automatically calm down within no time, he said. And if the government continued the operation, it would face more resistance, he added.

About the justice system introduced by the TTP in Bajaur and other tribal agencies, he said the government had actually paralysed in the tribal belt. The system they introduced was to provide justice to the masses, he said, adding, "It is not against the government. We do not stop anyone from seeking government help to get his or her disputes resolved, but the government has failed to maintain its writ. Once it restores its writ, we will cease our courts," he said. He advocated replacement of Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) with Islamic system, saying the tribal people wanted Islamic system as the lone alternative to the 'cruel' FCR. "Our struggle is aimed at implementation of Islamic system, which would solve all the problems," he said.
Posted by: john frum 2008-08-05
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=246187