| "That, and disco, is my life!" |
 Tribal militant Abdullah Mehsud on Wednesday played down Monday's peace deal between the government and fellow militant Baitullah Mehsud, saying he would continue jihad in South Waziristan Agency. He called the peace deal Baitullah's "personal thinking" and said he (Abdullah) had "nothing to do with the deal" nor would he abide by it. "I am not involved in this deal and will continue struggling against the government," Abdullah told a local journalist working for a foreign radio. Abdullah was not being given amnesty by the government because of his involvement in the kidnapping of two Chinese engineers and the killing of one in October last year. "The fight will continue and my struggle won't be affected by the deal between Baitullah and the government," he said by phone from an undisclosed location.
| I guess they don't have caller ID in Pakland... |
Abdullah said he did not commit any crime by kidnapping the two Chinese engineers and called it a part of his struggle. "Our jihad is as international as US terrorism," he added.
| "Therefore it's not a crime, even though they're dead. It's... ummm... something else." |
Condemning the people trying to get him pardoned from the Chinese government, Abdullah said, "I will not beg for forgiveness. I prefer martyrdom over being pardoned."
He also denied involvement in the killing of two tribal journalists in Wana on Monday evening. He alleged that the government was behind the incident and was blaming him. "Whatever I do, I admit to it," he added. |