 The Taliban in Afghanistan have distanced themselves from Pakistani militants led by commander Baitullah Mehsud, saying they do not support any militant activity in the neighbouring country. "We do not support any militant activity and operation in Pakistan," Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
| "So, really, you guys over there in Islamabad don't have to shut down the money laundry!" |
He also denied media reports that the Taliban had expelled Mehsud, the head of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. "Baitullah is a Pakistani and we as the Afghan Taliban have nothing to do with his appointment or his expulsion. We did not appoint him and we have not expelled him," Mujahid told the Dawn newspaper on phone from an undisclosed location on Monday.
A spokesman for Mehsud had earlier denied the report of his expulsion and said the militant leader continued to be the chief of the Pakistani Taliban. "He has not been expelled and he continues to be the amir of Pakistani Taliban," said Maulvi Omar, the spokesman for Mehsud.
| I'm not sure if Maulvi Omar is the same as Haji Omar, who was Baitullah's predecessor as head of the Pak Talibs. I'm guessing he is. |
A report last week had claimed that supreme Taliban commander Mullah Omar had removed Mehsud for fighting in Pakistan at the expense of the jehad in Afghanistan.
| It's entirely possible that report was true, since Baitullah taking on the Paks jeopardizes ISI support. At the same time, the Pak tehreek is working diligently to cut the NATO supply lines into Afghanistan, and will likely end up taking Peshawar in the process of doing it. I think the coordinator of the effort is al-Qaeda, rather than Mullah Omar's branch of the Talibs. |
Mujahid said: "We have no concern with anybody joining or leaving the Taliban movement in Pakistan. Ours is an Afghan movement and we, as a matter of policy, do not support militant activity in Pakistan.
| "But feel free to wreak all the havoc you want on those supply lines. And send us all the cannon fodder you can spare." |
"Had he been an Afghan we would have expelled him the same way we expelled Mansoor Dadullah for disobeying the orders of Mullah Omar. But Baitullah is a Pakistani Talib and whatever he does is his decision. We have nothing to do with it." Mujahid added: "We have nothing to do with anybody's appointment or expulsion in the Pakistani Taliban movement."
| "Our general can't fire somebody in another division." |
Mehsud, blamed by President Pervez Musharraf for plotting the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto, told Al-Jazeera in an interview that he had taken 'baya'h' or an oath of allegiance to Mullah Omar and obeyed his orders. But Mujahid said the oath did not mean that Pakistani militants were under the direct operational control of Mullah Omar. "There are mujahideen in Iraq who have taken baya'h to Mullah Omar and there are mujahideen in Saudi Arabia who have taken baya'h to him. So taking baya'h does not mean that Mullah Omar has direct operational control over them," he said.
| "It only means they've licked the dust from the bottom of his curly-toed slippers." |
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