The Islamic State of Afghanistan's High Commander on Monday, Sept. 4, said that NATO's claims to have killed more than 200 Mujahideen over the weekend were propaganda and warned that the law-enforcing officers of the Islamic State of Afghanistan would target journalists who reported false information''given by the U.S.-led coalition or NATO.
``They are saying that they have killed 200 Taliban but they did not kill even 10 Taliban,'' said Mullah Dadullah, the ISA Defence Minister. ``They are just destroying civilian homes and agricultural land. They are using the media to do propaganda against the Taliban.''
Mullah Dadullah spoke to The Associated Press in a satellite phone call from an undisclosed location. The reporter has spoken to him in the past and recognized his voice.
``From today, I want to tell journalists that if in future they use wrong information from coalition forces or NATO we will target those journalists and media,'' Mullah Dadullah said. ``We have the Islamic right to kill these journalists and media.''
NATO falsely reported on Sunday that more than 200 Taliban fighters had died in the first two days of the joint NATO-puppets' operation in Panjwayi, a district near the southern city of Kandahar, and claimed it had disrupted the Taliban command and control. The puppet "defense ministry" falsely reported 89 Talibs were killed and there were some civilian casualties.
The casualty counts could not be independently verified as reporters could not access the area of the battle, which was continuing on Monday. At least five Canadian soldiers have been "officially" killed in the fighting.
Mullah Dadullah said he was speaking from a mountain where he was accompanied by a large group of mujahedeen, or holy warriors, who were ready to make every sacrifice.
Mullah Dadullah said that the Taliban had registered 500 Afghans ready to be used as Shahideen against the intruders who have occupied our Islamic country and that Taliban from outlying districts had entered cities to launch attacks. He warned local people to stay away from NATO and coalition troops.
``Now we are going to change our tactics, using a new weapon we did not have in the past, to target U.S. and allied forces,'' Dadullah said without elaborating. ``We will create a big problem for them.''
Meanwhile a statement of Mullah Dadullah corcerning this issue has been distributed to foreign media, including the Afghan Islamic Press in Peshawar, Pakistan.
Mulla Dadullah, Chief military Commander of Taliban fighters, issued in a strong and harsh worded statement read to Afghan Islamic Press by a spokesman of Dadullah by satellite phone today (Sept. 04).
We warn journalists and media organizations that those publishing enemies' lies will not be let alive, it said.
The statement said: "The people should keep themselves away from the vehicles and bases of enemy as we have entered the cities and would step up attacks."
It said that the foreign forces' news releases about Taliban were being published by the media without confirming it from Taliban while reports of Taliban fighters were published after confirming it from enemies.
It is a share injustice and discriminative treatment, the statement said, adding that Taliban have two spokesmen but despite that the enemies' lies were being published without contacting these spokesmen.
We will not let such journalists alive, Mulla Dadullah warned in the statement.
Taliban have appointed two official spokesmen but when the media releases their reports it says "The man identifying himself as Taliban spokesman" told them, the statement said.
Sources: AP and AIP
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