Taliban Website: News Roundup From The Afghan Battlefield

A Taliban website in Afghanistan has published latest reports about developments on the battlefield, as filed by Qari Muhammad Yousuf and Zabihullah Mujahid, the two Taliban spokesmen for Afghanistan’s Eastern and Southern zones...

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Baluchi Nationalist Leader: Talibanization Is The Jinn Of Pakistan Army

Photo: thearwynews.com

Baluchi nationalist leader and former Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Baluchistan province has lauded the ‘‘armed struggle that is underway for the rights of the Baluchi national interests,’’ according to an Urdu daily.

Mengal criticized the military presence in Baluchistan province and noted that Talibanization in Pakistan is a result of a similar policy under which the Pakistani army interfered in Afghanistan, the report added.

He noted: ‘‘Talibanization is the result of the Pakistan Army, the establishment and dictatorial leaders’ policies and unjustified intervention in Afghanistan. Rather, Talibanization is a Jinn that the army has nurtured in order to maintain its own existence.’’

Mengal added that the Baluchi people do not approve or recognize Pakistan’s international agreements involving Baluchistan, such as the Chinese-backed Gwadar port project or the gas pipeline project agreed with Iran.

‘‘We salute the forces which are waging a struggle in Baluchistan, whether or not they are armed,’’ the Baluchi leader said, accusing the Pakistani army of using the weapons that foreign powers provided for anti-Taliban operations to carry out genocide in Baluchistan.

Source: Roznama Dunya, Pakistan, July 2, 2009

Roznama Nawa-i-Waqt: 1,500 New Madrassas Were Opened By Jihadist Organizations In Punjab During Past 3 Years

At least 1,500 new madrassas were opened by jihadist organizations in Pakistan’s Punjab province during the past three years, according to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Nawa-i-Waqt...

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Presidential Candidate Vows To Expel Foreign Forces From Afghanistan

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a candidate in the upcoming Afghan presidential elections, has said that he would oust foreign troops from Afghanistan if elected, according to a Pashtu daily.

‘‘If elected, I would oust foreign troops from Afghanistan and concentrate on strengthening the Afghan forces,’’ he said.

According to a report in the Pashtu-language newspaper Wrazpanra Wahdat, the presidential candidate said that he would also replace the presidential system of government with a parliamentary system.

In a presidential system, the head of government is elected directly by voters, while in a parliamentary system, elected lawmakers elect the head of government, who is usually leader of the largest political party.

Dr. Abdullah also criticized President Hamid Karzai, accusing him of having failed to stop the killing of civilians by U.S. forces during anti-Taliban operations in Afghanistan.

Source: Wrazpanra Wahdat, Pakistan, July 2, 2009

Indian Kashmir: Hizbul Mujahideen Urges Coordinated Protests

In Indian Kashmir, militant organization Hizbul Mujahideen has asked the secessionist Kashmiri parties to announce a joint time table for mass protests that are continuing over an alleged rape by Indian soldiers, according to a Kashmiri website...

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Provincial Finance Minister: ‘‘Demand For Division Of Punjab A Conspiracy Against Pakistan’’

Photo: pap.gov.pk

Pakistani President Asif Zardari has directed his party leaders not to support demands for a new province to be carved out of southern parts of Punjab, according to a report in an Urdu daily.

President Zardari met with elected leaders of his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday and asked them not to get involved in new issues, according to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Jasarat.

President Zardari told the PPP leaders: ‘‘We are not opposed to the creation of new provinces, but the time now is not for division but to uniteand fight for the survival of Pakistan.’’

Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, the Finance Minister of Punjab province, said that the leaders, who are demanding a division of Punjab, are hatching a conspiracy against Pakistan which will be foiled.

Tanvir Ashraf Kaira (pictured above) accused the PPP of backing the leaders who are campaigning for a new province in southern parts of Punjab and added that his government is working to remove the sense of deprivation among the people in southern parts of Punjab.

Source: Roznama Jasarat, Pakistan, July 2, 2009

Roznama Islam: ‘‘The Possibility Of The Arrival Of U.S. Forces In Pakistan Cannot Be Ruled Out...’’

In an editorial, the pro-Taliban Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Islam has alleged that the U.S. is planning to land troops inside Pakistan...

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Pakistani Troops Take Control Of Taliban Stronghold

Pakistani security forces have captured Shah Dheri, a stronghold of Taliban militants in the Swat district of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP), according to an Urdu daily.

According to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Islam, five militants were also killed and three were detained by the security personnel, while a soldier was also killed and 12 troops were wounded.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malak has said that fugitive Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah has been critically wounded during the ongoing military operation in Swat district.

‘‘It has been confirmed that he has been hit and seriously injured,’’ he added.

Source: Roznama Islam, Pakistan, July 2, 2009

132 Truckers Killed In Attacks On U.S./NATO Vehicles

The Taliban attacks on vehicles supplying goods to U.S and NATO forces in Afghanistan have left 132 truckers dead during the past four years, according to an Urdu daily...

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Afghan Police Directed To Stay Impartial During Elections

Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry has directed police personnel across the country to stay impartial during the upcoming presidential and provincial council elections, according to an Afghan news website.

Zemaray Bashari, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said police have been ordered to avoid sticking posters of the candidates on their stations and vehicles, according to a report on the news website quqnoos.com.

The spokesman warned that police personnel who do not stay impartial during elections will be punished.

The directive came after reports that campaign posters of both presidential and provincial council candidates have been glued on police stations and government buildings, mostly in eastern Afghanistan.

Source: www.quqnoos.com, Afghanistan, June 29, 2009

Four Militants Killed In Ghazni Province

At least four Taliban militants have been killed by Polish troops in Andar district of Afghanistan’s southern Ghazni province, according to an Afghan daily...

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Indian Hindu Leader: ‘‘Like A Good Commander, I Am Ready To Own Up To The Responsibility Of The Babri Mosque’s Demolition...’’

Extremist Hindu leader Uma Bharti, who allegedly incited a crowd of Hindu protesters to demolish the Babri mosque in the Indian town of Ayodhya in 1992, has said that she is ready to own up the responsibility for the demolition, according to an Indian daily.

Bharti’s statement came a day after the Liberhan Commission, probing the 1992 demolition, submitted its report to the Indian government.

Bharti now heads her own political party Bharatiya Janshakti Party.

Reacting to the submission of the Liberhan Commission report, Bharti said: ‘‘Like a good commander, I am ready to own up to the responsibility of the Babri mosque’s demolition and I have no problem even if I will be hanged on the issue.’’

Source: Greater Kashmir, Srinagar, July1, 2009

Two NATO Soldiers Die In Southern Afghanistan

Two NATO troops were killed and six wounded in a bomb blast in the restive southern Afghanistan, according to an Afghan news website...

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Afghan Website: Taliban Seize U.S. Soldier In Paktika Province

Taliban militants in Afghanistan have captured an American soldier and three Afghan security men in the country’s southern Paktika province, according to an Afghan news website.

Maulvi Sangin, who claims to speak for the Taliban in the province, said that the U.S. soldier was kidnapped on Wednesday, according to a report in the Afghan website pajhwok.com.

He added that the Taliban fighters seized the soldiers when they were on way to the Yousafkhel security checkpost and took them to a secret location, according to the report.

Sangin claimed that the abducted soldiers were drunk when they were captured by the Taliban.

Source: www.pajhwok.com, Afghanistan, July 2, 2009

Taliban Website: News Roundup From The Afghan Battlefield

A Taliban website in Afghanistan has published latest reports about developments on the battlefield, as filed by Qari Muhammad Yousuf and Zabihullah Mujahid, the two Taliban spokesmen for Afghanistan’s Eastern and Southern zones. The website refers to Afghan soldiers as puppets and terrorists, while U.S. and NATO troops are mentioned as invaders and terrorists. Following are some items:

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Pakistani Lawmaker: Demand For New Province A Conspiracy To Divide Pakistan

Photo: pmln.org.pk

Ahsan Iqbal, a Pakistani lawmaker and a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) party, has described recent demands in Pakistan to carve a new province out of the southern parts of Punjab as a conspiracy to divide Pakistan, according to an Urdu daily.

Iqbal (pictured above) said: ‘‘The country is surrounded by problems; at this time, there is an urgent need for national unity. But suddenly some people who were part of the regime during the recent five years have started mischief... [by demanding a new province].’’

Iqbal’s Pakistan Muslim League (N) is the ruling party in Punjab province. He said that some leaders are unable to digest his party’s rule in Punjab province and are trying to reduce its role by calling for a division of the province.

In recent months, several politicians in Pakistan have called for creating a province comprised of southern parts of Punjab.

Source: Roznama Express, Pakistan, July 1, 2009

Governor: Efforts To Divide Pakistan Into Pieces

Owais Ahmed Ghani, the Governor of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP), has said that some nations are making efforts to divide Pakistan into pieces, according to an Afghan daily.

Ghani said Russia, China, India, Turkey, Iran, Europe and four central Asian countries are involved in a game to make use of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their own interests, according to a report in the Pashtu-language newspaper Roznama Weesa.

There are some forces who want to divide Pakistan, he said, adding that he could disclose their names if he were not the governor.

The NWFP governor identified four groups of the Taliban.

The first group believes in continuing jihad in Afghanistan as it was during the Russian invasion of the country during the 1980s; the second is active in Pakistan which threatens Islamabad; the third is a group of criminals who assume the name of the Taliban but are involved in criminal activities; and the fourth is the group which is trying to create unrest in the areas which are cleared by the Pakistani army.

Owais Ahmed Ghani added that the fourth group is directly linked with the foreign nations trying to destabilize Pakistan.

Source: Wrazpanra Weesa, Afghanistan, July 1, 2009

Indian Interior Minister: India’s Western Coast Faces Terror Threat

India’s Interior Minister P. Chidambaram has warned that the country’s western coast along the Mumbai region faces terrorist threats, according to an Indian website...

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Pakistani Army Accuses Taliban Of Slaughtering 18 Wounded Militants

The Pakistani Army has accused the Taliban militants of slitting the throats of their 18 injured accomplices in the Swat district of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP), according to an Urdu daily.

According to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Express, a spokesman of Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department said military operations are continuing in the province’s Swat and Upper Dir districts.

The Pakistani security forces arrested 23 militants, while three securitymen were killed and three military officers were wounded during various operations, the report added.

In the Beha Valley of Swat district, 18 wounded militants, who could not have been taken to safety, were slaughtered on the orders of their commander, the report added.

Source: Roznama Express, Pakistan, July 1, 2009

Roznama Islam: “Pakistan’s Nuclear Program Under Complete American Siege…’’

In an editorial, the pro-Taliban Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Islam has expressed concern over media reports that the U.S. has been providing assistance to Pakistan in order ‘‘to protect’’ Pakistani nuclear weapons.

Noting that Pakistan’s Foreign Office has denied reports that the U.S. has been providing technology to Pakistan to make its nuclear warheads reliable for operational use without further testing, Roznama Islam expressed hope that the denial was true.

The Urdu daily added: ‘‘May the denial and clarification of the Foreign Office spokesman be completely true and the above-mentioned report be false. If the report is true even to a small extent, it means that Pakistan’s nuclear program and its nuclear assets have come under complete American siege and Pakistani nation’s assets have been looted.’’

It noted: ‘‘The way the U.S. media and government are running a disciplined propaganda [campaign] against Pakistan’s nuclear program shows to what extent the U.S. can go to suspend and paralyze the Pakistani nuclear program and how secret and open conspiracies they are able to hatch.’’

The editorial continued: ‘‘It is strange that the U.S. has concerns over the Pakistani nuclear program, while on the other hand they have inked a nuclear deal with the neighboring enemy of Pakistan [India] and equipped them with dangerous weapons.’’

‘‘Pakistan is in the grip of enemies from all sides and its nuclear power, security and sovereignty, everything is at stake,’’ it concluded.

Source: Roznama Islam, Pakistan, July 1, 2009

Indian Kashmir: Hizbul Mujahideen’s Operational Commander Killed

An operational commander of militant group Hizbul Mujahideen has been killed in a showdown with a rival militant commander in Pirpanjal Hills of southern Kashmir, according to a Hindi-language daily...

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Afghan FM: Foreign Envoys Must Respect Afghanistan’s Sovereignty

Photo: afghanconsulate-bonn.com

Afghan Foreign Minister Dr. Rangeen Dadfar Spanta has urged friendly nations to respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty and to hold their meetings with Afghan politicians and presidential contenders after informing the government, according to an Afghan daily.

Dr. Spanta’s statement comes just days after Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s office criticized U.S. diplomats in Afghanistan for holding talks with various political leaders and presidential contenders.

The Afghan foreign minister said he had sent four official letters to the political representations of foreign countries in order to coordinate their meetings with any organization through the foreign ministry, according to a report in the Afghanistan Times.

The minister described the friendly countries as guests and added that the guests have to respect the national integrity of Afghanistan.

Source: Afghanistan Times, Afghanistan, July 1, 2009

Suicide Bomber Kills 6 People Near Afghan-Pakistan Border

A suicide bomber struck at a security checkpoint in the town of Torkham, situated on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, killing six people, according to Pashtu dailies...

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Afghan Minister Calls For Disarming Illegal Private Security Guards

Photo: afghanembassyjp.com

Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar, during a visit to the southern Kandahar province, has called for disarming private militias or armed guards working for private security firms, according to an Afghan website.

Currently, there are thousands of illegal militias working with different private security companies of which many are not even registered with the government.

The minister added: ‘‘We respect the sacrifices of militias, but the way they work cannot be accepted. We should root them out.’’

Source: www.pajhwok.com, Afghanistan, June 30, 2009

Baluchistan: Car Bomb Explosions Kill Four People

Four persons were killed and 11 injured in a car bomb explosion in the Sorab area of the Kalat district in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, according to a Pashtu daily...

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Probe Report Of Babri Mosque Demolition By Hindu Extremists Submitted

In India, a government-appointed panel probing the 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque in the northern Indian town of Ayodhya by Hindu extremists has submitted its report 17 years after it was set up, according to an Urdu daily.

The Liberhan Commission, whose tenure was extended 48 times, submitted its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.

The December 6, 1992 demolition of the Babri mosque led to riots between Hindu and Muslim communities in India, most singularly when Mumbai was rocked by a series of bomb blasts in early 1993, masterminded by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who now reportedly lives in Pakistan.

The Liberhan Commission report prompted opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to declare its commitment to building a Hindu temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, an issue that once polarized India.

Several BJP leaders, including its prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani, are blamed to have incited a crowd of Hindu extremists to attack the Babri mosque in Ayodhya.

The Liberhan Commission’s report is yet to be tabled in the Indian parliament.

Source: Roznama Munsif, India, July 1, 2009

15 Taliban Militants Killed In Baghlan Province

Afghan security officials said they have killed 15 Taliban and injured 13 others in the country’s northern Baghlan province, according to an Afghan daily...

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Police Report: Jihadist Organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad Shift Bases To Pakistani Kashmir

Pakistan-based jihadist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad are shifting their bases from Punjab province to Pakistani Kashmir, according to an Urdu daily...

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Bangladesh: 2 Women Whipped 303 Times After Fatwa

Two Bangladeshi women were whipped in public after an Islamic cleric issued a fatwa to this effect for their alleged involvement in anti-social activities, according to a Bangladeshi newspaper.

Piara Begum, a widow of 40, and Mamun Miah, 25, fell victim to the fatwa and were whipped in front of hundreds of people at Khaiyar village in the Debidwar district of Bangladesh, the report added.

Piara was whipped 202 times and Mamun 101 times. They were also fined with Tk. 30,000 each. Dud Miah, a village elder, said, ‘‘I executed the fatwa issued by local religious leaders. I was given the task as a senior villager.’’

Six people are under arrest in connection with the incident. Punishment under a fatwa is illegal as per a 2001 High Court ruling in Bangladesh, an impoverished Sunni Muslim country.

(See also: Bangladeshi Women Rights Group Calls For Exemplary Punishment To Those Who Issue Fatwa, MEMRI Urdu/Pashtu Blog, June 16, 2009)

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh, June 29, 2009

Taliban Commander Scraps Peace Deal With Pakistani Government

Militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, who leads the Taliban militants in Pakistan’s tribal district of North Waziristan, has announced that he is scraping his peace agreement with the Pakistani government, according to an Urdu daily...

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Gulbadin Hekmatyar’s Key Ally Backs Karzai’s Bid for Re-Election

Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, a key ally of fugitive militant commander Gulbadin Hekmatyar, has backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s bid for re-election, according to an Afghan daily.

Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal heads the Kabul branch of Gulbadin Hekmatyar-led Hizb-e-Islami, which is registered as a political party.

According to a report in the Afghanistan Times newspaper, Arghandiwal and about 6,000 members of Hizb-e-Islami attended a meeting where it was decided to support President Karzai.

The presidential elections are slated for August 20.

Arghandiwal said: ‘‘Karzai’s way of politics is based on negotiations with the moderate Taliban and non-resistance against Hizb-e-Islami. Our party members across Afghanistan will cast their votes in favor of President Karzai in the August polls.’’

Source: Afghanistan Times, Afghanistan, June 30, 2009

Dhaka Stock Exchange Shut Down Due To Terror Threat

In Bangladesh, a bomb threat forced the Dhaka Stock Exchange to shut down an hour earlier than the scheduled close of trading on Monday, according to a report on a Bangladeshi website...

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Former Taliban Ambassador: Elections Cannot Solve Afghan Problems

Abdul Salam Zaeef, the former ambassador of Taliban in Pakistan, has emphasized that the elections in Afghanistan are worthless and cannot resolve the country’s problems, according to an Afghan daily.

Zaeef said that if anyone emerged victorious in the August 20 election, it would not be because of people’s votes but due to the international community’s support, according to a report in the Pashtu-language newspaper Wrazpanra Weesa.

He said elections work in countries the where situation is stable, but in Afghanistan where there is no stability due to the rising number of foreign troops, an election cannot resolve the country’s problems.

Source: Wrazpanra Weesa, Afghanistan, June 29, 2009

India Issues Terror Threat For Mumbai Region

India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB) has warned the western state of Maharashtra, the site of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, of another likely terrorist attack, according to an Indian website...

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Punjabi Teachers In Baluchistan Fear Attacks From Nationalists

The Baluchistan legislative assembly has been told about the growing sense of insecurity among Punjabi teachers in the wake of attacks by Baluchi fighters in the province, according to a Pakistani daily.

A large number of teachers at the Balochistan Residential College (BRC) in the town of Khuzdar have requested immediate transfer for security reasons, the report added.

Baluchi militants have called upon Punjabis to vacate the province.

Baluchistan’s Minister for Services and General Administration Sardar Sanaullah Zehri drew the attention of the Baluchistan assembly over the closure of the premier institution in Khuzdar after attacks by Baluchi nationalists.

Source: Daily Times, Pakistan, June 28, 2009

New Delhi: Hospitals, Universities, Metros, Markets Face Terror Threat

The police in the Indian capital of New Delhi have identified nearly 100 vital installations, including hospitals, universities and markets, at ‘‘high risk’’ to terror threats, according to an Indian website...

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Cartoon: The State Of Pakistan

Source: Roznama Jasarat, Pakistan, June 30, 2009

South Waziristan: Pakistani Security Forces Kill 15 Militants

Pakistani security forces killed 15 more militants during the ongoing operation in Pakistan's tribal district of South Waziristan Agency, a stronghold of Taliban near Afghan border, according to a Pashtu daily...

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Iranian Envoy: Jandallah Militants Are Hiding In Pakistan

Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan Mashaallah Shakeri has told an audience in Islamabad that militant group Jandallah’s fighters return to Pakistan after committing acts of terror in Iran, according to an Urdu daily.

According to a report in the Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Khabrain, the Iranian envoy said the militants reach Iran from Pakistan, commit acts of terror and return to hide in Pakistan.

Source: Roznama Khabrain, Pakistan, June 30, 2009

Bangladeshi Police Arrest Two Militants, Seize Jihadist Literature

Police officials in Bangladesh have arrested two youth for their alleged involvement in militant activities and seized jihadist literature, according to a Bangladeshi website...

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Al-Qaradhawi, Al-Sudayyis, Other Prominent Arab Islamic Scholars: Kashmiri Movement Is Jihad , Special Dispatch Series - No. 2365 - Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - May 20, 2009

Director of Political Committee of Taliban in Afghanistan, Warns Iran, Tajikistan Against Cooperating With U.S. , Special Dispatch Series - No. 2363 - Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - May19, 2009

Criticism in the Arab Press of U.S. Administration's Initiative to Reach Out to 'Moderates in the Taliban' ,Special Dispatch Series - No. 2353 - Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - May 12, 2009

Turkish Jihadist Commander Ebuzer in Afghanistan: Muslims Should Join Jihad,   Special Dispatch Series - No. 2350 - Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - May 11, 2009

Pakistani Author Ahmed Rashid: 'The Pakistani Taliban Movement is Turning Into a Multiethnic Movement [Not Limited to Pashtuns]; I No Longer Say That There's a Creeping Talibanization In Pakistan – It's a Galloping Talibanization' , Special Dispatch Series - No. 2348 - Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - May 8, 2009

In Recent Conference, Pakistani Clerics Denounce Government's Shari'a for Peace Deal with Taliban; Pronounce Suicide Attacks in Pakistan Forbidden; Say: 'Taliban Are Enemies of Humanity,' 'Jihad Should Be Declared Against Them'  Special Dispatch Series - No. 2335 - Urdu-Pashtu Media Project - April 30, 2008

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