Tehrik-i-Taliban Becomes Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahiden
BY Herschel Smith
15 years, 10 months ago
Pakistan’s Tehrik-i-Taliban, led by Baitullah Mehsud, have released an important statement.
NORTH WAZIRISTAN – Bringing an end to their internal rifts, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leaders have renamed their group as Shura Ittehadul Mujahideen with the purpose of striving for the supremacy of Islam and crushing infidels.
The three leading militant groups calling themselves as Taliban have circulated a single-page Urdu pamphlet in different parts of Waziristan, which confirmed that they had got united according to the wishes of Mujahideen leaders like Mullah Muhammad Omar and Sheikh Osama bin Laden.
The three leaders Hafiz Gul Bahadar, Baitullah Mehsud and Maulvi Nazir have confirmed the establishment of Shura Ittehadul Mujahideen with certain objectives. The pamphlet said the target of the Shura Ittehadul Mujahideen was to get Mujahideen united at a single platform for Jihad and stop those who were violating and crossing the limits. It said that TTP had decided to shun differences and join hands with one another. It added the TTP supported Mullah Muhammad Omar and Osama bin Laden’s struggle against Obama, Zardari and Karzai administrations.
A number of Quranic verses have been referred in the pamphlet, stressing upon Muslims to get united and join hands against non-believers.
Another account gives us reason to pause concerning the evolution of this organization.
The announcement described Mulla Omar and Osama bin Laden as their leader. They vowed to continue the Jihad for the enforcement of Sharia in the region.
It further said that it was yet unclear whether Tehrik Taliban has been finished.
Besides, Taliban leaders belonging to Bajaur, Swat and Mohmand Agency were not invited.
It’s difficult to know – and maybe premature to speculate – about why other commanders weren’t invited. The most probable reason is that the Tehrik-i-Talban included everyone in the meeting who mattered to the highest leadership. Baitullah Mehsud and his closest commanders were there, and Baitullah is completely in charge of the TTP. His enemies, far and near, should beware. Inclusion of others would have been pointless.
More important to this pronouncement is that there now seems to be a formal recognition of the globalist intentions of the Tehrik-i-Taliban, and a statement that the infighting between factions would come to an end, or at least, so says the highest leaders.
We have noted this globalist aspect of the TTP before.
In some places they aim to enforce strict sharia law. In others, the Taliban want to establish bases from which to work in support of the resistance against foreign forces in Afghanistan.
In yet other areas, the purpose is simply to create chaos and anarchy so that militants can engage the Pakistani armed forces and deter them from supporting the global “war on terror”.
However, the ultimate mission of the groups is steadily harmonizing, that is, to support the regional war and then the global war against Western hegemony; this is the concept driving the neo-Taliban.
The Captain’s Journal will be watching this development. More time is needed fully to understand the implications of the pronouncement by the TTP.
