Letter documents dissention in Taliban leadership

July 7, 2008

Note: What follows is a letter under the name of Maulavi Jalaludin Haqani, a leading Taliban, and his son, Sarujudin Haqani’s signature at the bottom. This document was sent to Kabul Press^? by an individual from the National Security Department who does not want his name revealed. Another source in the Ministry of Interior has confirmed its authenticity.

The letter shows that problems do exist between Taliban leaders. It is the first time we have seen a top Taliban official harshly criticize Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban movement, and even ask for his dismissal.

Jalaludin Haqani, is a notorious Taliban commander suspected of introducing suicide bombing to the Afghan insurgency, and is recognized as Pakistan’s Taliban leader, Baitullah Mahsood’s mentor and teacher. It is said that he played an important role in the escape of Usama bin Laden from US forces in Tora Bora in 2002. Sarajudin Haqani is also a Taliban minister, and some say that he had hand in the terrorist attack on the Serena Hotel last year.

In this document, Baitullah Mahsood is praised. Haqani also expresses sadness at the death of Mullah Dadullah during an ISAF attack. Dadullah was a notorious Taliban killer who murdered many innocent people including Afghan journalist Ajmal Naqshbandi http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/....

Basir Helmandi, a writer with Kabul Press, translated the letter from Pashto into Dari:

The letter of Maulavi Haqani to the Taliban

In the name of Allah,

(Jihad will be continued in the way of God until resurrection day)

Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan

Alhaj Maulavi Jalaludin Haqani Date 09/ 01/ 1387

The Muslims of Islamic Emirates and Taliban brothers, greet you all ;

All you Taliban brothers know that the Islamic Movement of Taliban sacrifices only in the name of Allah and for the expansion of Islamic Sharia law; that it fights to prevent the empowerment of the crusaders and that we have lost many of our brave Mujahedeen this way.

After some time, we have gotten to know that a game is being played with our people and that some people do business without blood.

Our brothers are sold for money and are being crucified. As examples, we name our martyred brothers (god bless them) Mullah Saheb Akhtar Usmani, Mullah Saheb Dadullah, Mullah Saheb Abdul Manan, Mullah Saheb Saifullah Mansoor. Also in Quetta, a council through a secret deal with the crusaders, has approved that they would martyr and finish other brave Mujahid brothers.

The Islamic Movement of the Taliban is not the Taliban of ten years ago which only fought for the sake of god and to defend the poor and the oppressed.

The leadership system of the Taliban council is in the hands of people who cannot do anything without the permission of foreign intelligence services.

The loyal and honest Taliban who know this fact do not want to stay with the movement and be slaves of the foreigners or be crucified or killed by foreign intelligence services.

So, to relieve this situation, and to prevent further loss of our Taliban brothers, and to be able to continue our Jihad in the best possible manner, and to release our Muslim brothers from the hands of crusaders, we feel it is the right time to bring a change to the leadership.

Mullah Omar

Lately we have been seeing erroneous orders by Mullah Omar Mujahid, his brother-in-law, Mullah Azizullah Isshaqzai, Mullah Abdul Shokor, and Mullah Jan Mohammad Baloch which caused us to lose important men like Baitullah Mahsood and Mullah Mansoor Dadullah and other commanders. Because of Mullah Omar’s mistakes our Taliban are forced to confront Hezb-e-Islami.

Therefore it is obvious that Mullah Omar is an ineffective, ignorant, and illiterate person, and his weak leadership endangers the Taliban movement. He can easily cause the dissolution of our movement, thus does not deserve to retain leadership of the movement from this day forward.

Also, the Islamic Taliban and their leadership are not hereditary and leadership should not remain just in one family. In our Islamic System those who merit leadership should not be illiterate, should have the ability to bring positive change, and have the potential for political development. They must be able to unify our Taliban brothers as a unique force with a single commander against the infidels. They must be able to strengthen international relations, because all nations and all countries are not our enemies.

What has ruined the Taliban was its leadership system, which consisted of selfish and wrong decisions that defamed the Taliban movement throughout the world.

If today we had someone else, a more capable and knowledgeable Muslim instead of Mullah Omar as its leader, we would not be where we are now, and our extraordinary commanders would not be martyred day after day. Also, our movement would not have been defamed before all the peoples of the world.

The only solution to this crisis is to have an educated, thoughtful, and experienced leader of the Taliban. It is the responsibility of every Muslim Taliban to continue his Jihad against the invader crusader forces by making this change.

That is what we had to announce

Alhaaj Sarujideen Haqani