Taliban Attacks Minister; Warnings to Sherpao

al-qaida-schism.jpgIn a sign of their desperation, Al Qaida and the Taliban are taking a page from the book of the failed Maoist/Communist revolution in Nepal; they are kidnapping children to train as Jihadis. 

From the Daily Times:

DIR: The Upper Dir district council has condemned jihadi groups for kidnapping schoolchildren to train them for jihad and the provincial government for failing to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Hasham Hussain raised the issue of schoolchildren’s abduction by a jihadi organisation from a private school and told the council that parents were unaware that jihadis had taken their children for jihad. Two students of a private school, one the son of a doctor and the other the son of a radio maker, were abducted for jihad training without their parents’ consent. However, the parents later succeeded in recovering their sons from the militants.

The district council witnessed pandemonium when the issue was raised and a number of nazims, including the district nazim, supported Hussain in condemning the act.

“Schoolchildren from private schools are taken for jihad without their parents’ permission… this practice is un-Islamic, unlawful and immoral. The district administration knows that jihadis are ruining children’s lives in the name of jihad but no action is being taken,” said Hussain.

The Pakistani government has issued warnings to three Federal Ministers of potential assassination attempts by Baitullah Mehsud. Mehsud is leader of the Taliban in South Waziristan, and is thought to be behind the previous failed assassination attempt on Aftab Sherpao. (previous articles with Mehsud.) This comes after an attack of Sherpao’s associate, Hangu District Nazim Ghani-ur-Rehman, who was unhurt after a remote-controlled IED was exploded near his car on his way home.

From the Daily Times:

The Interior Ministry’s National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) has warned three federal ministers that they are on the hit list of Baitullah Mehsud and should take extra security measures, sources told Daily Times here on Wednesday. The sources said that Baitullah Mehsud, believed to be the head of Taliban operations in South Waziristan, was running the biggest suicide training camp in the country and planned to assassinate Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and Minister for Political Affairs Amir Muqam, said the sources. Mehsud is believed to have been behind the suicide attack on Mr Sherpao on April 28, the sources said. The NCMC has formally informed Mr Ahmad and Mr Muqam of the intelligence reports warning of serious threats against them. “Yes I have received a letter from the Interior Ministry showing concern over my security,” Mr Ahmad confirmed.

Finally, Lal Masjid again warns of suicide attacks, even though three days ago Ghazi said he never said suicide attacks. How does anyone follow a mullah who lies so openly?

ISLAMABAD: Lal Masjid mullah Maulana Abdul Aziz on Wednesday warned the government of suicide attacks if it launched an operation against the mosque.

Addressing reporters during a consultative meeting at Lal Masjid, Aziz said thousands of students were ready to carry out suicide attacks, adding that the mosque administration was preventing them from doing so.