Taliban accused of inciting terror in Kabul
KABUL, Afghanistan — In a video, five turbaned fighters stand in a row, wearing flak jackets and sneakers, assault rifles at the ready. One says in Pashto that God hates those who stray from religion and “cling to a worldly life,” and obliges the faithful to wage jihad, even if they must face prison or death, to establish the “law of the Quran” on Earth.
The video, published Monday on a Taliban spokesman’s Twitter account, came amid a rash of targeted shootings and bombings in the Afghan capital that have killed several dozen journalists, civic leaders, physicians, democracy advocates and government officials. The mayhem has brought a new kind of personal terror to a city long accustomed to insurgent attacks against official buildings and military targets.
Even though U.S. troops are leaving the country, the militiaman explained, “it is permissible to kill the [American] puppet regime of Kabul” and those who aid it. English subtitles accompanied his raised voice. “We are carrying weapons to avenge our values and institutions,” he said. “We are wholeheartedly obeying the supreme command of Allah.”
The video was posted days before negotiations between Taliban and Afghan delegates are set to resume Wednesday in Qatar after a two-week break. Afghan security officials have blamed the Taliban for several targeted killings, saying the insurgents are using new scare tactics to “leverage” their position at the negotiating table and undermine public confidence in the government of President Ashraf Ghani.
The killings have led prominent civilians to take extra security measures or avoid going outdoors. The Taliban appear to be keeping close tabs on a variety of activities; a recent fashion show at a local hotel was immediately denounced in a tweet from a Taliban leader, who charged that “Western intoxication and ideas” have entered Afghan culture and warned that “anything in conflict with Islam” will be destroyed.
“People in Kabul used to worry whether they would be caught by chance in an attack on a government building or international institution. Now they worry whether they will be next on the list,” said one security official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
But the chief Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, denied any involvement in the attacks, calling the charges “propaganda.” In a voicemail response Friday to questions from the Washington Post, he said the insurgents had nothing to do with the killings and blamed them on Afghanistan’s intelligence agency.
“We have not killed the doctors, civil society activists, or people who have not taken up arms against us,” he said in Dari. “They are not among our military targets, and killing them has no benefit for us.” When peace comes, he added, the country will need “educated” Afghans.
Mujahid said the group’s primary goal is to settle issues through talks, and a “military solution” would only be used as a last resort.
Still, Afghan experts said they have little doubt that the Taliban is behind the surge of attacks.
Most victims have been killed in their vehicles, either by gunmen who escaped on motorbikes or magnetic bombs placed underneath the carriages.