Tuesday 18 December 2012

CIA’s brand of Taliban now come with tattoos


by Zaki Khalid


When alternative (read “actual”) news forums which present the other side of the picture, such as this very forum itself, share such content, we are mostly ridiculed or brushed aside as non-credible sources. But we remain content knowing that sooner or later, the truth will be spilled out from official sources, some day or the other.
The image above highlights what we’ve been saying all along that the so-called “Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan” (TTP) is actually a poor, distorted duplicate of the Afghan Taliban.
As I pointed out in one of my earlier posts, these militants are local recruits, even though their handlers are sitting in the confines of their smoothly-tiled executive rooms at Langley. But in most other cases however, they can turn out to be foreigners. I ask you a simple question, readers, that if Jewish American Adam Pearlman alias ‘Adam Yahya Gadahn‘ was successful in presenting himself as an Arab militant, why is it not possible that others can follow his example?
You see, these clandestine wars involving intelligence agencies vying to take the lead is an absolutely complex, dirty game. Their ulterior motive is manipulation of geopolitics which involve both tactical and strategic plans. Latter includes the attack on Peshawar airport (where a few JF-17s of the PAF are also stationed as they share the runway with Civil Aviation Authority). Fortunately for the armed forces, they failed in giving a blow yet again just as they faced humiliation during the attack on Minhas Airbase, Kamra which was carried out by Afghan commando battalions under the command of Joseph Votel. Tactical attacks include those in which the young Malala was unknowingly used.
So while looking at the image above which was sent to me by one of my readers, I was not surprised. In the past, especially during the Mehran base attack in Karachi, media persons were not allowed to take pictures considering the intense amount of international pressure on Pakistan Army. Today, there seems to be a new footing. The aging Generals in Pakistan have had enough of it. Their mid-level subordinates are getting increasingly restless by the silence which their seniors are exhibiting since long; not because they want to hide the truth, but because they are waiting for the right time to speak up. Mind you, when they do, there will be much to share. Being publicly dormant (with a few rare exceptions on certain occasions) has allowed the military to prepare grounds for the coming months in which major, I repeat, major transformations are going to take place in the internal dynamics of Pakistan’s administration. The military will be noticed getting above its currently passive state, having given enough time for the present setup to continue with all the democracy it wants to practice.
Tattoos such as the one above are seen on many army soldiers around the world especially those of the US and UK. In the US Army, the Marine Corps is known for having soldiers who have similar tattoos:
tattoo_militant
usmc_tattoo_1
usmc_tattoo_2
usmc_tattoo_3
Such tattoos, I understand, are not uncommon. America’s entire West Coast is renowned for its custom tattoo paint shops littered across California. But what I cannot believe is that some American soldier will tie a suicide vest and get ready to blow himself up. This is where, in realistic terms, our previous reporting is confirmed that these militants are foreigners who are very cheap mercenaries-for-hire. These include Tajiks, Gorkhas and Uzbeks. Infact, intelligence estimates in Pakistan argued that Uzbeks are the most preferred recruits for Western intelligence agencies (MI6, CIA, BND). One officer was even quoted as saying that recruits can literally be “bought” for as low as $300 only!
In Central Asia and Caucasus regions, a horde of undercover ‘Lawrences of Asia‘ roam about in search of trainees who are recruited for the infamous Al Qaeda; the group of pseudo-jihadists who spread terror in guise of Muslims and who are jointly controlled and tasked by intelligence agencies of 3 major countries: The US, Her Majesty’s Secret Service, France and ofcourse, the illegitimate Zionist state of Israel.
The US uses agents against MI6′s interests, sometimes vice versa. But when it comes to highly critical geopolitical undertakings, where Pakistan, Iran and Syria top the list, they all unite for a common cause. In our particular case, Pakistan’s nuclear arsenals are akin to a pot of honey around which these swarm of flies are always buzzing around.
There are two possibilities: Either that militant pictured above is a US Marine who was dressed like a TTP operative or, it could be the usual situation in which Afghans/Uzbeks are employed. The former assumption is highly improbable and to an extent, far-fetched. A more plausible case could be that the recruit was a convert from Europe as most Germans have infiltrated in the past too.
But what is really mind-boggling is the tattoo. In Islam, the final prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has cursed the one who does tattooing on his body (they are haram i.e. strictly prohibited). Muslim men, especially those who claim to be doing jihad, are not supposed to have such paintings on them since they cause problems for offering regular prayers. The question here arises, why did self-proclaimed warriors of Islam adorn tattoos on their body and that too, of a skull? Are Hakeeullah’s boys inspired by the Ghost Rider?
Anyhow, I will not be going into speculation here. I avoid such things which are signature of our sensationalist, corporate media. I am though, openly saying that I have never seen such a thing on any captured militant. Not as far as declassified information is concerned.
This reminds me of an earlier picture from about 4 years back in which a militant killed in Swat region was found to be uncircumcised.
Again, Islamic Law makes it clear that all males are supposed to be circumcised in order to uphold the tradition on following what Abraham (peace be upon him) did.
Do you know what’s the funny aspect to all this? Just before this image got released, the TTP spokesperson claimed responsibility for the attacks. What a dumb nut I must say, now that the photo’s released, their beliefs and practices have laid themselves bare. They have, in haste, confirmed adherence to things which have no association with Islam whatsoever. These savages in the past used to blame all their heinous attacks on unseen “Blackwater agents”, later they started acknowledging high-profile attacks since it created a great impact. Today, they just hammered down on their own feet. They could have attempted to gain public sympathy by saying “this is the work of devil America” but instead they endorsed it and now find this picture spreading around in the media and online.
But you see, while this is indeed the work of the US military establishment, the people of Pakistan will at no cost forgive or forget these local/foreign proxies and blood-thirsty hounds who use terror to impose their radical beliefs, who slaughter innocent men, women and children. Pakistanis will and should not discount punishment and accountability of our own sell-outs who joined their ranks.
These militants have been described as the Khawarij “outcasts, dogs of hell” according to Islam. They are the same heretics who attacked the Sacred Mosque in Mecca in 1979 claiming to be upholders of Islamic Law. The same mindset was present inside the Red Mosque and today, across Pakistan, these stooges are carrying out orders issued from their masters in the US, UK and Israel.
Time will itself lay bare the actual details unless officials in echelons of power do so. The military establishment has disappointed much by not making appropriate, much-needed disclosures, at least to media outlets, if not unworthy journalists like me who are nothing more than past-time bloggers for some. If this article is being read by military/intelligence officials, please note that my thorough observation of public reaction has led me to conclude that the time is ripe to reveal some eye-opening secrets on an official level. Otherwise, it will be just be another ‘much ado about nothing‘.

Iran warns Patriot missiles in Turkey could lead to ‘World War III’


Iranian armed forces chief joins other Islamic Republic officials who caution that the stationing of NATO missiles could cause conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The planned deployment of NATO Patriot missiles along Turkey's border with Syria could lead to a "world war" that would threaten Europe as well, Iran's military chief of staff was quoted as saying on Saturday.
Turkey asked NATO for the Patriot system, designed to intercept aircraft or missiles, in November to help bolster its border security after repeated episodes of gunfire from war-torn Syria spilling into Turkish territory.
General Hassan Firouzabadi, the Iranian armed forces chief, said Iran wanted its neighbor Turkey to feel secure but called for NATO not to deploy the Patriots in its easternmost member state, which also borders Iran.
"Each one of these Patriots is a black mark on the world map, and is meant to cause a world war," Firouzabadi said, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency. "They are making plans for a world war, and this is very dangerous for the future of humanity and for the future of Europe itself."
Iran has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the 21-month uprising against his rule and long a strategic adversary of Western powers who have given formal recognition to Syria's opposition coalition.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed an order on Friday to send two Patriot missile batteries to Turkey along with American personnel to operate them, following similar steps by Germany and the Netherlands.
Iranian officials including parliament speaker Ali Larijani have previously said that installing the Patriot missiles would deepen instability in the Middle East, and the foreign ministry spokesman said they would only worsen the conflict in Syria.
Turkey has repeatedly scrambled jets along its border with Syria and responded in kind when shells and gunfire from the Syrian conflict have hit its territory, fanning fears that the civil war could inflame the wider region.

US Drone Pilot asks ”Did We Just Kill A Kid?” — Commander Tells him it Was Just a Dog with 2 Legs

The New Mexico desert gets blistering hot, but inside the small windowless container where Brandon Bryant worked as a drone operator for the U.S. Air Force it stays a cool 63 degrees all year long.




Nicola Abé at der Spiegel spoke with Bryant, no longer in the Air Force, who relays a disturbing and tragic scene from his time inside that isolated container in the American desert.
Sixty-three finger numbing degrees and Bryant describes sitting with a group of other pilots looking at more than a dozen computer monitors. The crew are directing drones over Afghanistan 6,250 miles away and the screens jump with a two to five second delay, as infrared video sent from the UAVs whips through the air to New Mexico.
When the order to fire on a target arrives, Bryant paints the roof of a hut with the laser that will guide in a Hellfire missile fired by the pilot beside him.
"These moments are like in slow motion," he says to Abé.
No doubt, because on this occasion Bryant says a child walked from behind the building at the last second. Too late for him to do anything else but ask the other pilot, "Did we just kill a kid?"
"Yeah, I guess that was a kid," the pilot replied.
"Was that a kid?" they wrote into a chat window on the monitor.
Then, someone they didn't know answered, someone sitting in a military command center somewhere in the world who had observed their attack. "No. That was a dog," the person wrote.
They reviewed the scene on video. A dog on two legs?
The article follows another widely publicized story from the Marine Times about children killed by Americans on Afghan soil published just weeks ago. While obviously a tragedy for the victims and their families, Bryant describes the incredible toll taken on U.S. troops required to obey orders producing such dire results.
From his mother's couch in Missoula, Montana Bryant talks of his 6,000 Air Force flight hours and says he used to dream in infrared. "I saw men, women and children die during that time," he says. "I never thought I would kill that many people. In fact, I thought I couldn't kill anyone at all."
The three part article digs deeply into the life of a troubled former servicemember and the war-fighting policies that don't look to be changing anytime soon.

Labels