Afghans: ISIS is recruiting in Afghanistan
According to the Associated Press, some Afghan generals are admitting that “Mullah Abdul Rauf” is recruiting and organizing for the Islamic State in the south of Afghanistan.
Gen. Mahmood Khan, the deputy commander of the army’s 215 Corps, said that within the past week residents of a number of districts in the southern Helmand province have said Rauf’s representatives are fanning out across the province to recruit people.
“A number of tribal leaders, jihadi commanders and some ulema (religious council members) and other people have contacted me to tell me that Mullah Rauf had contacted them and invited them to join him,” Khan said.
But he said the Taliban, which is active across Helmand and controls some districts, have warned people not to contact Rauf.
Now, if they’re the same person, there was an Abdul Rauf Khadim who was prisoner number 108 in Guantanamo, according to Thomas Joscelyn in a 2010 article at The Long War Journal;
The career of Abdul Rauf Khadim (whose internment serial number at Gitmo was 108) is intertwined with that of another former Guantanamo detainee, Mullah Abdullah Zakir (internment serial number 8). Both men were detained at Gitmo for several years and then transferred together, along with 11 other Gitmo detainees, to Afghanistan on Dec. 12, 2007.
Khadim escaped Afghan custody last year, according to Newsweek. He then quickly rejoined the Taliban’s ranks. Zakir had already rejoined the Taliban, and he became its surge commander in southern Afghanistan.
I’m not sure if they’re the same person, though, but it certainly stands to reason. The Associated Press article reports that the Rauf that is recruiting was indeed in Guantanamo, according to one of his relatives who hadn’t seen him for twenty years.
The AP article also reports that ISIS is battling with the Taliban in Afghanistan;
“People are saying that he has raised black flags and even has tried to bring down white Taliban flags in some areas,” said Saifullah Sanginwal, a tribal leader in Sangin district. “There are reports that 19 or 20 people have been killed” in fighting between the Taliban and the IS group, he added.
A smart commander would probably exploit that, but we seem to be fresh out of those.
Category: Terror War
Good thing the war is over!
Yep. No question. The war is over. This actually answers the 1960s Vietnam protest poster question, “What if there was a war and nobody came?” Of course, the not-so-swift author envisioned neither side showing up to war. In this instance, it’s unilateral and it’s not working out so well. “Sand wedge, please.”
B-Sixty one….that’s B-61….BINGO!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B61_nuclear_bomb
And this is a surprise because…?
Oh, and I doubt that Khadim escaped. Wandered away. Someone ‘left’ the door unlocked after bed check. Disappeared while outside during exercise hours.
ISS is fighting the Taliban? That’s so JV. Wonder which one the CIA will start supplying with weapons.
The CIA does not supply weapons to either. Get the story straight! What we do is send them to Syria. Once there, they somehow disappear and, through no fault of our own, they reappear in the hands of ISIS or the Tallywhackers.
2/17 Air Cav….Oh you went and made me go and do this….. I mean, tallywacker?
😀 😀 😀
Thanks for straightening me out. Sorry I went off the reservation.
But, hypothetically, if the CIA did supply weapons, what would the choice criteria be? Something like this (in priority order)?:
1). Fosters self esteem among the LGBT community.
2.) Empowers those that gender identify as female while rejecting the male-power fascism paradigm.
3.) Adheres to a religion of peace.
4.) Has a low carbon footprint.
I don’t know what the rest of the criteria would be, but clearly, the decision of which one to support would be a tough one.
GDContractor: Nice. Very nice. I think “Adopts and implements SHARP” and “Promulgates regulations banning tattoos” are also among the criteria.
ChipNASA. What is frightening is how you are able to have known these video clips exist in the first place. They never fail to please, however.
C’mon, 2/17 Air Cav – Porky’s is a sophomoric camp classic. And as a practicing lawyer, I’m sure you’re familiar with the work of police sketch artists. (smile)