The Taliban militants in Afghanistan questioned the Media Club of Afghanistan’s (MCA) decision for asking the national and international media to boycott all news reports and claims provided by the insurgents for three days over the death of an Afghan journalist, Sultan Munadi, who was killed in a rescue operation on September 09. The MCA had also asked the Taliban to apologize for the abduction.

Sultan Munadi, a 34 year-old Afghan journalist working with the New York Times, along with the NY Times’ reporter, Stephen Farrell, was abducted by the militants in the Chahar Dara district of northern Kanduz province four days prior to his death. They were visiting the site of a NATO airstrike on two captured oil tankers which had left nearly 100 people dead, several among whom were reported as civilians.

The official spokesman of the Taliban insurgents, Zabiullah Mujahdi, denied the abduction immediately after the news was out. However, a Taliban commander in the area called local journalists and took responsibility of the abduction. Mr. Farrell’s account of the four days’ abduction also clearly indicates that they were taken as hostages by the Taliban who have a strong presence in many districts of the province. On September 09, the British commandos conducted a rescue operation which saved Mr. Farrell’s life but left a British soldier, Mr. Munadi, and two Afghans dead. The rescue operation was widely criticized locally and internationally.

Though it is hard to confirm who killed Munadi, several groups of the journalists working in Afghanistan condemned his death as ‘brutal and inhumane.’ They condemned the attitude of both the Taliban militants and the international forces towards the kidnapped Afghan journalists who often get killed while their foreigner colleagues get freed, exchanged or rescued. According to Mr. Farrell’s account, Mr. Munadi had told him that their kidnappers had warned Munadi that he would be killed and the British reporter would be exchanged for prisoners.

On September 10, a newly constituted body of newsmen, the Media Club of Afghanistan (MCA) condemned the death and asked the national and international media outlets to boycott the news reports and claims provided by the Taliban for three days.

On Monday, the purported spokesman of the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, in an email sent to www.abdulhadihairan.com, questioned this decision and said they had proofs that Munadi was killed by the British commandos ‘to motivate newsmen and reporters against the Mujahedeen.’

In a detailed email written in Pashto, the spokesman said he thought these media organizations were not independent and worked for the ‘invaders.’ He claimed that the decision was symbolic and can’t affect their media campaign.

Mullah Abdul Salam, a dangerous Taliban commander involved in several attacks on German soldiers and Afghan forces in the northern Kanduz province has been killed in an operation during the holy month of Ramadan, claimed governor Engineer Muhammad Omar. Salam himself was appointed as Kanduz governor by the shadowy Taliban administration.

 After increasing their attacks in the southern and eastern provinces to a very troubling extent for the international forces, the Taliban now increasingly show their dangerous presence in the previously relatively northern provinces, particularly Baghlan and Kanduz.

 They attacked the Qila-e-Zaal district center in Kanduz last night and killed 2 policemen, according to the local officials. The militants have been roaming in all the villages of this district and impose their orders on local people, said a resident of the district. This resident, who did not want to be named because he feared reaction from both the government and the Taliban, said the insurgents were able to prevent people from voting in the recent Presidential and Provincial Council elections on August 20.

 ‘He has been killed by the security forces along with another commander and 14 militants. We are sure about it,’ said the governor during a press conference. His brother, district governor of Chahar Dara, another troubled district of the province, was killed by the insurgents few days back.

 The Taliban have yet to confirm the death of one of their strongest commanders in the north. They are not as fast in accepting their casualties as in claiming responsibility of their opponents – the government and the international forces.

د “مکلاچي” په نامه يوې امريکايي ورځپاڼې په خپل يو تازه راپور کې خبر ورکړى چې طالبان د افغانستان په شمالي ولايتونو کې خپل حضور کرار کرار زياتوي او تر دا مهال يې د کندوز او بغلان په درېو داسې ولسواليو کې خپله واکمني ټينګه کړې ده چې پښتانه پکې اوسېږي. راپور زياتوي چې طالبان په شمال کې د ٣٠٠ نه تر ٦٠٠ تنو پورې جنګيالي لري کومو چې په بهرنيو قواوو خپل بريدونه تېز کړي دي او د هغوى تر واک لاندې ولسواليو کې پوستې هم لري.

دا راپور وايي چې طالبانو د اګست په شلمه د افغانستان د ټولټاکنو په ورځ د شمال په ځينو ولايتونو کې ډېر بريدونه وکړل  او په دې وتوانېدل چې خلک له رايو ورکولو منع کړي. راپور د بغلان د والي محمد اکبر بارکزي په حواله ويلي چې طالبان په اصل کې نړۍ ته ښودل غواړي چې هغوى يواځې د افغانستان په جنوب کې نه بلکې په هره برخه کې هم ګډوډي راوستلى شي. والي وايي چې دا يوه غټه ستونځه ده چې د حل کولو لپاره يې پوره ځواکونه په لاس کې نه لري.

د راپور له مخې په شمالي ولايتونو کې د طالبانو فعاليتونه زياتېدل د امريکايانو د سر لپاره يو نوى درد جوړ شوى دى ځکه چې هغوى تراوسه پورې لا په دې ندي توانېدلي چې په جنوبي ولايتونو کې د طالبانو حضور له ناکامۍ سره مخ کړي. راپور همداراز وايي چې ښايي په شمال کې د طالبانو مخ پر زياتېدونکى حضور د پښتنو او تاجکو ترمنځ هم غټې ستونځې راولاړې کړي.

برسېره پر دې يوه بله غټه ستونڅه چې ورځپاڼې ورته اشاره کړې دا ده چې ښايي د القاعده جنګيالي په شمال کې د طالبانو تر واک لاندې سيمو کې په فعاليتونو پېلولو سره په ازبکستان او تاجکستان کې مشکلات پېدا کړي. راپور بغلان څخه د پارليمان د يو وکيل هلال الدين هلال په حواله وايي چې “القاعده په شمال کې يو مرکز جوړول غواړي. القاعده هلته د طالبانو ملاتړ کوي ځکه چې هغه د منځنۍ اسيا سره علاقمندي لري.”