Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir, an internationally acknowledged expert on terrorism, had it right again.
On June 22, Mir tipped off his colleague and friend Poland-based journalist David Dastych that a taped message from Taliban leader Mullah Omar was about to be released.
Earlier today, Mir aired the contents of Mullah Omar's message on GEO Television in Islamabad, where he works as bureau chief.
"Taliban leader Mullah Muhammad Omar has claimed for the first time since 9/11 that a large area of afghanistan, including a lot of mountain area is still under the control of the Taliban," Mir reported.
In the new audio message, aired on GEO TV on Sunday afternoon, Mullah Omar, infamous partner of Osama bin Laden, compared himself with former afghan King Zahir Shah, stating that "Mullah Sahib is not like Zahir Shah who fled to Rome and his army collapsed, but I am still here and my army is still intact and we are resisting our enemies inside afghanistan."
Zahir Shah has lived in exile in Rome since 1973. His grandson, Mostapha, a former student of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario has worked to help afghan President Hamid Karzai.
"according to our sources in Southern afghanistan, Mullah Omar recorded that message in the mountains of Helmand, where he recently held a meeting of the Taliban's military council," Mir reported. "He clearly indicated that he is still present inside afghanistan and that his enemies will be destroyed ultimately."
Mir noted that in his message, Mullah Omar never mentioned the name of afghan President Hamid Karzai, who took power in Kabul in early 2002 with the consent of Zahir Shah and George W. Bush, but he addressed Karzai many times in the message without naming him. "He said that `you are nothing without the american army in afghanistan, don't forget what happened to the Russians in afghanistan. You cannot impose the ideas of foreigners in the country of pure Muslims.'"
"Mullah Omar also teased Karzai by saying "You are ruling only the capital of afghanistan, not the whole country."
GEO News received the audio message from Kabul where the message was sent from Helmand on Saturday, June 24.
It is important to note that Mullah Omar was speaking for the first time since 9/11, said Mir.
"In it he tried to prove that the death of al Zarqawi in Iraq will not affect the morale of rebels in afghanistan and Iraq.
"Like al Zarqawi, he never spoke of issues outside of afghanistan, but he concentrated more on the situation in afghanistan."
according to some Taliban sources in afghanistan, a recently established new media cell of Mullah Omar will release a CD-recording of the Taliban's military actions inside afghanistan. This CD is reported to contain a more detailed speech of Mullah Omar in the background.
Within hours of the GEO TV report, one Peshawar-based news agency, the afghan Islamic Press was claiming that Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf denied having ever issued any audio message from Mullah Omar.
"The Taliban spokesman was not aware of the latest move because we got the tape through some sources who were present in the recently held military council meeting of the Taliban in Helmand," said Mir.
"They can say that they did not provide the cassette to us, but nobody can deny that this is not the voice of Mullah Omar. This also proves that they lack proper coordination,"
Reclusive by nature Mullah Omar is rarely heard from. Hiding in caves, the Taliban leader and Osama bin Laden fought side by side during the Soviet occupation of afghanistan.
Sources have told Mir that this is the first time that Mullah Omar is establishing his contacts with pro-Iran militia groups in the north who had resisted the Taliban in the past.
(Hamid Mir is Bureau Chief of the GEO TV network in Islamabad and a reporter for the Jang Group of newspapers in Pakistan, Famous for his interviews with Osama bin Laden, his "authorized biography" of bin Laden will be published in London later this year. He is also an internationally acknowledged expert in terrorism).
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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