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| Afghanistan |
| Islamist Websites Congratulate Taliban For 'Prisoner Swap' |
| 2007-03-20 |
| Kabul, 20 March (AKI) - Congratulatory messages for the Taliban have appeared on Islamist forums on the Internet over the reported release of five Taliban leaders in exchange for the Italian journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who was freed by the Taliban on Monday after being held prisoner for two weeks. "Participate to the congratulatory messages to be sent to the Taliban for the exchange of prisoners with the Italian unbeliever," read the title of the pages in some Islamist websites. Congratulatory messages have been posted on these web pages by al-Qaeda supporters over what they describe as a positive outcome in the reported release of five Taliban leaders in exchange for the 52 year old journalist for Rome daily La Repubblica. There has been no official confirmation of the release of the five Taliban leaders by Afghan authorities. Since Sunday evening, the websites which carry messages by terrorist groups, have been celebrating the initial reports that two Taliban leaders, Ustad Yaser and Mufti Hakimi, had been released by Afghan authorities. At the time, a message by a Taliban spokesperson Muhammad Yusuf, said that such an exchange had taken place. At the same time in Italy, it was still uncertain that Mastrogiacomo had been released. The websites close to the Taliban told their supporters that "the Mujahadeen of the Islamic Emirate released at midday today (Sunday) the Italian journalist together with his interpreter who have been prisoners of the mujahadeen for the past two weeks. This has occured based on the exchange for the mujahadeen Ustad Muhammad Yaser and Mufti Latif Allah Hakimi who have been detained in the prison in Bul Tshkuhi for the past two years. The exchange was carried out through a third party in the province of Helmand." However, it was only on Monday that these Islamist websites also began mentioning the release of another three Taliban fighters in the same exchange deal, unleashing a stream of joyful messages for the Taliban. "What great news," wrote Sanafi al-Nasr. "We also want the release of our other brothers who have been detained," he said. Following the first message, within a few minutes, more than 20 messages were reportedly posted, including a photo of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin laden and compliments for the Taliban. Messages also encouraged the Taliban to continue their fight against NATO troops in Afghanistan. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #11 one admittedly speculative term: "R-Fids" |
| Posted by: Floluger Peacock1136 2007-03-20 16:48 |
| #10 "In Italy, there was concern the government had paid too high a price. "The government sold out," ran the front-page headline in the right-wing Libero newspaper. "Reporter released in exchange for 5 Taliban," said leading daily Corriere della Sera. La Stampa daily questioned whether the negotiations to free the La Repubblica journalist were hypocritical, given Rome had 1,900 peacekeepers in Afghanistan meant to help NATO secure the country after the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban in 2001. "If this is the just price chosen to pay to save the life of Mastrogiacomo, it's up to (the government) to show Italy is still able to continue fulfilling its role in Afghanistan without becoming the weak link in the international alliance." Toughminded folks from "oldeurope" watch. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2007-03-20 14:30 |
| #9 Cartman: It's called a "proctoneuroscope". Or is it "neuroproctoscope"? |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-03-20 14:12 |
| #8 Amid the protest in Lashkar Gah, Afghan security personnel arrested the head of the Emergency hospital, but did not say why. The hospital had also been involved in negotiations to free another Italian reporter, Gabriele Torsello, late last year. because he's a Talib supporter? Just a wild guess..... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2007-03-20 11:52 |
| #7 It appears the natives are restless... LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Protesters blockaded an Afghan hospital where a newly freed Italian journalist hostage was staying on Tuesday, demanding details of the death of his beheaded driver. More than 200 relatives and friends of the executed driver, Syed Agha, protested outside the Italian-run Emergency hospital in the capital of southern Helmand province, Lashkar Gah, demanding to talk with the Italian, who was kidnapped by the Taliban two weeks ago. His translator, Ajmal Nakshbandi, is still being held. "He is not able to make a gasp. They clean the knife on his tunic. They tie his severed head to his body. They bring it to the river and let it go." The main Afghan journalists' rights association appealed for the translator's release. "Our message is clear. We are very much concerned about his life and his future," spokesman Halim Fedaye told reporters. In his Tuesday article, Pakistani-born Mastrogiacomo did not explain why he was in a place most foreign journalists regard as too dangerous to visit, what he was doing to free his translator or what compensation would be offered to Agha's family. The Taliban say they freed him after the Afghan government handed over four of five insurgent leaders, including the brother of military commander Mullah Dadullah. A spokesman for President Hamid Karzai said a deal had been struck, but would not give any details. "The president ... had instructed security authorities to find out any possible way for the release of the Italian journalist in recognition for the friendship with Italy and its cooperation with Afghanistan," he told reporters. "A series of demands were made and they were met to some extent." In Italy, there was concern the government had paid too high a price. "The government sold out," ran the front-page headline in the right-wing Libero newspaper. "Reporter released in exchange for 5 Taliban," said leading daily Corriere della Sera. La Stampa daily questioned whether the negotiations to free the La Repubblica journalist were hypocritical, given Rome had 1,900 peacekeepers in Afghanistan meant to help NATO secure the country after the U.S.-led overthrow of the Taliban in 2001. "If this is the just price chosen to pay to save the life of Mastrogiacomo, it's up to (the government) to show Italy is still able to continue fulfilling its role in Afghanistan without becoming the weak link in the international alliance." Amid the protest in Lashkar Gah, Afghan security personnel arrested the head of the Emergency hospital, but did not say why. The hospital had also been involved in negotiations to free another Italian reporter, Gabriele Torsello, late last year. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-03-20 11:45 |
| #6 Surgeon + Equipment + Jihadi = Found Leadership http://www.garmin.com/products/astro/ (already ruggerized) http://www.gizmag.com/go/5352/ (open the photos to see just how small this devise is "global GPS") You also must remember when looking at these photos the Size as small as it even is almost entirely the Battery. One of those 20k dollar rare earth metals batteries would either shrink it drasticly or give you life span by a multiple. If we only had the balls to take full advantage of our technology edge? Or maybe we do who knows? I know if I was in charge I would be taggin these guys ASAP the human Body Cavity is a rather suprisely large area of space. |
| Posted by: C-Low 2007-03-20 11:31 |
| #5 I do NOT have an anal GPS probe... |
| Posted by: Cartman 2007-03-20 10:52 |
| #4 We are too chicken-sh*t to turn them. We would have the bunny-lovers yelling "victim". |
| Posted by: DESNC 2007-03-20 10:43 |
| #3 Wishful thinking, Anonymoose. |
| Posted by: gromky 2007-03-20 10:32 |
| #2 The Soviet army had a longstanding rule that if you were absent from your unit for 48 hours, you would be shot, because the assumption was that you had been "turned" by the enemy. With these birds, by now we should have re-written their entire minds to the point where they think they are James Bond, and their entire purpose in life is to kill Taliban. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2007-03-20 10:01 |
| #1 Hope the injected them with plague before releasing the "leaders". |
| Posted by: 3dc 2007-03-20 09:55 |