Pak Taliban suicide bombers raring to attack in every nook and corner of Pak, Afghan

Bajaur Agency (Pakistan), Sept 12 (ANI): Well-trained suicide bombers are waiting to carry out suicide attacks in every nook and corner of Pakistan, and some of them have even crossed the Pak-Afghan border to attack the US-led coalition forces there, said a top Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) commander Maulvi Umar in a videotaped interview to be telecast on a Pakistan-based TV channel.

The interview was conducted at an undisclosed location somewhere in the Bajaur Agency in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas).

In the interview lasting more than one than one hour, Umar said that the TTP had no role in the assassination of former Pakistan premier Benazir Bhutto, and that TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud had talked to Benazir and conveyed to her that his terrorist organization was not targeting her. "Baitullah Mehsud told me that he had talked to the late PPP chairperson and assured her that there was no conflict between them and he would not take any action against her," Umar said.

Umar, who is known to be second to Mehsud, also said in the interview that young boys voluntarily joined the TTP with the ambition of carrying out suicide attacks in the name of Allah. "We don't force anybody to do suicide attacks. They automatically come to us and request a chance to sacrifice their lives for Allah. We teach our children. They study the Koran, understand it and memorize it, and when they become totally ready, then they are recruited for jihad," the Washington Times quoted him as saying.

Apart from Mehsud, Umar is the only TTP leader authorized to speak with the media. He is also the top Taliban commander in Bajaur Agency. About him, Nadeem Kiani, a spokesman for the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, said: "Umar is definitely on the radar screen. If we could get intelligence on where this person is, we would certainly take him out."

Umar said the TTP, like their Afghan brethren, share the ideology of Osama bin Laden and both groups are waging war against US and NATO troops in Afghanistan. "Afghan Taliban are only active in Afghanistan, but we are active in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Here in Pakistan, we have adapted a defensive strategy. However, in Afghanistan we have resorted to aggression against the NATO forces," he said.

Replying to a question as to why the TTP was attacking innocent civilians in suicide attacks, an angry looking Umar shot back: "[The] Taliban is going through a tough time, so it has resorted to these attacks. The suicide bombers always target security forces or government officials, but sometimes innocent people also fall victim to it. We always regret that and seek pardon, but it happens in the war. It sometimes becomes difficult to differentiate between the enemy and innocent people in the crowd." (ANI)