Free Republic

A former high-profile spokesman for the Taleban has been shot dead in eastern Afghanistan. Mohammad Hanif was killed at his home in the province of Nangarhar along with three other people who were believed to be his relatives. Another official said the others killed were Dr Hanif's cousin, brother-in-law and nephew and that the attack may have been linked to a family feud. Dr Hanif began speaking for Afghanistan's former rulers in October 2005. He was held in January 2007 in the border town of Towr Kham in Nangarhar soon after entering from Pakistan. Afghanistan's intelligence agents released a video...

Kabul, 19 Jan. (AKI) - The recent arrest of Taliban spokesman Mohammed Hanif, has led to further revelations about the divisions and differences within the Afghan militant group. According to Afghan security sources, cited in the Saudi newspaper 'al-Watan', after having revealed that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar was living in the Pakistani city of Quetta under the protection of the Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI, Hanif has reportedly also explained the workings within the Taliban. According to the report, Hanif said that the Taliban is divided into three groups. The first group is made up of former members of the...

KARACHI: The trial of five Islamic militants accused in the deadly car bombing outside the US Consulate in Karachi was delayed for the seventh time Saturday -- this time because the prosecutor did not show up in court. The trial will attempt to start again on Tuesday, Khawaja Naveed, a lawyer for one of the five Islamic militants said. Naveed also complained that his client, Mohammed Ashraf, was being tortured in jail. He has requested the anti-terrorist court order a medical examination. The court will decide on Tuesday when it convenes, he said. "Due to severe torture Ashraf's shoulder has...