News
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
US persuading us to join Afghan govt: Haqqani* Sirajuddin says US, Pakistan and other countries are in contact with us
* Haqqanis neither killed Rabbani nor linked to ISI
KABUL: The operational leader of Haqqani network on Monday claimed that the United States and other countries had contacted the Haqqanis and persuaded them to join the Afghan government.
In an interview with the BBC released on Monday, he said the coalition partners were trying to create “tension” among insurgents.
The group has “been contacted and are being contacted by intelligence agencies of many Islamic and non-Islamic countries, including the US, asking us to leave the sacred jihad and take an important part in the current government,” Sirajuddin Haqqani said.
He also denied killing the Afghan government’s peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani and the US allegations that the Haqqanis were currently linked to the ISI.
“We haven’t killed Burhanuddin Rabbani and this has been said many times by the spokespersons of the Islamic Emirate,” he said, referring to the Taliban.
Afghan officials blamed Taliban for killing Rabbani in Kabul, saying the killer was a Pakistani and that the plot was made by the Quetta Shura.
However, no Afghan officials have specifically accused the Haqqani network over the killing.
Haqqani said during the 1980s anti-Soviet resistance, mujahedeen fighters “had contacts with the intelligence agencies of Pakistan and other countries, but after the invasion by the Americans, there have never been contacts by intelligence agencies of other countries which could be effective for us.” agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk