The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan released a videotape on the fighting in the Mehsud areas of South Waziristan which includes graphic footage of the mutilation of several Pakistani soldiers who appear to have been killed in a firefight last summer.
The videotape, which was sent to The Long War Journal by a spokesman from Umar Media, the media arm of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, is titled “Strike of a Believer.” It focuses on the Taliban’s fight against the Pakistani military in the tribal agency of South Waziristan, and includes a statement from the terror group’s emir, Hakeemullah Mehsud.
A three-minute segment shows what appears to be the aftermath of a clash with Pakistani soldiers in a mountainous area of South Waziristan. The Taliban are seen taking the soldiers’ weapons. The soldiers are seen with their Pakistani Army-issued weapons, body armor, and helmets.
At least three of what appear to be six soldiers who were killed and beheaded are shown. Their heads are displayed on top of rocks. The body of one Pakistani soldier, who was not beheaded, was thrown down the mountainside.
Although the date of the Taliban attack on the Pakistani soldiers was not provided in the video, a spokesman for Umar Media told The Long War Journal that “this fight was held on 22 June 2012.”
The Pakistani media did not report the deaths of Pakistani soldiers in South Waziristan within three days before or after June 22, 2012. The nearest report of Pakistani soldiers killed in South Waziristan was on June 18, 2012, when two soldiers were said to have been killed in an attack on the Ladha area of South Waziristan.
Hakeemullah threatens the US and Britain
In addition to the graphic Taliban clip, a speech by Taliban emir Hakeemullah Mehsud was also featured in the lengthy tape. Hakeemullah vowed to continue to attempt to execute attacks on US and British soil.
“At present we are waging defensive jihad but our resolve is very strong,” Hakeemullah said, according to a translation of the videotape which was provided by the SITE Intelligence Group. He continued: “We resolve to enter Britain and America. They come here and target us, so we will go to America and Britain and target them. These will be blessings of jihad. Allah willing, we will have access there and avenge inside America and Britain.”
The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan nearly detonated a car bomb in Times Square in New York City on May 1, 2010. The bomb was placed by Faisal Shahzad, an American citizen who was born in Pakistan and returned home to train for an attack on the US. Both Hakeemullah and Qari Hussain, another Taliban commander, claimed credit for the attack. Hakeemullah was later seen on tape with Shahzad, boasting about the plot.
Videotape the latest to show Taliban executions of Pakistani security forces
In the past, the Taliban have released several videos of the execution and beheading of Pakistani troops. Most recently, in September 2012, the Taliban released a videotape of the aftermath of the beheadings of several Pakistani soldiers who were captured after fighting in Bajaur.
In June 2012, a video showing the heads of 17 Pakistani soldiers who had served in the district of Dir, which is near Bajaur, was released by the Taliban. [See LWJ report, Pakistani Taliban release video of beheaded Pakistani soldiers.]
In June 2011, the Taliban released a video of the execution of 16 Pakistani policemen in Dir. The Taliban lined them up, and executed them via firing squad. The policemen had been captured after the Taliban crossed the border from Kunar. [See LWJ report, Video of brutal Taliban execution of Pakistani policemen emerges.]
In February 2011, Hakeemullah released a videotape of the execution of a former Pakistani military intelligence official known as Colonel Imam. Although Imam, a senior officer in Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence directorate, was a favorite of the Afghan Taliban for his support of Mullah Omar, the Pakistani Taliban accused him spying against the terror group. [See LWJ report, Video: Pakistani Taliban execute Colonel Imam.]
19 Comments
According to the Clip the Commander Of Pak Army Tariq Aziz (Bearded guy at the start of the Clip) was involved in atrocities (Torture) during the Swat Valley operation. There are a large number of Photographs and Videos available on the Internet which confirm Torture and Mutilation by Pak forces as a tit-fot-tat for earlier Taliban excesses in Swat.
What goes around comes around I guess. If Pak’s are thinking to “Shock-N-Awe” the Taliban, they are perhaps underestimating their opponents.
Wonder why Taliban don’t mutilate ISAF forces, or may be I haven’t seen that many? Except on some rare occasions ??.
All in all, no love lost when it comes to Pak army..
I feel happy when these frankenstein islamic monsters kill the Pakistani Army. Because the Pak army created these monsters and are having a taste of their own medicine.
The Pak army have no respect for human rights in their own country and had no human rights respect when they mutilated two Indian soldiers during border clashes with India this year.
I also don’t have sympathy with the Taliban. The Pak army and the Taliban are both as bad as each other. Let them kill each other, it’s like parasites destroying each other.
God bless America, at least they’re attacking this terrorist state called Pakistan, with drones.
President Obama: “The tide of war is receding.”
Now that is a symbol of utter barbarism and butality. Doing crap like this do not help their cause and only goes to bolster the resistance of those who stand for justice and civilised behaviour.
This footage is good news. It will galvanize the Pakistani public and other Muslims against Islamofacism. It will also force the Pak Army head Mafiosi General’s into more drastic action against the local Islamofacists which they have bread over decades. The more the Pak Army is roiled up against these cave dwellers the better it is. It is a win win for the West.
Pakistan civilians are used to this kind of treatment. I think the problem is that Westerners don’t see the mayhem inflicted on the locals by both sides everyday. The locals are conditioned for this sort of savagery which includes shooting men with recoilless rifles, stoning, filling corpses full of unnecessary holes, severing various appendages, murdering women and children in the lobby of a bank…I mean the civilians are probably glad it’s the military being slaughter instead of them.
No big deal. Just a little Tribal Disobedience.
Enlighten me how this tape is different from other tapes of similar beheading and firing squads…???
When you say Pakistani soldiers that means Pak army or frontier corps…? reason for my question is the ethnicity of soldiers where they Punjabi or from Sindh?? I certainly don’t think they were Punjabi or from Sindh.
Dani,
I would love for that to be true, but history has shown us differently. The Pakistanis never really galvanize after these brutal attacks against their soldiers. In fact, it seems that this is nothing of an offense to them. Their silence shows their complicity, as many Pakistanis support this behavior.
@ everyone:
Boy the Pakistani Taliban in Waziristan are capitalizing on the Auto-Tune craze! Nice new dimension of propaganda in the video, T-Pain would be proud.
Perhaps this isn’t the moment for what may be consider a stab at humour…..but here goes…
Its bad enough having to watch a video as gruesome as this but to have to listen to a video drenched in auto-tuned reverb just puts it over the top……..I hope nobody tells these little incest/monkeys about the wa-wa pedal and the “echo” sound effect…
But what else could we expect from cave dwelling child molesters…
Regards, Don Laird
Edson, Alberta, Canada
This video changes nothing. Pakistan will continue to tolerate/at times fight the Taliban to show they’re getting “tough” with the Taliban. I’ve commented on Pakistan’s twisted relationship with jihadist organizations before, but for those who want a good read about this relationship, I recommend a book called The Unraveling by John R. Schmidt. The book is about the historical corruption of feudal Pakistani politics, as well as, the dynamics of Pakistani support for jihadist organizations. I like how this Taliban propaganda video sports a jihadi music jam despite the Taliban outlawing music when they ruled Afghanistan. The only thing I’ve seen run more wild than the hypocrisy found in every self-righteous jihadi organization, was Hulkamania at its peak. It’s interesting that Hakeemullah Mehsud says they’re “At present waging a defensive jihad…” but that they’ll “… avenge inside America and Britain.” He mentions nothing about jihad when referencing attacks inside America and Britain though, so apparently reprisals are justified by Islam now. At least he’s being honest by not even attempting to wrap his intentions of reprisals abroad in a defensive jihad taco shell, as so many other jihadi organizations often do. The sole accomplishment of this video and article is the reminder that the Taliban, be it Pakistani/Afghani, can’t be negotiated with.
It’s important to remember that pretty much the entire Frontier Corp is considered expendable as are many units of the Pakistani military (the Frontier Corp consists of local tribes who officials in Islamabad are more than happy to see fight other locals aligned with the Taliban). When I hear Pakistani officials talk about their losses it’s almost funny considering how little they really care. It’s usually followed up with, “We need more money America!”.
… and nothing will change. Nothing.
They could kill a hundred soliders via wood chipper and still nothing…. NOTHING… would change.
So where is the outrage like when the Marines urinated of the taliban bodie? Yes the track was off the hook with auto-tune.
@vyom
Absolutely spot on. The Frontier Corp is where the Punjabi-dominated government sticks Pashtuns from the local tribes to fight other Pashtuns. It’s a win-win situation: get the Pashtuns to fight each other and then say to America “Look, our soldiers are dying… give us more money!”
As bad as this barbarism is, it’s what they do to each other. It’s an accepted practice in regional warfare for these savages. As @Bob states, nothing will ever change in the land civilization bypassed.
@kit, Pakistani outrage is highly selective. There is no outrage at these beheadings or at the slaughter of the Shia or their country being overrun by jihadists. But plenty of outrage over drone attacks (tacitly approved by their military) or a Raymond Davis in custody or Bin Laden being taken out. The manufactured outrage at Salala was another case in point. It shows where their true sympathies lie.
This is a shocking and sad video. Whats disturbing is the comments from outsiders who criticize us when they have no clue what is really happening inside Pakistan. This is not our religion, nor is this normal behavior. After seeing this, I am so disturbed.