Hayatullah Khan (Taliban leader)
Hayatullah Khan | |
|---|---|
 Hayatullah Khan in 2007 | |
| Born | 1972 (age 51–52) |
| Known for | Senior Taliban leader and spokesman |
Mullah Hayatullah Khan is a Taliban leader and spokesmen.[1] In 2004 Khan informed journalists that the Taliban's leadership were in Afghanistan, not taking sanctuary in Balochistan.[2][3] When Hayatullah Khan made his first statement, in 2004, President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai said "Who is this Taliban commander Hayatullah Khan who made this claim? I have never heard his name and probably you also don’t know him.".
In February 2007 he was quoted about the Taliban's capture of Musa Qala.[1][4] He asserted that the Taliban had over 300 fighters in Musa Qala. He said that the Taliban had thousands of individuals who had volunteered to be suicide bombers.
In April 2007 he told the Daily Times that the Taliban had Afghans who were willing to serve as suicide bombers waiting to attack in major cities in Afghanistan.[5][6]
In October 2007 he asserted that the Taliban had played no role in the assassination attempt of Benazir Bhutto.[7][8] He said that “The Afghan Taliban are not involved in attacks in foreign countries.”
In an interview with Reuters in November 2007 he described managing hundreds of suicide bombers.[9]
He told Reuters:
"Next year, 2008, will be the bloodiest year for U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and we will make the Afghan land a graveyard for foreign forces,"
Hayatullah Khan issued the Taliban's reaction on January 20, 2009, the day Barack Obama was inaugurated.[10] He promised that "The increase of U.S. forces by Obama will provide us fresh and easy targets. Mujahideen are preparing, and as soon as winter goes, an intensity will be seen in our attacks in Afghanistan."
In 2009 Hayatullah Khan reappeared again, and again asserted that the Taliban's leadership was in Afghanistan, not Pakistan.[11][12] He said that Pakistan was more dangerous for the Taliban's leadership than Afghanistan. He denied the existence of the Quetta Shura.
References
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"Taliban prepare for spring offensive in Afghanistan". Daily Times. 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
"More than 300 fighters are in Musa Qala," senior Taliban commander Mulla Hayatullah Khan said from a secret base on Sunday. "They have been alerted and military supplies are being provided from other areas."
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"No Taliban havens in Balochistan: Govt told". Online News. 2004. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
A Taliban commander, Hayatullah Khan, some days ago told a foreign news agency that the entire Taliban leadership was not in Quetta and was in Afghanistan. 'The Americans are making the Quetta Shura an excuse for an expansion of their drone strikes to Balochistan, nothing else,' said Khan.
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"No threat from Taliban, says Karzai". Online News. 2004. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
"Who is this Taliban commander Hayatullah Khan who made this claim? I have never heard his name and probably you also don't know him," said the president in an interview with Pajhwok Afghan New at his sprawling Gul Khana or Presidential Palace. The previously unknown Hayatullah Khan, claiming to be a Taliban commander, announced recently that 10,000 fighters were ready to take part in the "spring offensive" against the foreign forces in Afghanistan.
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"Taliban warn of bloody year for foreign troops". Sydney Morning Herald. 2007-02-05. Archived from the original on 2008-04-14. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
"We have made 80 per cent preparations to fight American and foreign forces and we are about to start war," Mullah Hayatullah Khan, a 35-year-old black-bearded guerrilla leader, told Reuters at a secret base in the east. Khan says the 2,000 are just 40 per cent of fighters preparing to become suicide bombers, a tactic almost unheard of here until last year as militants copied Iraq.
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"Suicide bomber kills ten: Afghan police". Daily Times. 2007-04-17. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
Taliban commander Hayatullah Khan claimed responsibility and said there would be more attacks. "It was a successful strike and such bombings will continue," he said. "All of our suicide bombers are Afghans and they are waiting for orders in various Afghan cities."
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"Mulla Omar urges more suicide attacks". Daily Times. 2007-04-22. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
"Taliban mujahideen, through unity in their ranks, should continue and increase their guerrilla and suicide attacks on occupation forces and the infidels will soon run away," Khan quoted Omar as saying. "Mulla Omar has ordered us to liberate our country, (and) we should step up attacks on occupation forces and their puppet Afghans," he said.
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"We didn't attack Bhutto: Taliban". Daily Times. 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
But a commander of Afghanistan's Taliban, Mullah Hayatullah Khan, denied involvement. "The Afghan Taliban are not involved in attacks in foreign countries," Khan said via telephone from an undisclosed location. "I want to tell you, we are not involved in the attack on Benazir Bhutto's convoy," he said.
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Saeed Ali Achakzai (2007-10-22). "Afghan Taliban deny link to Bhutto attack". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
Khan said there would be no let-up in their attacks through the winter, when fighting traditionally eases off because snow blocks mountain passes. "We have set up training camps in different parts of Afghanistan and thousands of Taliban are under training," he said. Training covered suicide attacks, he said. Khan also ruled out peace talks with the Afghan government while foreign troops remained in the country.
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"Afghan and U.S.-led forces kill dozens of Taliban". Reuters. 2007-11-14. Archived from the original on 2012-11-14.
"We have sent hundreds of new and fresh Taliban suicide bombers to Afghan cities for attacks on occupying foreign troops and their Afghan slaves," Mullah Hayatullah Khan told Reuters by satellite telephone from an unknown location. "These Taliban suicide bombers were sent from Taliban camps to Afghan cities, including cities in the north of Afghanistan to find good targets," he said.
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Jonathon Burch (2009-01-20). "Afghans subdued but hopeful as Obama takes office". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2022-06-12. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
"Taliban will continue their guerrilla war and suicide and bomb attacks in Afghanistan," said Hayatullah Khan by telephone from an undisclosed location. "The increase of U.S. forces by Obama will provide us fresh and easy targets. Mujahideen are preparing, and as soon as winter goes, an intensity will be seen in our attacks in Afghanistan," Khan said.
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"Entire Taliban leadership in Afghanistan: commander". Daily Times. 2009-10-01. Retrieved 2011-10-11.
The entire Taliban leadership is in Afghanistan, a Taliban commander said on Wednesday. "Pakistan is not safe for us. More of our people have been captured in Pakistan than in Afghanistan so everybody is here including Mullah Omar," Hayatullah Khan, who said he was speaking from Afghanistan, although he declined to be specific, said. He said Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar was not in Pakistan and the US was only saying he was there to justify an expansion of its drone missile strikes.
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Saeed Ali Achakzai (2009-09-30). "Mullah Omar not in Pakistan, Taliban commander says". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved 2011-10-10.
Khan said there would be no let-up in their attacks through the winter, when fighting traditionally eases off because snow blocks mountain passes. "We have set up training camps in different parts of Afghanistan and thousands of Taliban are under training," he said. Training covered suicide attacks, he said. Khan also ruled out peace talks with the Afghan government while foreign troops remained in the country.
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