Floods cut Nato supply line to Afghanistan

Thursday August 12, 2010 (1022 PST)

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?230499

ISLAMABAD: The supply line for Afghanistan-based Nato forces, which has been cut
because of devastating floods in Pakistan, may not be restored shortly, it was learnt here on
Wednesday.

“It is really a good news for us that the Nato supply line through Pakistan has been cut
because of devastating floods,” said Qari Ziaur Rehman, a Kunar-based Taliban
commander while talking to our sources via telephone from an undisclosed location in
Afghanistan.

“Of course, we are extremely saddened by the loss of precious human lives and the colossal
economic losses because of devastation caused by floods in Pakistan but on the other hand
we are also very happy because it is immensely beneficial for us keeping in view the effects
of floods on the Nato supply line through Pakistan,” he said.

The Taliban commander said that they were now in much better position in the ongoing
Kandahar operation of the US and allied forces in southern Afghanistan. He said that the
Nato supplies were being transported through Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
provinces of Pakistan but now the supply line had been completely cut off by the floods.

The massive military operation in Kandahar is the linchpin of McChrystal’s strategy to turn
the tide this year, using the bulk of 30,000 reinforcements sent by US President Barack
Obama in a final “surge” of extra troops announced in December last. US commanders had
initially seen the main thrust of military operation in Kandahar running from June to the
beginning of August before Ramazan.

“Although the holy month of Ramazan has begun, our mujahideen will continue their
actions unabated. We are not going to scale down our operations and the attacks on the US
and Nato forces as well as other foreigners will continue with the same thrust,” the Taliban
commander said.

Qari Zia said the Taliban would soften their actions only to such an extent that they would,
however, not target the alien women. He said that besides the US and Nato troops, a list of
foreigners working in Afghanistan, including big businessmen of India, had been compiled
for attacks.

“The Indians are also our prime target because they are too close to the Americans among
the US allies and are doing good business in our homeland,” the Taliban commander said.
“The markets in major Afghan cities, particularly Kabul, Jalalabad and Kandahar, are
bursting with the Indian music CDs and cassettes and it is because of the presence of Indian
businessmen,” he said.

Qari Zia said that Indian culture was being promoted in Afghanistan in connivance with
Hamid Karzai, who as part of a well-knit plan wanted obscenity to prevail in Afghanistan
like the 1970s. But, he added, the mujahideen would never let him do so.

End.

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