Taliban lure flood victims with help offer
London, Aug. 31: Taliban guerrillas are taking advantage of the large-scale misery caused by the devastating floods in Pakistan by attempting to enlist 50,000 new fighters in return for food and medicine.
The Taliban are eyeing the floods as an opportunity to begin their biggest recruitment drive in a decade, officials told The Sun. Thousands of guerrillas are heading out to flood-ravaged areas to help starving victims.
Their agenda is clear. For providing food and medicine, they demand that men pledge to take up their cause. This could lead to a significant upswing in Al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan and in adjoining Afghanistan.
The media report said the activists of the Al Qaeda supported Al Rehmat Trust and Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) were behind the campaign to recruit new fighters. A Pakistan intelligence official said there were reports that the Taliban had set a target to recruit 50,000 new guerrillas.
“This is disastrous for Pakistan and the war against terrorism,” he said.
A team from the daily on Monday visited the Swat Valley in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
“The Taliban are bringing us rice. We are hungry. People here have simple lives and are easily influenced,” Mr Abdul Jabbar, 50, whose home was destroyed in Mingora town, was quoted as saying.
“They have short memories and don’t remember the blood spilled when the Taliban was more active here,” he noted.
Another flood victim, Mr Baqhat Khan, said, “We do not want our young being groomed for suicide missions in return for food for their families.”
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