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Handout via EPA
Hakimullah Mehsud, right, chief of the Pakistani Taliban, records a video with deputy chief Wali ur-Rehman. The video was given to Reuters on Dec. 28.
DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan — On the heels of weeks of high-profile insurgent attacks in Pakistan, the head of the country's Taliban released a video saying his militia is willing to negotiate with the government but not to disarm.
The release of the 40-minute video to Reuters follows several significant Taliban attacks in the northern city of Peshawar this month. Among them was a sophisticated attack on the airport that began with multiple suicide bombings and spread to ground fighting in a nearby neighborhood; a car bombing that killed 17 people in a marketplace; another bombing that killed nine people, including a senior politician who was among the group's most outspoken critics; the killing of eight polio workers within 48 hours; and the kidnap of 22 paramilitary forces on Thursday.
At least 17 people are dead and dozens wounded when a car bomb detonated in a crowded market in Peshawar, Pakistan. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
The attacks underline the Taliban's ability to strike high-profile, well-protected targets even as the amount of territory it controls has shrunk and its leaders have been picked off by U.S. drones. An intelligence source in Pakistan has told NBCNews.com that the Taliban appears to be trying to wrap up the year in a position of power. Another intelligence source said the attacks may be "payback" for Pakistan's easing of relations with the United States.
In the video, Hakimullah Mehsud says, "We believe in dialogue, but it should not be frivolous. Asking us to lay down arms is a joke."
Mehsud sits cradling a rifle next to his deputy, Wali ur-Rehman. Military officials say there has been a split between the two men, but Mehsud said that was propaganda.
"Wali ur-Rehman is sitting with me here and we will be together until death," said Mehsud, pointing at his companion.
Pakistani officials did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.
The Taliban said in a letter released Thursday that they wanted Pakistan to rewrite its laws and constitution to conform with Islamic law, break its alliance with the United States, and stop interfering in the war in Afghanistan and focus on India instead.
Mehsud referred to the killing of the senior politician in his speech and said the political party, the largely Pashtun Awami National Party, would continue to be a target along with other politicians.
"We are against the democratic system because it is un-Islamic," Mehsud said. "Our war isn't against any party. It is against the non-Islamic system and anyone who supports it."
Pakistan is due to hold elections next spring. The current government, which came to power five years ago, struck an uneasy deal with the Taliban in 2009 that allowed the militia to control Swat valley, less than 60 miles from the capital, Islamabad.
A few months later, the military launched an operation that pushed the militants back. The U.S. military also intensified its use of drone strikes.
Now the Taliban control far less territory and the frequency and deadliness of their bombings has declined dramatically.
NBCNews.com's Waj Khan and John Newland and Reuters contributed to this report.
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The Taliban are using the Chairman Mao strategy "fight fight, talk talk".......whenever you need a breather, do some phony negotiations, then go back to fighting, then do negotiations. Keep it up till you win.
This is how Mao conquered China. It works well for the Taliban against stupid Westerners who believe they're anything but evil incarnate. Stupid Westerners like to see the good in every dictator.
This is what followers of Islamic cult have been doing since the birth of Islam.
They never honored a deal, a pact or never had peace for a longtime.
Whenever Taliban's like kill, kil and kill did not work, then they had phoney "love" and "peace" Sufi dancers!
They brought to pieces whatever they touched or whoever came near to them!
These men are grotesque and have the cunning of an animal.
The first thing that strikes me when looking at the picture is these guys are obviously well-fed and not living under adverse circumstances. The second is the crosses on the material used as a backdrop. If they are so adamant about Islam why would they use a backdrop with a Christian symbol?
Texas...that's all they had at the packi wal mart. There's no dialog with these people. They can't even agree with each other.
""We are against the democratic system because it is un-Islamic," Mehsud said. "Our war isn't against any party. It is against the non-Islamic system and anyone who supports it.""
Pakistan was supposed to be a pure Islamic nation, when British invented it in 1947.
Still, even after 60 years, Pakistan is not a pure Islamic nation for these people.
This is one example of Islamic religious madness has no limits.
They'll "negotiate" - that means they will demand everything goes their way or they will kill you.
DRONES and carpet bombs are the only thing they understand. It's not like the bombs will ruin valuable real estate (mud hovels).
You are right on mark. They deserve nothing short of 1991 Operation Desert Storm style carpet bombings.
Also Paki nukes and nuke areas need to be bombed to ground. Or else, most probably Islamic mad nuts like the Paki Taliban may get hold of nukes.
In Afghanistan, Pakis have backstabbed the US and NATO forces big time. Half of NATO forces deaths are due to ungrateful and backstabbing Pakis.
When the NATO forces were entering Kandahar in 2001, Pakis airlifted key al-Qaida, Taliban, ISI and others militants by back door from Kandahar.
This includes Mullah Omar, Osama and many including Paki Haqqani militant network leaders.
Hope people remember about Pakis sheltering Osama.
These Paki Islamic religious Nazis don't bother about their people and they are into reckless killing games in the name of jihad.
Drone attacks are not enough. To reduce NATO forces losses, carpet bomb Paki militant areas just like 1991 Iraqi war.
Declare Pakistan a terrorist nation.
Also all non-Muslim nations need to close the gates on these dangerous ungrateful and backstabbing Pakis.
If they could stop killing the Afgan children for 1 year, then I think we can talk. Otherwise, let the bombing continue.
There is no difference between the Pakistani Taliban and the Pakistani Government. Wake-up America
The most profound comment of all. I absolutely agree with you that the Pakistani government and military are the primary backers of the Taleban. There is no telling them apart. Pakistan should have been the first country to have been dealt with - not Afghanistan or even Iraq. Pakistan today continues to be cesspit, and while we are focusing on Iran, Pakistani intelligence and the military continues to plan terrorist activities.
Pakistan Taliban is the net result of Paki government actions.
There are more Islamic hating and killer organizations in Pakistan. They change their labels easily.
Pakistan is getting: reap what you sow!
As history has shown more will be coming.
You read it; the Taliban wants everything to be done their way, and that's the extent of the negotiation. Their record of cruelty and murder speaks for itself. In Afghanistan, a woman could die for lack of a male relative to escort her to the hospital, under their rule. The pride they take in murdering defenseless young girls is breathtaking. There is no difference between the Taliban of Pakistan or Afghanistan. They are power-hungry cowards. Fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan I can understand. But they haven't truly been threatened in Pakistan; they are used against India by the intelligence agencies of the government. Given guns and money by the same. Wish I could see the looks on their faces when they die and find death isn't what they thought it was going to be.
"She past away peacefully"...what a LIE. She died a brutal death and her attackers should be punished severely. If India does not seek justice then they should hang their heads in disgrace.
It is the right time for india, to pass death penalty for the rapists...Also speacial courts to try quickly such barbaric crimes... unless there is a strong and quick penalty for these animals( rapists) such crimes, will tend to repeat time to time .... Animals fear only strong punishments....Also punishments should be given in public places to deter such crimes...
May God gives peace to this young women. My hearty condolenses for her family members...
Ameer Mohamed Ghouse
Jazan/KSA
You are right.
India has one major problem. There are about 14 percent of liabilities and curses on earth, Muslims.
Many Muslims are in key places in India destroying India from within as Muslims typically do in non-Muslim nations.
We see Muslims inventing problems in most of the non-Muslim nations and many Muslim nations.
Even in the US, we can notice these actions!
9/11 had Saudi and Paki hands.
Many Pakis in the US, Britain, European nations, India and other places are busy planning terrorist acts and bringing Islamic Sharia Laws.
In the US, one Muslim from Bangladesh wanted to blow up Fed Reserve. He had come for studies and was hardly twenty! As per his family: "he is pious and he wanted to study."
With less than five percent Muslim population, peaceful marchers in Dearborn, Michigan, had taste of Muslim “love and peace”.
When Muslims form more than five percent, downhill march starts.
Muslims are inventing problems in Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines, India and other places.
When they form more than 30 percent then it is Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Lebanon (few decades back)
In Muslim majority nations, they are doing genocides of minority Islamic sects like Shiites, Sufis, Ahmedias and other minority tribes.
These Muslims are back to Muslim business of square one: raping, stealing, looting, rioting and killing! As they form a big voting block, some parties support them!!! Govt is scarred to touch them!
Similar things are going on in UK, France and many European nations.
If Saudi Arabia and many Muslim nations do not permit non-Islamic religious places and scriptures, Muslims have no right to have their mosques, hate preaching and killer training centers, in non-Muslim nations.
If non-Muslims can’t live in peace in Muslim nations, Muslims don’t have any right to live in our nations.
Just declare some Muslim basket case nations like Pakistan, Somalia, Bangladesh as terrorist nations and change the requirements for the stay in the US and other places.
You are right but you're posting on the wrong article.
The United State does has had a policy of not negotiating with terrorist.We'll see if that policy changes under Obama's second term,although I doubt it.The Taliban needs to be eradicated swiftly but until the people living in poverty are educated and gainfully employed where these heathens are entrenched,I don't see this happening.If we were to exit Afghanistan and Pakistan,cutting off financial aid even,the situation with the Taliban will only worsen for the citizens of these two countries.Maybe it's time to send women from around the world into Pakistan and Afghanistan with Louisville sluggers.
SCREW THEM~ I say Nuke'm from Orbit and do the World a Favor! These are the very Opium Farmers who shot a 13 yr old girl~ they are a Blight on Humanity a major part of the Problem and could never be part of the solution with absolutely no socially redeeming value. A Pox on the Land.
We should negotiate with drones, and .50 cal. Why can't we turn Afghanistan in a big live sharpshooting training range?
As a believing, practicing Muslim, I want to say publically for the ump-teenth time, that the Taliban or any militant group like them, are not the true voice of Al-Islam!
Groups like this drag Al-Islam into a darkage, and to associate anyone from my Muslim community in America with them, is gross ignorance!! I'm sure if the good Christians of this country suddenly found themselves associated with white-supremacist, neo-Nazi groups who identify themselves as "Christians," would cry foul to the holy-heavens!! It's the same kind of an analogy between my Muslim community and the Taliban! And the same would hold true between them and the immigrant Muslims of America!!!
Rah13,Beautiful post.Thank you for enlightening those ignorant people who lump everybody into one basket.I have had the pleasure of meeting a lady who is a practicing Muslim from Pakistan.Her entire family are so very nice.Her three kids go to college and when on break run the family store so that she can have time off.More parents should raise their children as she and her husband have.
Line up an equal amount of women men and children to be destroyed as they have done to the innocent.This will be a start.Naturally of their ilk.Tali ban.
There is only one solution for these cowards called the Taliban. They must be hunted down like rats and killed wherever they are. More hunter killer drones is a step in the right direction.