PESHAWAR: Kidnapping of high-profile foreign nationals, particularly hailing from the United States and other western countries as well as Afghan dignitaries, has always proved a profitable deal for the Afghan Taliban to secure the release of captive colleagues or receive huge ransom.
According to Taliban sources, so far, US soldier Bowe Bergdahl had proved the “most useful prey” to them in their campaign to kidnap important foreign nationals or military officials in war-ravaged Afghanistan.
After kidnapping him from Afghanistan’s troubled Paktika province, near the border with Pakistan’s restive South Waziristan tribal region, in 2009, Taliban secured the release of their top five commanders from the Guantanamo Bay prison ?in January 2014.
Obviously, the Taliban knew his value and always used to call Bergdahl their “special guest and a precious bird.”
Taliban believed they would one day get back their prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Bergdahl and they succeeded in their bargain. Those five Guantanamo Bay detainees now live a free life in Qatar along with their family members.
It was the first ?direct negotiation between the US and Afghan Taliban after the latter were allowed to set up their office in Qatar to facilitate contacts with them for finding peaceful settlement to the Afghan conflict.
Besides Bergdahl, Taliban militants kidnapped a number of other foreign nationals as well as Afghan dignitaries and freed them after negotiations that mostly ended up securing the release of Taliban prisoners ?or getting huge ransom.
“Kidnapping is one of the most hated work in ?our field but it is done in an unavoidable situation as we believe it tarnishes our image worldwide and will set a bad example among our fighters,” said a senior Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.
Pleading anonymity, he said the kidnapping plan is thoroughly discussed and permission sought from Taliban’s powerful decision-making body “Rahbari Shura” (leadership council).
Regarding the recent surge in kidnapping incidents, senior Taliban members said, “These are meant to put pressure on Nato and Afghan government to release Taliban prisoners.”
They added Taliban demanded several times by involving the Qatar establishment to negotiate the release of Taliban prisoners, but the US and its allies and the Afghan government were not interested in it.
Requesting anonymity, another senior member of the Afghan Taliban in eastern Afghanistan said ?they never assisted anyone to kidnap people no matter if they were foreigners or locals.
“In Afghanistan, we (Taliban) have strict rules and regulations. Taliban even do not let a minor group including al-Qaeda to operate without their permission,” said the Taliban commander.
He maintained that the Rahbari Shura has to be informed prior to finalizing kidnapping plan.
When asked about reports that wealthy people were often kidnapped for ransom, the Taliban commander clarified: “Well, ransom is a
side benefit, but no local commander can claim it. It is only allowed if officially permitted.”
He categorically denied that Taliban kidnapped people just for ransom.
It always enraged Taliban fighters after their colleagues tell ?them about the stories of torture inflicted on them in captivity by the foreign and Afghan authorities, the commander said. “There is no other option but to kidnap the (enemy) people and swap them for our Taliban prisoners,” he argued.
He said they had directed their fighters to prefer foreign nationals, particularly military officials. “Prisoners swap is easy for the exchange of foreigners,” he said.
Some Taliban sources said efforts were made to kidnap US journalist and his interpreter recently in Marjah district in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, but Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said they came to know about his identity only after his death.
He claimed the US journalist and his Afghan interpreter were travelling in military vehicles and that too without Taliban permission. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/133215-Kidnapping-of-high-profile-foreign-nationalsprofitable-deal-for-Afghan-Taliban
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