Carol Anne Grayson (Radical Sister) blog

Protesting FCR Islamabad

The state of Pakistan (land of the pure) was founded on August 14th, 1947 after separation from India following independence from Britain. Although this was designed to be a new beginning for those hailed as Pakistanis, not so for the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) predominantly Pashtun in origin. Tribal people continue to suffer oppression as second class citizens under the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) in what Muhammad Maqbool Khan Wazir describes as an “imperial black law” first introduced by foreigners.

Wazir, a researcher and security analyst, informs us that FATA is made up of of 7 Agencies and 6 “frontier regions”, (known as the Excluded areas) and states the region has no network of state institutions in the modern sense. He writes,

“the legal and adminstrative system in FATA is the same which was designed in the 19th century by British colonialists for their special interests. FATA today is formally a part of Pakistan but more closely resembles a colony whose population lives under laws and administrative arrangements that set it apart from the rest of the state. Almost six decades after Pakistan’s independence, tribal Pashtuns remain subject to the application of this colonial law, some of whose clauses are cruel to the point of being inhumane”

Former president Asif Ali came up with amendments to this legislation however there are ongoing issues over implementation and locals feel the changes don’t go far enough. There were hopes that the Nawaz Sharif government would abolish this draconian law but many feel FCR reform has been put on the backburner leading to mounting frustration and anger from FATA residents. Lawyer Saroop Ijaz describes FATA as “an island of exceptionalism, where the State of Pakistan has never earnestly tried to establish its writ and hence extend rights.”

Now FATA Lawyers Forum (FLF) supported by members of political parties are part of a new initiative to abolish the out of date and punitive law with the announcement of the “Go FCR Go” campaign.

FATA Lawyers Forum are challenging FCR, an unjust law

As Ijaz Khan Mohmand, president of FLF told me, Britain inflicted FCR laws on FATA in 1901 and tribesmen do not have any decision making powers. He described FATA as “an area of around 2,700 per kilometer and about 10 million people, a buffer zone between two powers but the peoples who are living there are called Tribal people”. He criticized the capitalist economy of the west pointing out that “democracy was not perfect” and asked “why have they used us in the name of religion, nationalism and clash of civilization, which we have seen in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia wars and that war was not religious but the war of capital.”

FATA youth have recently taken to the streets armed with determination and a series of posters protesting against FCR article 247 at Azad Square, Islamabad. Article 247 is said to “violate many rights enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan and also international human rights convention and treaties signed by Pakistan” see link,

“Amending article 247 must for FATA governance reforms”

http://fatareforms.org/2014/10/22/amending-article-247-must-for-fata-governance-reforms/

Abdul Rasheed Mohmand, commenting on social media, praised those campaigning as “heroes” describing them as “awesome”. He said, “you are the real tigers, FATA youth can change the traditional exploitation culture in the name of FCR.”

Earlier this week DAWN media reported that political party, Pakistan Tehreek -i- Insaf (PTI) led by chairmam Imran Khan had addressed supporters on FCR. PTI claimed that, “misuse of FCR, absence of social justice system and denial of constitutional rights in FATA areas were the major causes of the prevailing sense of depression among and backwardness of tribesmen.” Local FATA parliamentarian MNA Shahabuddin Khan came under fire from protesters for failing to live up to his promise to work towards the abolition of this despised legislation.

The Frontier Post and FCR FATA Reforms pick up on the slowness of action from central government stating,

“the Government Commission was asked by the Governor to make its final recommendations by March 2015. Stating that reforms are needed for longstanding peace and stability in FATA, ANP, JI, JUI-F, MQM, NP, PPP, PML, PML-N, PTI and QWP (political parties) emphasize that now is the time for government to move forward on the reforms agenda and provide a new democratic system for FATA”

They added that,

 “the ten political parties expressed resolve to continue work with Senators and members of the National Assembly to develop a constitutional amendment bill for Article 247 to guarantee fundamental rights for FATA”

Taliban groups TTP JA and TTP both oppose FCR and fight for Islamic law

Insurgent groups want to see the back of FCR too. However, they also want to see the back of the entire constitution of Pakistan and consider that there is no alternative to change in the Tribal Areas and beyond other than the full introduction of Sharia law. Ehsanullah Ehsan, official spokesperson for Pakistan Tehreek -e-Taliban, Jamaat -ul-Ahrar (TTP JA) stated,

“whether it is FCR or the constitution of Pakistan; we consider all the man-made laws Haram (sinful, forbidden). Pakistani laws have been directly or indirectly made by the British colonialist Kuffar (non-Muslims) or their puppet rulers put in place by them in Pakistan. These laws are completely un-Islamic and meant to exploit and enslave the Muslims of Pakistan. We are fighting and we shall continue to fight until the whole un-Islamic democratic system is uprooted from Pakistan and Shariah of Allah SWT becomes dominant in this land”

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) social media spokesperson also gave his comment saying, “we are Muslims and we believe in Islamic law and our fight is against these laws that are non-Islamic and FCR is non-human law.”

“Go FCR Go” campaign could become a key political and religious issue as laws changed under the constitution of Pakistan and a democratic system for many symbolize continued western influence. This could become a battle of democratic law versus Islamic Sharia law as to what might replace FCR.

“article-9 protects life and liberty but under FCR hundreds of people are arrested and detained every year without any charge or trial. For months and in some cases for years the detents stay in prison on the basis of the so called plea of collective tribal territorial responsibility (many can be punished for the actions of a few). In fact, liberty has no meaning in FATA except statelessness, lack of accountability and responsibility and the rule of ‘might is right'”

 Waris Hussain (an adjunct professor specializing in international law) writing for Express Tribune in February 2014 before the launch of military operation Zarb -e-Asb in June of this year, highlighted one area of possible opposition to FCR abolition. He stated,

“the military may want to stymie this action, especially if it is considering military operations in FATA regions used by militants for sanctuary. As soldiers, not lawyers or prosecutors, it is understandable that the military would wish to avoid legal scrutiny of its potential future actions in FATA. Perhaps, it has learned a difficult lesson by being brought before the Supreme Court concerning missing persons in Balochistan and wishes to avoid any similar future controversies”

A second area of grave concern relates to females where the law appears strongly gender biased with no practical framework for helping the mothers, sisters, daughters of the Tribal Areas. As Muhammad Wazir points out “the FCR absolutely ignores crimes against women, (not even a single woman reported a case under the FCR so far), despite the fact that maximum crimes in FATA are related to women.”

These are only two examples from many issues covered under FCR.

“Go FCR Go” launches on social media

Opposition to FCR is not going to disappear. This is a time of growing unrest in FATA with many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) angry at being forced from their homes due to military operations against insurgents. They want multiple issues aired and to return to an improved FATA, not one with the same restrictions and injustice.

DAWN media has just highlighted the latest example where FCR is being used to put pressure on the people of FATA with the launch of another military offensive called Khyber -1 in the Bara area. The local political agent informed residents that airstrikes would soon begin and told a jirga (tribal assembly of elders) that,

“the elders of Bara shall fulfil their responsibilities under the Collective Territorial Responsibilities clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation and try to prevail upon militant groups and their sympathisers to refrain from putting up resistance during the Khyber-1 operation and instead voluntarily surrender”

This puts enormous pressure on Tribal people to convince militants to co-operate with the government when they may have no influence on them whatsoever and in doing so may be put at personal risk.

A seminar took place back in June before the latest upheaval to investigate the problems encountered by Tribal people. It was entitled ‘FCR: Need of Reformation, challenges and Way Forward’, and was organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). This initiative showed that the majority of participants, a mixed group of people representing civil society in FATA, demanded nothing less than the complete abolition of a law that has been maintained against their interests for far too long.

Links

“FATA under FCR: An imperial black law”

http://www.asc-centralasia.edu.pk/Issue_61/09-FATA_UNDER_FCR.html

The Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR): A socio political assessment

http://www.asc-centralasia.edu.pk/Issue_70/01_FCR.html

“Dr Death” as characterized by actor Vincent Price, the reality looks far more mundane

What is “extremism”?

Yesterday I reported on former British surgeon Tariq Ali who was struck off by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) and has now joined Pakistan Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (TTP JA). This case of “extremism” was the first-ever successful prosecution for Islamic sectarian violence in Britain and was heard against Ali in his absence.

Natalie Glenville reported in the Guardian (Series) that,

“Ali was charged with violent disorder following a demonstration calling for jihad in Syria organised by Walthamstow-based extremist preacher, Anjem Choudary. 

On Wednesday, The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MTPS) panel heard how Tariq helped organise the protest in May 2013 which resulted in several Shi’ite Muslims being attacked in Edgware Road.

Ali used the flagpole of his wooden placard to repeatedly hit a man who already been punched to the ground”

More on this story can be read in my article,

“Former surgeon Tariq Ali joins TTP JA, slates Pakistan army in new video”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/former-surgeon-tariq-ali-joins-taliban-ttp-ja-slates-pakistan-army-in-new-video/

What is concerning however is that whilst action was taken in Ali’s case, dozens of other cases of doctors involved in another form of “extremism” violent biological assault against their own patients which eventually led to many deaths did not result in these medical staff being removed from practicing in the UK.

Janet Parshal, writing in the Christian Post on “How do you define an ‘extremist'” states,

“if you look up the word “extremist” in the dictionary, you will find it defined as ‘one who goes to extremes or advocates extreme doctrines or practices.’ If I were to ask you to name a group of extremists, who would come to mind?”

For many, Tariq Ali might come to mind as he fits the stereotypical image of an “extremist” dished up in the media… He is male, Asian and a Muslim and has spoken openly of his religious and political beliefs, advocating for sharia’ah law to be implemented. However there are far more dangerous cases of extreme behaviour carried out by white, male, British doctors of largely Christian faith that has been swept under the carpet by the medical establishment including the General Medical Council (GMC) where no punitive action was ever taken.

There are “Dr Deaths” roaming our hospital corridors even now. Not the horror story character as depicted by actor Vincent Price but something rather more mundane which makes it all the more frightening.

Definition of “extremism”… “the holding of extreme political or religious views; fanaticism”

In what has come to be known as the “worst medical treatment disaster in the the history of the National Health Service (NHS)” the infection of patients with HIV and hepatitis viruses, “extremists” were free to break all ethical boundaries and indulge in the most horrific of experiments, practicing on live patients. They were the haematologists (blood doctors) employed in so called “centres of excellence” up and down the country to care for patients with haemophilia (a condition, largely affecting males, where the blood fails to clot).

Many of these doctors practiced a form of “political extremism”. They believed like the doctors of Nazi Germany, that in the politics of disability it was considered acceptable to use patients born with hereditary medical conditions for unethical experimentation against the Nuremberg Code. The “disabled” were treated as second class citizens with no rights, they were denied key information regarding their “treatment” were viewed as expendable and killed!

The medical profession and “bio-terrorism”

Haematologists knowingly injected contaminated plasma products into their patients sourced from US prisons such as Arkansas State Penitentiary. This blood was taken from the “highest risk” prisoners, drug addicts and gay men practising unsafe sex that sold their blood for a few dollars to pharmaceutical companies which ignored all the rules of safety. The prisons and pharmaceutical companies made millions putting “profit before safety”.

Inmates had themselves been subjected to unethical experimentation, injected with material considered a” bio-hazard” deadly viruses such as HIV, hepatitis viruses to be studied in exchange for a reduced prison sentence. This was none other than “bio-terrorism” as many prisoners had no idea what they were being injected with and patients on the receiving end of inmates’s plasma had no idea they were getting prison blood and were told the product was safe.

This evidence was presented at the Archer Private Inquiry held opposite the Houses of Parliament. The British government covered up their role in PROMOTING this treatment as “safe” knowing it to to be to “highly dangerous” as testified by Lord David Owen (former Health Minister). The government themselves REFUSED to hold a public inquiry into alleged wrongdoing and the unlawful killing of around 2,500 NHS patients with 2,300 more seriously injured through infection with HIV and hepatitis viruses.

The following letter from the sister of an Arkansas prisoner, who sold his blood to pharmaceutical companies was handed in to No 10 Downing Street in 2001, for the attention of then Prime Minister Tony Blair (no reply was ever received)

March 22, 2001

Mr. Tony Blair, British Prime Minister

10 Downing Street

London, England

Dear Mr. Blair:

My name is Linda Tant Miller and I live in the state of Washington in the United States.  The purpose of this letter is to provide you some of the information to which I am privy regarding the collection of HIV and hepatitis-tainted human blood plasma from the Cummins Unit of the Arkansas Department of Correction, (ADC) and its distribution throughout the world.

My brother, Bud Tant was a prisoner in the Cummins Unit from 1984 until his death from hepatitis C on March 14, 1999.  Neither my brother nor his family was aware of the fact that he had this virus until approximately 1996, but according to John Byus, the current Medical Administrator of the ADC, Bud had the virus at the time he was first incarcerated there.  During part of the time that my brother was donating plasma, Mr. Byus, a Registered Nurse worked in the Cummins Unit Infirmary, so he is in a position to know this fact.  Bud was, nonetheless permitted to donate plasma at every collection session from 1984 until the program was terminated in 1992.

I first learned of the sickness in Canada as a result of the Cummins Unit plasma just prior to my brother’s death, but I didn’t have time to address the subject in depth until after he died.  As I watched my brother die a death more gruesome and agonizing than I’d ever dreamed in my worst nightmares, I realized that millions of people all over the world would suffer his same horrendous fate and their families would stand helplessly by, suffering the same grief and agony we were enduring.  I realized that most of them would never know the source of their infection, but I knew, and I vowed to my brother that I would see the atrocity exposed and those responsible for it brought to justice.  I have devoted my life to this cause since that date.

Several years ago Sgt. McAlpine of the RCMP, indicated to me that they had little hope of bringing to justice the ADC administrators responsible for the knowing and deliberate harvesting and sale of tainted plasma, because by the time they got to Arkansas the paper trail was gone, so I promised him that I would find eye-witnesses and participants who would be willing to testify to what happened.  I have since that time located many current and former inmates, former Cummins Unit Plasma Program staff members and a former ADC Compliance Officer who are anxious to testify to the facts of this crime.

Here are just a few of the facts I have uncovered:

• Known homosexual prison prostitutes, even those in the final stages of AIDS were routinely permitted to donate plasma.
• Men who were bloated and jaundiced from the final stage of hepatitis were routinely permitted to donate plasma.
• Even when available, tests for HIV and hepatitis were seldom utilized, and when they were, results were often falsified.
• Needles re-sharpened with sand paper and collection tubing were re-used from inmate to inmate, thereby cross-infecting virtually the entire donor base.
• The collected plasma was stored in a freezer that was often out of order. Plasma rendered unfit by thawing was re-frozen and shipped out in regular shipments.
• Plasma that was rejected by the plasma brokers as unfit was returned to the Cummins Unit for destruction. Out of each returned case of plasma, one or two units were destroyed and the rest was re-frozen and re-shipped.
• During periods of time when the US Food and Drug Administration had shut down the Cummins Unit program due to their unsafe practices, the ADC administrators continued to collect and sell plasma, using names collected from the local telephone book and selling it through a community plasma center.

All of these charges and more can and will someday be proven in a court of law.As I’m sure you are aware, many thousands of innocent British citizens have been sickened and killed due to the deliberate crimes committed by the MEDICAL PERSONNEL who administered the Cummins Unit Plasma Center.  I hope therefore that you will join your voice to those of us who are working to see justice served in this matter.

I urgently implore you to use the power of your office to spur the FBI and the US Department of Justice to implement a full-scale investigation of the people and institution that made the tainted plasma available to the pharmaceutical companies.  Had it not been for the greed and corruption of the plasma collectors the people and governments of the world would not now be facing the tragedies and financial burdens with which we’re now forced to struggle I know all too well the effect my brother’s suffering and death has had on my family. 

We will never be the same.  I no longer work at a paying job because seeing justice done in this matter is far more important to me than my own personal comfort and finances.  My parents have developed health problems due to the stress and grief of our tragedy that will soon see both of them in their graves. My sister and I have debilitating flashbacks to the time of our brother’s dying which haunt us day and night, turning our lives into nonstop nightmares of pain and grief.  Multiply our suffering by BILLIONS, since the secondary infections from the Cummins Plasma Program will continue to the end of time unless science discovers cures or vaccines against the plague the Arkansas Department of Corrections and its employees have unleashed upon the world. 

Sir, the people who are guilty of this atrocity are the worse criminals in history and I hope you will be as incensed and determined to see justice done as I am.

I also pray you will heed the pleas of my good and wise friend Carol Grayson and take the steps necessary to see to it that no other British subjects will be infected with deadly diseases during medical treatment and to assure that fair and equitable compensation is made to ALL the victims of this atrocity.For more information on the Cummins Unit Plasma Program please visit my web site at http://www.geocities.com/bloodcows. 

In addition, a friend of mine is producing a documentary film about the Cummins Unit Plasma Program that contains yet more testimony and information.  It will air in a few months and I will notify you of the date and time as soon as they are known.I will appreciate a response to this letter, apprising me of your thoughts and intentions regarding this atrocity and the plight of the victims.

Thank you for your time and attention to this urgent matter of justice

Sincerely

Linda Tant Miller

(address, email and phone number given)

————————————————————

A poster on the Contaminated Blood Disaster hung outside the Department of Health, London

What doctors knew and did to their patients

Evidence from the monthly meetings of haematologists and thousands of other documents exchanged between the British government lawyers and lawyers for patients showed exactly what the doctors treating haemophiliacs knew at the time and how they behaved. They knew the risks, lied to their patients and a number were on the payroll of international plasma companies constituting a “conflict of interest”.

The doctors also documented their use of Previously Untreated Patients (PUPS, newborn haemophiliacs) and mild haemophiliacs in EXPERIMENTS at the British side to monitor progression of diseases. In other words their own records state doctors deliberately injected dirty blood into children and others because as they said “they were cheaper than chimpanzees”. They were used in experiments against the Nuremberg Code, a set of rules guiding ethical practice.

General Medical Council ignored the evidence

Patients submitted complaints to the General Medical Council (GMC) once they had the evidence. This body not only failed to act but allowed patients to continue to be treated for years by the very same doctors that had experimented on them and were implicated in unlawfully killing patients. This caused terrible fear and stress in patients who were often treated very badly by medical staff for speaking out. Some patients infected with HIV, hepatitis B and C and exposed to variant CJD said they were terrified to be left alone in hospital and begged relatives to remain with them 24 hours a day.

You only truly understand bio-terrorism when you open your door to a man in a bio- hazard suit and you realize no hospital has given you guidelines on how to safely nurse your loved one.

One of the complaints was that doctors had tested their patients for viral infection HIV and hepatitis viruses after giving them plasma products and then withheld positive test results sometimes for years putting their family members at risk also. This was evident from matching dates of tests to dates within medical records of when the patient was actually informed of their infection. Yet no doctor was ever held to account.

The biggest lie

The biggest lie (proven by extensive and award winning research) was that this tragedy was an “unavoidable accident” as stated by government. In fact documents showed repeatedly that the government and other authorities suppressed key evidence, trashed important documents and threatened and tried to silence those that had evidence of deliberate unethical experimentation, gross negligence and unlawful killings.

The media that did try to expose were threatened with a D notice (Defence Advisory Notice) not to publish and penalized by press bodies with stories closed down. Again this evidence was presented at the Archer Inquiry.. One case involved a well known doctor who lied to protect himself, and made a complaint regarding journalist Susan Douglas to the Press Complaints Commission. She has still not received an apology despite evidence presented showing this doctor to have deceived the public.

Legal (a ridiculous principle)

A law called the “Bolam principle” was applied to haemophilia legal cases…

“a doctor is not guilty of negligence if he has acted in accordance with a practice accepted as proper by a responsible body of medical men skilled in that particular art” 

Though to quote Bertrand Arthur William Russell,

“The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd”

The problem was the vast MAJORITY of doctors nationwide had acted in a dangerous and unethical way so medical staff, hospital authorities, the GMC and British government who advocated the treatment and knew the practices involved all conspired to cover -up and are still doing so. The problem for the GMC was that had it acted properly it would have had to have struck off almost all haematologists treating haemophiliacs during a certain period of time.

Ken Baxter, painted blood red and holding a skeleton to represent the global haemophilia community that received US prison blood

The following statement appeared in the Lancet medical journal back in 2000,

“Behind each adverse event there is a patient, a doctor, and a doctor-patient relationship. A patient must be told when things have gone wrong. Every effort must be made to minimise the after effects, including financial compensation where necessary. Most patients wish to know in detail what happened and what is being done to reduce the possibility of a recurrence. And members of healthcare teams need mechanism to come to terms with their fallibility. It is hoped that clinical governance will make a difference (BMJ Letters Page 19-16^th August 2000)”

When we consider the actions of former doctor, Tariq Ali, although he was convicted of violence and extremism, it is important to consider who had the most extreme behaviour? Was it Ali or dozens of doctors whose behaviour unlawfully killed 2,500 patients and irreversibly damaged 2,300 more? There is no comparison in the way these cases were handled and that is both shocking and deeply disturbing.

BBC Newsnight highlighted this issue in 2007 and was nominated for best Newsnight of the Year by Royal Television Society (RTS) for factual reporting

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/6565071.stm

These are the double standards of western so called “democracy” that are forever criticising the human rights violations of other countries but will not act on their own abuses. Ali’s case also highlights that as an Asian Muslim male he was always going to be held accountable. There is a popular narrative around extremism which is narrowly defined and does not seem to include looking at the extreme behaviour of white, Christian men.

Ali’s conduct outside the hospital environment during a protest came under close scrutiny and he was severely punished. Doctors who repeatedly biologically assaulted their patients for years on end by injecting them with deadly viruses went unchecked and they literally got away with killing their patients and breaking every ethical rule in the book!

Ironically someone who was punished was a prisoner named Rolf Kaestel in Arkansas State Penitentiary. Lawyers and human rights activists have argued that Kaestel would have been released long ago had he not given evidence on the prison plasma centre to a documentary maker Kelly Duda (Factor 8, The Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal) to support infected haemophiliacs. See,

“Free Rolf Kaestel the prisoner who blew the whistle on a prison blood scandal linked to Bill Clinton”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/free-rolf-kaestel-the-prisoner-who-blew-the-whistle-on-a-prison-blood-scandal-linked-to-bill-clinton/

The contaminated blood “treatment” batch numbers given to UK patients were traced back to Arkansas and other prisons by both lawyers for haemophiliacs and Kelly Duda. The Archer Inquiry took evidence from Duda but the British government failed to carry out the recommendations of Lord Archer stating “the state of the economy” meant they were unable to compensate victims properly and a full and open public inquiry was “not in the interests of the public”. It was not in the Archer Inquiry remit to establish legal liability so sadly not all the evidence provided was even heard.

In France two doctors in high ranking positions plus a former health official were jailed for their part in a “contaminated blood scandal” but no such action was ever taken in Britain.

Alistair Burt MP has given a commitment to raising these issues with the government. How long are families to wait, decades? Many patients have long since died and “justice delayed is justice denied.” As no lessons have been learnt from the past, one can only imagine what experiments might be carried out on patients in the name of Ebola “treatment” the latest health scare to emerge around the world!

Links

Review for Factor 8: The Arkansas Prison Scandal

http://variety.com/2005/film/reviews/factor-8-the-arkansas-prison-blood-scandal-1200520280/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

TTP JA statement on launch of new English language publication

Introduction
(in English/Urdu/Pashto/Arabic)

“With the grace of Allah SWT, our first English language magazine has been launched. Ihyae khilafat is the media wing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-Ul-Ahrar, a nascent group formed after the restructuring of Pakistani Taliban Mujahideen. In the ongoing conflict between Kufr and Islam, people of the world are being bombarded with one sided information only. There are little opportunities for the general public to know the truth about Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and they are left to believe only in preposterous lies of ISPR (Pakistan Army’s media department). In this magazine, we shall endeavor to bring you the stories, ideas and opinions right from the battlefield of Khorasan and Ghazwatul Hind. As the Kuffar and their Murtad hirelings are being thrashed in the physical battlefield, we are sure that they will also lose the battle of ideas because our truthful Prophet PBUH has told us, “Islam is superior and can never be surpassed.” We request you to keep us in your prayers and your suggestions and feedback will be highly appreciated.
[Ihyae Khilafat Media Commission Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-Ul-Ahrar]”

Link

https://www.scribd.com/doc/243336656/Ihyae-Khilafat-English-Issue-1-October-2014

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

Mullah Fazlullah leader of TTP emphasises group baya is to Mullah Omar (image, Telegraph)

Recently, six top commanders from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) including spokesman “Shahidullah Shahid” announced their allegiance to Abu Bakar Al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State. The other five names are as follows:-

TTP amir for Orakzai Agency, Saeed Khan,

TTP’s Kurram Agency chapter chief, Daulat Khan,

Fateh Gul Zaman, who heads TTP in Khyber Agency

TTP’s Peshawar amir, Mufti Hassan

TTP’s Hangu chief, Khalid Mansoor

Shahidullah (who was not speaking for the rest of TTP or its leader, Maulana Fazlullah) gave commitment to “show allegiance to the commander of faithful, Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Qureshi al Hussaini, and will listen and obey every order of you and will follow your orders regardless of what circumstances may be.”

Pakistani Taliban (TTP) has now issued a statement regarding Shahidullah Shahid who has allegedly pledged allegiance to IS which says;

“Shahidullah Shahid is an “imaginary” name which is used by a person who becomes Spokesman of TTP Central
Shaykh Maqbool has also been spokesman of TTP Central, therefore, he was called Shahidullah Shahid.

Tariq Ali, from army to Taliban (image, This is London)  

A Muslim locum surgeon who was recently struck off by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) after a hearing in Manchester, England, has surfaced in Pakistan as part of recently formed splinter group, Tehreek -e-Taliban, Jamaat -ul- Ahrar (TTP JA).

“Dr” Tariq Ali (39) who is thought to have left the UK in April is seen in a newly released Taliban video alongside TTP JA spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan making a strong stand against the Pakistan military. Ali is known in jihadi circles under the name of Abu Obaidah Al-Islamabadi.

The former Captain is highly critical of the army for their role allying with the US in their much maligned War on Terror following 9/11. He also slates the armed services for their actions in North Waziristan where they launched military operation Zarb -e- Asb against insurgent groups in June 2014.

The case heard against Ali in his absence was said to be the first-ever successful prosecution for Islamic sectarian violence in Britain. The Mail reported that Ali,

“helped to organise a rally against the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad for members of the banned Sunni Islamic group Al-Muhajiroun in Edgware Road, Central London. 

Some of the protesters at the rally assaulted a number of Shia bystanders, and Ali was seen hitting one of the victims repeatedly with a flag post, the tribunal heard.

Scotland Yard said an arrest warrant for Ali is outstanding”

Ali, a spokesperson for “Shariah4Pakistan” which has a Twitter account, is seen being physically embraced by the Taliban and says he is “very happy”. He features on TTP JA promotional photo for the video. The caption states the production “is the story of a Mujahid who joined Tehreek-e-Taliban Jamaat -ul-Ahrar after abandoning officership of Pakistan Army and a luxurious life in Britain.” The new addition to the Taliban appears wearing traditional clothes, white salwar kameez, waistcoat, black turban and is seen in one clip displaying his skill with a firearm.

TTP JA media posted the following message along with the video, Ahlul Azaem 4

Video message of a Pakistan Army officer who left apostate army and joined Mujahideen of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.

“Today the world has been polarized into two distinct groups. One group is the ally of Rahman who is fighting to implement Allah’s Shariah on the earth while the other group is ally of Shaitan and fighting to implement laws of other than Allah SWT. In this conflict, Kuffar have not only attacked the Muslims with latest weapons but they are also targeting the creed and ideology of Muslims. As a result of propaganda, many Muslims have ended up allying with Kuffar and they are actively fighting against the Mujahideen.
Here a video message is being presented in which a Pakistan Army officer is telling his story how he found out the reality of apostate Pakistan Army and disobeyed the orders to fight against the Mujahideen. Today he has actively joined the Mujahideen in the battlefield and he is also inviting other soldiers to leave Pakistan Army and join the real Jihad”

MediaFire link

http://www.mediafire.com/download/75piv2l2qtc6s6w/Ahlul+Azayim+4.mp4

The film shared by Ihyae Khilafat commences with verses from the Quran, the first being,

“indeed Allah will not change the condition of a people, until they change what is in themselves” AL Ra’ad (13:11)

Ali gives his Pakistan army number as 103907, confirming he had passed out with the 18th Course of Army Medical College. After 7 years in the army he emigrated to work as a doctor in London and also spent time calling non-Muslims to Islam through Sharia 4 Pakistan. Ali had intended to go to Iraq and join the Islamic State but was arrested, sent to prison in Croatia and later deported to Pakistan.

On the video he is seen praising the Taliban stating, “I am very impressed with the hospitality, sincerity and sacrifices of the Mujahideen here and found them very different from the brutal image that is being attributed to them by Pakistan media.” In comparison he alleges the army are corrupt, have arrested thousands since 9/11, sold citizens such as Aafia Siddiqui to the US for dollars and killed fellow Muslims.

Ali also draws attention to the assault on Lal Masjid (Red Mosque), bombing of civilians, the killing of Osama bin Laden and US drone strikes.

The 16 minute video is an all out attack on the military establishment and he hails his postings to Waziristan as his reason for leaving the army. He also considers who is worthy of being called a “shaheed” (martyr) and the need to establish Shara’ah in Pakistan. He advises those serving to leave the military or to disobey orders and not fight fellow Muslims.

Previous videos

This is not the first time Ali has appeared on video, his journey to fully embracing Islam can also be seen in an interview posted by “Convert 2 Islam UK” from June 6th, 2013. He claims that the motto of Pakistani army, Iman, Taqwa, Jihad fi Sabilillah (“Faith, Piety and Fight in the path of Allah”) is deceiving to the public and alleges the military are not serving Islam. Ali also asserts that those within the army are not following Shari’ah and giving submission to Allah but instead to senior army officers which has implications in practice. He is interviewed on the following link,

“Soldier and Surgeon gives it all up for Islam”

A further video posting of July 2013 on Siasat Pakistan Forum emerged under a thread of “Terrorism Watch” where the following comment appears,

“ex-captain of Pakistan Army, Dr Tariq Ali (who has studied from prestigious universities in the UK like Cambridge and Imperial College London) has uploaded a new message for Pakistan Army.

Dr Tariq Ali participated in Pak Army’s military operations (May b Wana under Musharraf) & detest Army’s barbarity in South Waziristan. He refused 2 take Army’s orders to go to Miranshah for military operations (3rd time). In the video, he beseeches fellow Armymen 2 refuse orders.

According to him, Taliban are true Muslims and he is ashamed of Army’s conduct in Military operations”

http://www.siasat.pk/forum/showthread.php?246673-Terrorism-Watch-Ex-Pakistan-Army-Captain-Dr-Tariq-Ali-s-message-threat

The video with its fierce rhetoric must be raising alarm bells for the government of Nawaz Sharif and the security establishment. There is a history of dissent in the armed services including an attack on President Musharraf from Pakistan Air Force personnel, an insider attacks on Mehran Navy Base and the recent Navy dockyard incident, Karachi. There are also rumblings of threats from the inside to “blow the whistle” over the Pakistan Air Force alleged connections to US drone strikes in the Tribal Areas which have claimed many civilians lives since they began in 2004.

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

TTP deny their men have been arrested for killing of Mehboobullah Jan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) denied that their persons allegedly involved in recent beheading of police official Mehboobullah Jan in Medyan, Swat had been arrested.

On Monday, the Express Tribune reported that “the arrested men were identified as Izharuddin, resident of Bishigram and Bakhtawar Shah and Shahid, residents of Bar Durushkhela.” The media quoted DPO Akbar Khan saying,

 “the accused, after confessing their crime, said they had stolen a motorbike from the deceased policeman who traced them after some time. Jan had been demanding compensation for his stolen motorbike so they killed him”

The Express Tribune reported that the “police also claimed to have seized the dagger which was used in the crime and some weapons which had been stolen from a police store.”

However the social media spokesperson for TTP presented a different version of events,

Mullah Maulana Fazlullah (leader TTP) seen recently leading funeral prayers

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) put out the following press release after some sections of the media (including Reuters) incorrectly stated that they had given allegiance to Islamic State (IS) leader, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. Statement as follows:-

Explanation of Eid statement ( misinterpreted by media) by Truth Seeker Fazlullah Khurasani (May Allah protect him ) Ameer of Tehreek -e- Taliban Pakistan

“All praises due to Allah and peace and blessings upon His Messenger ( MUHAMMAD) I would like to convey this message to the Muslims of Pakistan specifically and to Muslim ummah generally that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is under oath of allegiance to Mullah Muhammad Omar’s (May Allah Protect), Leader of the faithful.

I would like to invite mujahideen of the entire world to continue their jihad against world of nonbelievers under the leadership of Ameer ul Momineen Mullah Muhammad Omar (May Allah Protect him). I make it clear that for the time being the target of the TTP is the anti Islamic, disbelieving system of Islamabad.

We command our mujahideen to use their abilities against the protectors of this satanic system and continue their jihad against them in an organized way. If Ameer ul Momineen Mulla Muhammad Umar orders us then by grace of Allah we will be able to send our mujahideen not only to Syria, Iraq, Yemen but to every possible land of jihad.

Regarding the news that has been running on media ( that TTP is under ISIS ) it is utmost important to clarify that certainly we cherish great love and compassion for mujahideen of all lands. We wish that all of us stand up in unity against kufr and I also extend offer of unity under sharia to all of them. At the end I make it very clear to the media persons to respect the principles of journalism and act in an unbiased way.”

—————————–THE END————————————

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

 Are female fighters like Arin Mirkan the “acceptable” face of suicide bombing for US?

If your ambition is to be a “suicide” bomber and you want to be supported and possibly armed and funded by the US government, it appears there is a higher chance of achieving your aim by adhering to the following three points,

1)  You must get yourself into a group that is officially on the US designated Foreign Terrorists Organizations list (FTOs) such as PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) or a group allied to PKK.

2) It helps to be young, pretty and female (then allies of US will circulate your photo on Twitter and Facebook, hailing you a hero for your stance against “the enemy”).

3) You must only attack a recognized “enemy of the US”…. As Max Abrahms (terrorism theorist at North Eastern University) stated, “who would have thought Washington would team up with Assad and the PKK as part of the war on terrorism?”  the enemy being the Islamic State (IS)

Taking all three into account, the best option is to be a female, PKK or YPG (Kurdish People’s Protection Unit) or Peshmerga fighter (those who confront death) attacking the Islamic State. The Peshmerga have an elite female unit prepared to take on IS.

Al Arabiya News alleges the first reported case of a female Kurdish fighter carrying out alleged suicide bombing against the Islamic State stating,

“A female Kurdish fighter carried out a suicide bomb attack against jihadists from the Islamic State group outside the embattled Syrian border town of Kobane on Sunday, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the woman blew herself up at an ISIS position east of the city, killing a number of jihadists who have surrounded Kobane and are battling to seize it.”

The Telegraph later identified the fighter as Arin Mirkan.

Social media supporters of PKK are pushing for female fighters to be viewed as taking on killers of Alan Henning, the British aid worker recently beheaded by IS as this could make potential suicide bombers more palatable to the public.

Meanwhile Ceylan Ozalp (age 19) a YPG fighter who is alleged to have used her last bullet to shoot herself after her unit was wiped out south east of Ain al-Arab, reportedly said,

“we’re not scared of anything. We’ll fight to the last. We’d rather blow ourselves up than be captured by ISIS.”

Hardline approach taken with US males like Moner Mohammad Abusalha travelling to Syria to fight

However if you are a male US citizen, known as “Abu Huraira al-Amriki”  joining Nusra Front, described in New York Times as “an Islamist extremist group in Syria aligned with Al Qaeda in the fight against the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria” and planning to self combust, a different attitude will prevail. Here are some comments reported in the NYT regarding potential American “suicide” bombers travelling to Syria,

“the recent flood of militants into the country poses a serious challenge, as these individuals could be trained to plan and carry out attacks around the world,” Mark F. Giuliano, the deputy F.B.I. director, said in prepared remarks in Washington on Wednesday.

An American suicide bomber in Syria is a “potential game changer,” said Seth Jones, a terrorism expert at the RAND Corporation.

“It indicates that Americans are honing their ability to conduct terrorist attacks,” Mr. Jones said, and could eventually be used inside the United States or against American interests abroad.

According to the Washington Post the American citizen was later identified Moner Mohammad Abusalha, 22, of South Florida and of Middle Eastern descent. He was alleged to have carried out the suicide truck bombing in the northern province of Idlib,

 “a statement by Jabhat al-Nusra said the attack was one of four coordinated suicide bombings against government positions, in which two other foreign fighters and a Syrian participated”

Although Abusalha was clearly not a threat to the American mainland as he blew himself in Syria, FBI Director James B. Comey expressed his concerns in the Washington Post regarding Americans travelling to Syria stating, “far more people going there. Far easier to travel to and back from. So, there’s going to be a diaspora out of Syria at some point, and we are determined not to let lines be drawn from Syria today to a future 9/11.”

During an interview on Sunday with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Comey said he would “do everything in his power to monitor the militant fighters if they return to the United States” amid fears they would launch a terror attack on American soil.

It appears then that once again the US is exhibiting gross double standards and needs to clarify its official position on suicide bombers and which ones the US government support.  White House officials also need to explain to the public what are the legal implications of supporting self exploders. Will we soon become enveloped in narratives of “good” and “bad” suicide bombers?

Russia Today (RT) reported the Kurdish female suicide bomber as, “using tactics usually employed by radical Islamist militants blowing herself up to kill several jihadists” but later referred to incident as a “first reported act of sacrifice on behalf of the local militia’s female brigades.” It is unlikely we would have seen such words used by the media to describe a male “martyrdom” operation in Afghanistan against US occupying forces.

Brave, brave, brainwashed

Double standards also exist regarding attitudes towards other women active in war zones. As the following photo depicts, a female KKP fighter targeting IS may be viewed as brave, the same for a woman fighter pilot however a “jihadist” lady suicide bomber in Syria, Iraq against US backed forces or targeting US occupying soldiers in Afghanistan is likely to be seen as “brainwashed”.

“White widow” Samantha Lewthwaite from the UK also demonized in the media, the “female version of Joseph Goebbels” (Daily Mail)  is said to be “training an ISIS female suicide bomber squad in Syria and overseeing terror group’s propaganda”.

US may be sympathetic towards female Kurdish fighters as part of propaganda against IS. Some media allege IS fear being killed by a woman as they could deprive them of the reward of multiple virgins in paradise.

There are also wider implications regarding US supporting any female suicide bombers for countries such as Pakistan that takes a very severe line against insurgent “martrydom” operations when Taliban blow themselves up across the country. Is it acceptable then to take funding and aid from the US that is now backing PKK a terrorist organization or related group with fighters prepared to detonate themselves and the possibility of causing multiple deaths and injuries!

Link

“Iraq and Syria: US foreign policy supporting terrorists and selective human rights”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2014/08/26/iraq-and-syria-us-foreign-policy-supporting-terrorists-and-selective-human-rights/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.

TTP central Fazlullah group claim their deadly attacks

Social media spokesperson for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Taliban, TTP (central, Maulana Fazlullah group) contacted journalists to claim responsibility for the killing of peace committee leader Ashraf Ali Khan, Swat Tehsil, Matta Bamakhella region. He was “shot in the body with a pistol” on the morning of 4th October 2014. A policeman injured during the incident succumbed to his injuries also.

DAWN media reported that,

“two others, including a policemen, were injured in the attack on peace committee member Ashraf Khan who was also a local leader of the Awami National Party (ANP), police sources said.”

This follows only days after 3 local peace volunteers, named as Zahir Shah, Mohammad Zeb and Fareed who were gunned down in Swat,

http://www.dawn.com/news/1132282

After several months of relative quiet following the start of military operation Zarb -e-Asb in June after peace talks failed, TTP central are once again active. Yesterday they claimed responsibility for an attack on the night of 2nd/ 3rd Oct around midnight where TTP members beheaded Special Forces officer Muhibbullah son of Sakhi Jaan at his home in Median, Swat.

In addition Fazlullah group said they bombed a coach carrying mainly shia on 2nd October, (Bazid Khel area on Kohat Road) in what appeared to be a sectarian attack killing 7 persons and injuring 11 others.

Back in September (23rd) a top Taliban Commander confirmed that Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) central accepted responsibility for a car blast on a Frontier Corps (FC) convoy near to Peshawar Press Club. This incident killed at least 3 people and injured 13 others.

Today (Saturday, Oct 4th) there has been a further explosion on a passenger van in Kohat’s Peshawar Chowk, six people died and 13 were injured in the this attack. DAWN media reported that the blast occurred along a roadside and appeared to have been caused by an improvised explosive device.

To date no one has claimed responsibility for this latest incident.

Link

“Pakistan: TTP Fazlullah group accept responsibility for attack on Special Services Officer and Peshawar Kohat Road blast”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/pakistan-ttp-fazlullah-group-accept-responsibility-for-attack-on-special-officer-and-peshawar-blast/

“Peshawar: Taliban TTP central claim responsibility for Peshawar blast on Frontier Corps convoy”

https://activist1.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/peshawar-taliban-ttp-central-claim-responsibility-for-peshawar-blast-on-frontier-corps-convoy/

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.