New York Times Interview with Haqqani: He Opposes Most of the Taliban Leader’s Orders

Bayan News – The New York Times recently published a report on Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Minister of Interior, stating that during the U.S. war in Afghanistan, he was the “angel of death” for American forces and Afghan civilians.

Christina Goldbaum, a New York Times journalist who recently interviewed the Taliban’s interior minister, wrote in the report: “For many, Haqqani was the angel of death, with the power to decide who would live and who would die during the U.S.-led war.”

The New York Times report mentions that Haqqani inflicted heavy casualties on American forces and Afghan civilians through suicide bombings.

The report also describes Haqqani’s deep ties with al-Qaeda and other terrorist networks, which placed him at the top of the U.S. most-wanted list in Afghanistan, with a $10 million reward for his capture.

The article references several suicide attacks carried out by Haqqani’s fighters in Afghanistan, including the deadly 2017 fuel tanker bombing in Kabul, which killed more than 150 people, mostly Afghan civilians, and injured hundreds more.

The New York Times report states that Sirajuddin Haqqani is the only powerful figure among the Taliban leadership who opposes the orders of Mullah Hibatullah.

The report states: “Mr. Haqqani is the only dissenting voice behind the scenes, while most of his allies remain silent. He is increasingly seeking foreign support to shift the competition in his favor.”

Another section of the report notes that Haqqani has established political relations with several European countries, Gulf states, Russia, and China.

The publication of this report has prompted a reaction from the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior.

Abdul Matin Qani, Sirajuddin Haqqani’s spokesperson, wrote on the X platform on Thursday evening (October 24) that Haqqani was the angel of death for Americans, not Afghans.

In response to the report, he wrote: “Yes, our leaders were the angels of death for them (Americans) and the angels of salvation for Muslims.”

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