Muhammad Hanif
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Hanif (died 2008) was an Afghan
who served as a spokesman for Taliban, particularly in eastern Afghanistan, prior to his capture in Nangarhar Province on 17 January 2007. The BBC
reported the following information at the time. Hanif and Qari Mohammad Yousuf
were appointed in October 2005 after the previous spokesman, Latifullah Hakimi, was captured. Their main tool of communication was e-mail
to news organizations. On the day of his capture, Afghan intelligence officials released a recording of part of Hanif's interrogation. In this recording Hanif tells his interrogators that the Taliban's leader Mullah Omar
is staying in the city of Quetta
, Pakistan, under the protection of the ISI
, Pakistan's intelligence agency. Aftab Ahmad Sherpao, Pakistan's Interior Minister, denied Hanif's assertion. Gul Agha Sherzai
, the Governor of Nangarhar, claimed Hanif and two companions were captured in possession of anthrax
. (To date, the claim about anthrax has not been substantiated.)
Shortly after the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
, Hanif reached the press by means of a satellite telephone, and read a statement about the "martyr" which he claimed was written by Mullah Omar
.
Hanif and three others were reported killed at his home in Nangarhar in late November 2008.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
who served as a spokesman for Taliban, particularly in eastern Afghanistan, prior to his capture in Nangarhar Province on 17 January 2007. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported the following information at the time. Hanif and Qari Mohammad Yousuf
Qari Mohammad Yousuf
Qari Mohammad Yousef Ahmadi is one of the two Taliban spokesmen, the other being Zabiullah Mujahid. In 2006, Ahmadi contacted Reuters, the Associated Press, Canadian Press and Afghan Islamic Press by satellite phone to offer Taliban messages regarding southern Afghanistan.In August 2008, his name...
were appointed in October 2005 after the previous spokesman, Latifullah Hakimi, was captured. Their main tool of communication was e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
to news organizations. On the day of his capture, Afghan intelligence officials released a recording of part of Hanif's interrogation. In this recording Hanif tells his interrogators that the Taliban's leader Mullah Omar
Mohammed Omar
Mullah Mohammed Omar , often simply called Mullah Omar, is the leader of the Taliban movement that operates in Afghanistan. He was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to late 2001, under the official title "Head of the Supreme Council"...
is staying in the city of Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, Pakistan, under the protection of the ISI
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
, Pakistan's intelligence agency. Aftab Ahmad Sherpao, Pakistan's Interior Minister, denied Hanif's assertion. Gul Agha Sherzai
Gul Agha Sherzai
Gul Agha Sherzai is the current Governor of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.He previously served as Governor of Kandahar province, in the early 1990s and from 2001 until 2003.-Biography:...
, the Governor of Nangarhar, claimed Hanif and two companions were captured in possession of anthrax
Anthrax
Anthrax is an acute disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Most forms of the disease are lethal, and it affects both humans and other animals...
. (To date, the claim about anthrax has not been substantiated.)
Shortly after the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh was a Jordanian militant Islamist who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan...
, Hanif reached the press by means of a satellite telephone, and read a statement about the "martyr" which he claimed was written by Mullah Omar
Mohammed Omar
Mullah Mohammed Omar , often simply called Mullah Omar, is the leader of the Taliban movement that operates in Afghanistan. He was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to late 2001, under the official title "Head of the Supreme Council"...
.
Hanif and three others were reported killed at his home in Nangarhar in late November 2008.
External links
- Photo of Hanif shortly after his capture, from Agence France-PresseAgence France-PresseAgence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
- Afghanistan's Border Security
