Mick Hartley

Al-Jazeera report on Taliban plans for a spring offensive:

Reporter: In a noteworthy development, the Afghani Taliban movement presented what it called its “new weapon,” which will confront NATO’s lethal weapons. This is the weapon of suicide operations. Taliban military commander [Mullah] Dadallah used this gathering to recruit over 500 suicide bombers for the coming spring campaign, which he promised would be bloody. He stressed that the Taliban is capable of multiplying their numbers.

Mullah Dadallah (translated into Arabic): Praise be to Allah, who gave us this great power of self-sacrifice, among Arabs and non-Arabs. Our preparations for the war in the field of self-sacrifice activities are not enough by themselves. These operations are not sufficient to defeat them. The weapon of devotion is still the most important. In addition, we must remember our martyrs and their blood, which they sacrificed for a greater cause.

Reporter: One of the suicide bombers summed up for Al-Jazeera the reasons for carrying out this act. He denied that poverty or depression, or any other of the reasons given by commentators, had led to his decision.

Suicide bomber (translated into Arabic): I understand what a self-sacrifice operation means. I am an educated student from a well-off family. I have no mental problems or anything like that. I could complete my studies and become a doctor.

But instead he’s going to blow himself up, killing as many others as he can in the process. All in the name of religion.