News & Comment
Why the Afghan Journalists are under Continous Attacks?
(Translated)

 News:

In two explosions that took place on Monday 30 April, in Shashdark area of Kabul, 26 individuals were killed including 9 journalists and photographers. The ISIS group claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the attack, the Afghan Media issued a statement calling for serious investigation of the incident by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the UN Security Council. Moreover, on the same day, another journalist was targeted and killed by gunmen in eastern Khost province.

Comment:

The United States has recently peaked terror and misery under the name of supporting peace process among Afghans. Apparently, the logic expressed behind the intensification of war is to defeat the Taliban in battlefield and bring them to peace negotiations. While the U.S. currentlly needs intensification of war rather than peace in Afghanistan. Through this scenario, on one hand, the United States justifies its long-term military and intelligence presence in Afghanistan, on the other hand, it plots against the regional countries, such as China and Russia. Similar to the Taliban and the Al-Qaida, the United States uses the name of ISIS to run its war project in the region.

The mysterious activities of ISIS in Afghanistan have caused people, including those media outlets and journalists who have been equipped and funded by U.S., to realize the true nature of America’s counter “terrorism” war in Afghanistan. Because sometimes the analyses and reports published by Afghan media unveil the U.S policies.

Whereas, the U.S. ambassador, John R. Bass, in a special gathering at the U.S. Embassy Kabul was directly questioned by the Afghan journalists that, “As a result of the ISIS activities, Afghan people believe that ISIS is the U.S’s project. Rather than rejection and condemnation what reasons and satisfactory evidence you can provide to the Afghan people concerning this?” Ambassador Bass, who was previously the US’s ambassador to Turkey and is known as the ISIS’s mastermind, laughed and didn’t respond to this question with accurate answer.

Considering the fact that the U.S is not satisfied with the current freedom of speech, thus it resorts to acts that discourage the media and journalists to criticize the U.S’s violent and terrible polices in Afghanistan. Moreover, such attacks and linking them to ISIS, in fact, publicize for this so-called group in the society. Because an attack on media will be widely broadcasted, and it’s the easiest way of publicizing for this group.

In this regard, after a bloody explosion took place in a protest led by the Junbesh-e-Roshnae (Lighting Movement), Ahmad Behzad, Member of Parliament and leader of the movement, explicitly declared that ISIS is the second name of the Afghan National Security Council. Similarly,ToloNews correspondent, Anisa Shahid, quoted the former director of the Afghan National Directorate of Security, Rahmatullah Nabil, that during his tenure, the government had officially instructed him to enlarge ISIS’s activities in Afghanistan. Even the journalist who was recently killed by an unknown gunman in the eastern province of Khost had recently prepared and published a report on American crimes in Khost province.

Furthermore, in some incidents linked to ISIS, the official stand of ISIS has not been found; however, it’s the Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) which has its agents in the Afghan media influencing them to ascribe such attacks over ISIS when providing reports; as a result, the ISIS will be counted responsible for the incident in the in the eye of the public. Even the government has repeatedly circulated photos to the media that were edited with the Photoshop. Such allegations are being made coincidently with claims by some Russian media that the Afghan National Security Advisor and director of the Afghan National Directorate of Security equip and settle the ISIS in different parts of Afghanistan through unknown helicopters.

Therefore, after signing the Strategic and Security Agreements with Afghanistan, the U.S. has secured its forces behind protective walls, and pursues its proxy war by Afghan security forces and their mercenaries against the Afghan people. Even the supporters and advocates of such agreement are now calling for the revision and termination of it.

Finally, it is noteworthy that the friendship with occupying infidels would naturally create such consequences. Therefore, the Afghan Media should not ask the institutions organizing colonialism, such as the International Criminal Court and the UN Security Council, to conduct investigation on these incidents. Instead, they should act as real advocates of the public by revealing the truth behind the scenes to provoke Islamic awakening among the people if they really want to understake their Islamic mission rather than becoming as the U.S.-Western war machine.Indeed this is the job of honest and brave people.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Saifullah Mustanir
Director of Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Afghanistan