The Taliban approves of Paris suicide assault

Just three days after an Islamic State suicide assault team killed 129 people in Paris, the Afghan Taliban released a statement approving of the mass murder and said France’s “colonial policy” and involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya justified the attack. The statement was released on Nov. 16 on Voice of Jihad’s Pashto language section of its website, and is reproduced in full below. A translation of the statement was obtained by The Long War Journal.

The Taliban’s statement of support for the Paris attack should come as no surprise. The Taliban also approved of al Qaeda’s attack on the Charlie Hebdo’s headquarters in Paris in January 2015, which itdescribed as “justice.” The Charlie Hebdo attack is referenced twice in the most recent statement.

While western officials still seek to negotiate with the Taliban, the group continues to support attacks in Western countries and demonstrates that it maintains close ties to al Qaeda, such as when it accepted al Qaeda’s oath of allegiance.

Paris in Fire Caused by Reaction to Its Own Actions

Analysts have noted the various factors regarding the recent bloody attacks in Paris and have assessed them from different angles. However, the main cause might be France’s colonial policy and its naked military invasions of the Islamic world. From the crusader wars until the 20th century, and even the 21st century, Paris under one pretext or another has occupied Muslims’ lands, dropped bombs on them, and created political and economic problems for them.

In the last decade, France, in order to gain, protect, and expand its colonial interests has carried out unrecorded military attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria; it has killed, displaced, and imprisoned the people of those countries and caused damage to their properties.

Even though the attacks in France have no link to Afghans and Afghanistan, that country remained an ally of America during the invasion of Afghanistan from day one. France took a huge part in the elimination of an Islamic regime that the people liked. In the same way, it has killed and tortured people in Libya, Syria, and other Islamic countries.

A few months ago, a surprised attack on the Charlie Hebdo magazine office shook France; in the attack, 14 cartoonists, employees, and the editor of the magazine were killed.

Two Muslim youths carried out the attack in reaction to repeated printings of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. Nevertheless, after the attack, Charlie Hebdo not only did not stop its campaign of disrespect for Muslims, but the magazine repeatedly published disrespectful cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad with an unprecedented circulation.

The latest Paris attacks relate directly to the unpleasant policy of the country’s officials. In other words, the recent attacks in Paris are a result of France’s wrong policies. Therefore, in order to save itself from such dangerous attacks in the future, it is important that France, before anything else, reconsider its policies.

By:Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of The Long War Journal.