Taliban Claims Responsibility for Suicide Attack on American Company in Kandahar

On December 7, 2006, Islamist websites posted an announcement by the Taliban in which the latter took responsibility for the December 6, 2006 suicide attack on U.S. Protection and Investigations, a firm operating in Kandahar. According to the announcement, the attack was aimed at "a foreign NGO" and was carried out by Taliban member Muhammad Daud. The message further states that at the time of the attack, "10 of the firm's employees were on the premises, along with [some] Afghan soldiers..."

Below is the Taliban banner, which usually appears on their announcements.

Video Documenting Mortar Attack on U.S. Base in Iraq

On December 4, 2006, Islamist websites posted a one-minute video titled "Mortar Attack on an American Base in Al-Falluja [Carried Out By] the Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi Brigades." The video shows a group of jihad fighters preparing three mortars and then launching them.

The video can be viewed at http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=367742&ak=null.

Below are images from the video:

Islamist Websites Post "Interview With Abu-Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi"

On December 6, 2006, Islamist websites posted a document titled "A Gift from Al-Furqan: [1] An Interview With Sheikh Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi, May Allah Have Mercy Upon Him." According to the document, the interview was conducted about a year ago by Abu Al-Yaman Al-Baghdadi, a reporter from the Al-Qaeda Information Bureau who has since died. The 32-page interview covers many topics, including the early stages of Al-Zarqawi's life as a devout Muslim and jihad fighter; jihad in Iraq as compared to jihad in Afghanistan; and the jihad in Iraq as "the Muslim nation's front line of defense." The Shi'ites are described as the Sunnis' bitter enemies, who pose a greater threat to the Muslims than the Americans. Another topic discussed is the hypocrisy of the media, which, according to the document, ignores the "ethnic cleansing" perpetrated by the Shi'ites against the Sunnis but makes a commotion whenever a Shi'ite is killed.

MEMRI DOUBTS THE AUTHENTICITY OF THIS DOCUMENT.

Below is an image that accompanies the document: