Taliban Hang 3 Accused of Being NATO Spies

Taliban Commanders Hang Three In Southern Afghanistan

By Jerry Garner

Taliban forces hanged three men in the Southern Afghan province of Helmand Sunday. A Taliban commander claiming responsibility for the executions said the men were found guilty in Taliban courts of spying for NATO and the Western-backed Government of Afghanistan.

The executions occurred in the town of Musa Qala, in the Southern province of Afghanistan called Helmand. The region filled headlines last September when a controversial truce was reached between the British-led NATO forces in the area and the Taliban rebels they were fighting. As the truce fell apart, the Taliban moved into the area and have been firmly in control of the Helmand region since February.

A Taliban Commander who identified himself as Mullah Nizamuddin spoke to reporters from Reuters and the Associated Press by telephone. During these conversations, Nizamuddin claimed responsibility for the three killings, saying that the men were found guilty of spying in a Taliban court and that they admitted to the charges against them.

"They were spying for the British troops and had tipped them off about the location of one of our commanders who was killed by an air strike," Nizamuddin, told Reuters, "They confessed they were spying for the government and foreign forces. We hanged them to set an example for others not to spy on us."

Nizamuddin claimed that the three men were guilty of spying on the late Taliban Commander, Mullah Abdul Manan. Manan’s forces had taken over the Helmand province in early February, but an anonymous tip from locals led to a precision air strike that killed the Taliban leader on February 11th. Remaining Taliban insurgence have continued to thrive in the opium rich region of Afghanistan, turning Musa Qala, in particular, into a Taliban stronghold.

Two of the men were hanged outside of Musa Qala along roads that lead into the town. The third was hanged in the center of town. Namatullah Khan, a villager from Musa Qala, told the Associated Press that the body remained hanging in the town square for hours before the townspeople were courageous enough to take it down for burial.

"The Taliban told the other people of Musa Qala that whoever gives information to the government and our enemies will be punished in the same way as this informer," Khan said.

NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has remained out of Musa Qala, leaving the fighting to be done outside of the town. This was done at the request of local tribal elders who said they were keeping the Taliban in check. The executions of these three men have left many to wonder exactly who is in charge in Musal Qala, and what should be done about it.

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British Sailors Taken Prisoner By Iran

British Troops In Iraqi Waters Captured By Iranian Navy

By Jerry Garner

The Iranian Navy has captured at least 15 British sailors and marines. The men were abducted while conducting inspections of ships passing through Iraqi waters. The unlawful attack comes as tensions mount over Iran’s uranium enrichment program, creating a very complicated situation for the two nations.

According to the British Defense Ministry in London, the attack occurred at 10:30am Iraqi time. The sailors, who are all stationed on the Royal Navy’s HMS Cornwall, were conducting routine inspections of merchant vessels passing through Iraqi waters. The men had just completed their inspection, according to the Defense Ministry, when they were surrounded and captured by ships from the Iranian Navy.

Margaret Beckett, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, has summoned the Iranian Ambassador to the Foreign Affairs Office in an effort to gain clarification on the situation and the well being of the British troops.

"We are urgently pursuing this matter with the Iranian authorities at the highest level and on the instructions of the Foreign Secretary, the Iranian ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office. The British government is demanding the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment," Beckett said in a written statement to the press.

There have been reports of an independent witness to the attacks. The witness is an Iraqi fisherman who was traveling with a group of Iraqis near the Northern area of the Gulf. The fisherman wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, but recounted what he witnessed to reporters from the Associated Press.

"Two boats, each with a crew of six to eight multinational forces, were searching Iraqi and Iranian boats Friday morning in Ras al-Beesha area in the northern entrance of the Arab Gulf, but big Iranian boats came and took the two boats with their crews to the Iranian waters," said the fisherman.

Early reports hinted that US Troops may have also been seized during the brazen move by the Iranian military. A spokesman for the US Naval Central Command stated that it has been confirmed that no US military personnel were involved in the incident.

The attack by the Iranian Navy reminds many of a similar incident that occurred in 2004. At that time, six British marines and two sailors were seized in an area between Iraq and Iran. The troops were broadcast on Iranian television, bound and blindfolded, and forced to state that they had entered Iranian waters illegally.

In the 2004 incident, the captured troops were released after three days of intense discussions. The stakes are much higher in the present situation, due to increased pressure by the West for Iran to halt it’s uranium enrichment program.

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