'Under the benches- kill them': Taliban 'justifies' attack on Pakistani school

[shenmue]

Story here

Please note, story at link is graphic and may be upsetting.



From the article:

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) - As Pakistan started three days of national mourning Wednesday, the Taliban said they targeted a school that mostly admits soldiers' children because the students aspired to follow in their fathers' footsteps and target militants.

[jwirr]

1. Well that sure makes sense - kill the children because they will grow up.

[Brother Buzz]

2. Afghan Taliban releases statement condemning attack on Pakistani school

Afghan Taliban releases statement condemning attack on Pakistani school

By Thomas Joscelyn
December 16, 2014

The Afghan Taliban has released a statement, attributed to "Zabihullah Mujahid," the group's official spokesman, condemning the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan's attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar today.

The statement was released on the Afghan Taliban's official Urdu website. The Pakistani Taliban is not named in the short statement, but the Afghan Taliban says it expresses "sorrow over the tragedy and grief for the families of the victims."

"Innocent men, women and children were killed intentionally" and this is against "Islamic principles." The Afghan Taliban claims it has "always condemned the killing of innocent people and children."

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/12/afghan_taliban_relea.php#ixzz3MBpMzTaI

[CJCRANE]

3. Something that Karzai mentioned

in his interview with CNN just before he left office: that he could make peace with the Afghan Taliban but every time he brokered a ceasefire the Pakistan Taliban would pop up in the media disavowing it.

[Brother Buzz]

5. Yes, and there's still somthing hinkey going on in Pakistan Taliban. A power struggle?

The inner workings of the relationship between the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban groups are not clear. The Pakistani Taliban and its leader, Mullah Fazlullah, are openly loyal to Mullah Omar.

In October, for instance, several Pakistani Taliban commanders reportedly swore bayat (oath of allegiance) to the Islamic State's Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, thereby breaking their previous allegiance to Omar. The circumstances surrounding this defection remain murky. [See LWJ report, Discord dissolves Pakistani Taliban coalition.]

However, the Pakistani Taliban released a statement saying that Mullah Fazlullah had previously pledged his organization's loyalty to the "Emir of the Believers Mullah Muhammad Omar." This was a not so subtle indication that the Pakistani Taliban's existing leadership was not going to break ranks with the Afghan Taliban leader in favor of Baghdadi.

It remains to be seen if the Afghan Taliban's condemnation of the school assault has any additional ramifications, or is merely rhetoric.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/12/afghan_taliban_relea.php#ixzz3MBvJfcvX

[NaturalHigh]

4. I don't want to click on the link.

This is just such a horrific crime. The worst of humanity is on display.