Kabul, Afghanistan – The information of the killing of al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri slowly made its means via the Afghan capital on Tuesday. For a lot of Afghans, it got here as a whole shock.
The announcement by america of a “precision” drone assault that killed the elusive 71-year-old al-Qaeda chief got here in Kabul within the early hours of Tuesday.
Because the day superior, extra particulars began to trickle in.
Nonetheless, in an indication of the rising fears over the liberty of speech underneath a Taliban authorities, many metropolis residents appeared hesitant to speak in regards to the killing of al-Zawahiri, who had a reward of $25m on his head for the 9/11 assaults.
Mohammad Jamal operates a road cart not removed from the home in Kabul’s Shirpoor space the place Zawahiri and his household had been reportedly staying. He says he had little thought in regards to the al-Qaeda chief or his alleged killing.
“How would I do know who he’s? I don’t even know what he appears like,” stated the service provider who hails from the japanese Afghan province of Laghman.
Jamal, like different residents and streetside staff Al Jazeera spoke to, stated his main focus is the nation’s economic system, which has been struggling underneath the burden of Western sanctions and help cutbacks for the reason that Taliban returned to energy a yr in the past.
“When would I watch TV to know who he was? I couldn’t even let you know who the top of the [Islamic] Emirate is correct now,” Jamal stated, referring to the identify the Taliban makes use of for its authorities.
Even those that do have a greater sense of who al-Zawahiri was are afraid to speak, stated Jamal.
“This isn’t the republic the place folks can protest after each suicide bombing and assault. Nobody desires to speak about this stuff underneath these circumstances,” he stated.
Worldwide organisations such because the United Nations and the Committee to Shield Journalists, and rights teams Human Rights Watch and Amnesty Worldwide have all accused the Taliban authorities of stifling free speech since they assumed energy.
Journalists in Kabul advised Al Jazeera the roads resulting in the home the place al-Zawahiri was killed had been blocked and that they had been advised to show round when making an attempt to get nearer to the purported residence.
A visitors police officer in one in all Kabul’s industrial centres stated he, too, noticed journalists making an attempt to get details about the US strike, however to no avail.
The officer didn’t need to give his identify because of safety issues, however stated that he noticed media crews making an attempt to talk to the passersby.
“They tried to movie folks and ask them what they thought however nobody spoke to them. I don’t assume anybody will speak about it now,” stated the officer.
On-line, although, Afghans exterior the nation had been extra keen to talk freely in regards to the second al-Qaeda chief the Taliban reportedly hosted in Afghanistan in 30 years.
Shafi Karimi, an Afghan journalist at the moment residing in France, was struck by the placement of al-Zawahiri’s alleged killing.
“His final months had been spent in an upscale Kabul neighborhood the place prime officers from the Taliban additionally reside,” Karimi tweeted.
Shirpoor, the neighbourhood the place al-Zawahiri’s home was positioned, has lengthy had a controversial fame amongst Kabul residents.
Through the years of Western-backed authorities, it was generally known as the realm the place strongmen, ministers, governors and legislators of the previous authorities lived.
Most of these officers fled when the Taliban stormed into Kabul final yr, with the group’s officers and members reportedly taking on residence in lots of the identical properties and compounds, together with the one al-Zawahiri was stated to be killed in.
Emran Feroz, an Afghan-Austrian journalist who has tracked drone strikes in Afghanistan and different international locations for practically a decade, fears the drone that killed al-Zawahiri is probably not a one-off.
“Over the past months, there have been a number of reviews about US drones above Kabul. Appears that each one these accounts turned out to be true,” Feroz tweeted.
Read the full article here
