8/15/2006

“[I]n August 2006…a ‘threat report’ generated by International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) regional command (north) zeroed in on suicide bombers recruited by al-Qaida. ‘Reportedly a high-level meeting was held in Quetta, Pakistan, where six suicide bombers were given orders for an operation in northern Afghanistan. Two persons have been given targets in Kunduz, two in Mazar-e-Sharif and the last two are said to come to Faryab,’ the report claimed. It went on: ‘These meetings take place once every month, and there are usually about 20 people present. The place for the meeting alternates between Quetta and villages…on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The top four people in these meetings are Mullah Omar [the Taliban leader], Osama bin Laden, [Taliban commander] Mullah Dadullah and [Taliban military chief] Mullah [Baradar]. The six foreigners who have been given the assignment have each been given $50,000…to conduct the attacks, and they have been promised that their families will be taken care of.’ “ [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]

 – Simon Tisdall, “Afghanistan War Logs Reveal Hand of Osama bin Laden,” The Guardian, July 26, 2010