Taliban Threaten Afghan Mobile Phone Network
Afghanistan's Taliban are reported to be threatening to target the base station towers operated by Roshan Telecommunications, claiming that the company is collaborating with US and Afghan authorities. The Taliban have given the operator 20 days to end its "collaboration" otherwise they will start attacking the towers. They claim that Roshan is providing their phone numbers to the US coalition and blocking its mobile phones.
"Americans use that information to bomb those areas and the Mujahedeen who are fighting a jihad against Americans and other occupiers," said Shuhab Athul, a claimed spokesman for Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah.
Roshan and the US embassy in Kabul declined to comment on the allegations, however Maj Chris Belcher for the US-led coalition denied that Roshan was working with them in any way.
"We do not have a special relationship with Roshan or any other phone company. We're simply commercial users like everybody else,"
Roshan is one of the largest private company employers in Afghanistan, directly employing over 800 people, 23% of whom are women. In addition, Roshan provides indirect employment to more than 20,000 people who work as dealers, distributors, contractors and suppliers.
Roshan is owned by an international consortium formed by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), Monaco Telecom International (MTI) and US-based MCT Corp."
Posted to the site on 10th May 2007
