Yousef Ahmadi

Qari Mohammad Yousef Ahmadi is one of the two Taliban spokesmen,[1] the other being Zabiullah Mujahid. In 2006, Ahmadi contacted Reuters, the Associated Press, Canadian Press and Afghan Islamic Press by satellite phone to offer Taliban messages regarding southern Afghanistan.[2][3][4][5]

Yousef Ahmadi
Supreme LeaderHibatullah Akhundzada
Prime MinisterHasan Akhund (acting)
MinisterKhairullah Khairkhwa
Personal details
Born1970s
Zabul Province, Afghanistan
Political partyAfghanistan Taliban
Children7
OccupationSpokesman

In August 2008, his name began appearing once again, as the focus of a number of Canadian Press interviews with Toby Cohen, in which he advised Canadians that they should elect a Prime Minister who would remove Canadian troops in Afghanistan.[6][7] Ahmadi is quoted as saying that "the election is being held in Canada. That is why our attacks on Canadians are increased".[8] He is also alleged to have said that the Taliban "don't want to fight with Canadians. Actually we want to create friendship with Canadians".[9]

In November 2012, Ahmadi accidentally used CC instead of BCC when emailing a routine Taliban press release, exposing the names and email addresses of more than 400 Taliban press contacts. The list consisted mostly of journalists, as well as email addresses that may have belonged to an Afghan legislator, a provincial governor, academics, activists, an Afghan consultative committee, and a representative of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.[10]

Personal information

Ahmadi was born and raised in Zabul Province. He has four sons and three daughters.

Recent activities

Ahmadi is noted as a contributor/editor to the Taliban magazine Al Somod. In April 2014, he reported in detail on a suicide bomber that used a motorcycle to assassinate 50 US and ally soldiers.

His byline also appears on English-language Internet postings claiming to report insurgent activities.

On 24 August 2021, Ahmadi was introduced by Zabiullah Mujahid in a press conference.

See also

References
  1. "Third UAE Plane Carrying Humanitarian Aid Arrives In Kabul". TOLOnews. September 11, 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
  2. al-Jazeera, quoting Reuters, March 2006
  3. MSN, quoting AP, May 2006
  4. BBC, quoting AIP, September 2006
  5. TVNZ, quoting Reuters, 10 December 2006 Archived May 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Toronto Star, Pull out or else, Taliban warns Canada, August 18, 2008
  7. Cohen, Toby. Canadian Press, Taliban urges next Canadian prime minister to pull troops out of Afghanistan, September 9, 2008
  8. Cohen, Toby. Canadian Press, Taliban is watching the Cdn election, September 9, 2008 Archived September 10, 2008, at archive.today
  9. Cohen, Toby. Canadian Press, Ramp ceremony for 3 slain Cdn. soldiers, September 4, 2008 Archived September 7, 2008, at archive.today
  10. Lila, Muhammad. "Taliban Oops Reveals Mailing List IDs". Yahoo News. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
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