He was clearly an expert typist – composing the prose in English and Urdu simultaneously on two different computers, albeit with the help of his juniors. Neither posters nor pamphlets or mere DVD covers, these students are busy typing translations of Arabic for the video discs their elders or seniors had prepared to spread the message – Long live Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Three of his colleagues were working with him, on the floor of a room so small you had to squeeze to accommodate a fifth person. The setting was a small, two-room house in Wana, the capital of South Waziristan. Here, the Pakistani Taliban has set up a media cell to serve and 'educate' its supporters, as well as communicate with them.
Suddenly, all the young men, each of whom looked to be in his mid-20s, stood up and started offering prayers. Afterwards, one of them came forward and introduced himself as Abu Akasha, the head of this media cell. As another colleague went to get tea, he told us that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has had several media cells in areas where they either dominate or have significant influence. These offices are used to counter 'propaganda' by the state-run and private media houses.
For the most part, the TTP media departments focus on making videos of their work, everything from attacks to pre-attack sermons. These are then distributed on CD by the thousands, circulated across Pakistan and Afghanistan, oftentimes by TTP fighters personally in their home towns. 'In 2002, some of our seniors decided a media cell should be established to communicate with the general public,' Akasha said. 'This technique was adapted from al-Qaeda, as it has frequently made videos comprising of messages from their leaders, fighting and training, and showing punishment imparted to those who have committed wrongs.'
Akasha said the work of the media cell was as important as fighting the security forces. Proud of his labour, he said the propaganda videos play an important role in recording and distributing the movement's various operations. 'One of the major reasons for utilising the power of the media was that the top commanders wanted their voices and messages to be heard, and to be able to give responses to the propaganda presented by the foreign media,' he said. 'The first cell was established on a temporary basis in early 2004 here in Wana.'