Pakistani Taliban defend attack on girl, 14

A Pakistani youth places an oil lamp next to a photograph of child activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head in a Taliban assassination attempt, during a tribute in Karachi, Pakistan, Oct. 12, 2012. / AFP/Getty Images

Taliban fighters said Tuesday that the teenage Pakistani activist their gunmen severely wounded last week was targeted because she opposed the group and admired President Obama, not because she supported girls' education, according to a Reuters report.

The attack on 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai as she was returning home from school in Pakistan's northwest has horrified people across the South Asian country and abroad.

The Pakistani Taliban told the Reuters news agency in a statement that they considered Malala a "spy of the West" and that she deserved to die because "infidels gave her awards and rewards" for "espionage."

"We targeted her because she would speak against the Taliban while sitting with shameless strangers and idealized the biggest enemy of Islam, Barack Obama," the statement said.

Malala gained wide recognition for promoting girls' education and criticizing the militant group's behavior when they took over the scenic Swat Valley where she lived. The Taliban told Reuters her advocacy for girls' education wasn't why she was targeted.

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Doctors: Malala Yousafzai will make "decent recovery"

"We did not attack her for raising voice for education," they said. "We targeted her for opposing mujahedeen (holy warriors) and their war."

Malala arrived in the United Kingdom on Monday for more specialized medical care and to protect her from follow-up attacks threatened by the militants.

At Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where Malala is recovering, police said they questioned two people claiming to be the girl's relatives, raising fears about the girl's security.

Medical Director Dave Rosser stressed Tuesday that security was "under control." He said several individuals had turned up at the hospital -- but didn't get very far. While he said the people were arrested, police said they had merely been questioned.

Two of Malala's classmates were also wounded in the attack and are receiving treatment in Pakistan.

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Malala Yousafzai's classmates carry on determination to learn

Police told CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer that, although the attack happened on a relatively busy road, no witnesses have come forward. On a brighter note, Palmer reports, the school that Malala championed so passionately is full. All the girl students have come to school and told Palmer that they and their parents -- even though they've been frightened by the attack -- are refusing to be intimidated.

Malala had been receiving treatment at a Pakistani military hospital. Pakistani doctors there removed a bullet from her body that entered her head and headed toward her spine.

The Pakistani military has described her recovery as satisfactory and said she was able to move her legs and hands several days ago when her sedatives were reduced. It has not said whether she suffered any brain damage or other permanent damage.

The military also said damaged bones in Malala's skull will need to be repaired or replaced, and she will need "intensive neuro rehabilitation." The decision to send the girl abroad was taken in consultation with her family, and the Pakistani government will pay for her treatment.

Pakistanis have held rallies for Malala throughout the country, but most have only numbered a few hundred people. The largest show of support by far occurred Sunday when tens of thousands of people held a demonstration in the southern port city of Karachi organized by the most powerful political party in the city, the Muttahida Quami Movement.

[thelittlehunter]

These animals (men) are backwards, mysoginistic, crude, ignorant examples of people who blindly follow religion. Animals who do not question their religious leaders. They, like the followers of some other religion, blindly follow old men who suppress women's rights, who fear a female imput. Why is this? They fear what is most important to them, the loss of their power and influence, the loss of their status in their communities. Screw faith, look what faith in the church has done for the Catholic religion. Blindly listening to their leaders. Although these people are being exploited by their religious leaders. They have a responsibility to live a "good" life.
As far as I'm concerned anybody associated with the Taliban should be shot without trial. They have espoused a vision of "life" that is incompatible (beheadings, shooting children, suicide bombings) with society. I'm not interested in their salvation they are not worth it, only their elimination from this earth.

[MR-INFINITY]

This shows how cowardly the muslims are and how one-sided they are regarding degradation of people. They are quick to burn the American flag and yell Kill Americans when a person burns a copy of the Kuran or draws a stupid cartoon about Mohammed, but when the Taliban attack and try to execute a 14 year old girl for standing up for basic human rights WHERE ARE ALL THE PROTESTORS AND PEOPLE IN THE STREETS SHOUTING DOWN WITH THE TALIBAN???? There are none, because they are lying, chicken **** cowards who have no reason why they hate Americans, they've just been brainwashed to hate anyone from America or Britain. Shows the true colors of even peaceful muslims who will march in peaceful protest .WHERE ARE YOU?

[sailorjwd]

Now that you provide your reasoning I understand why you shot the 14 year old girl - you are insane.

[fastdraw2]

It's the Taliban who deserve to die, just on general principle. Too bad you people over there haven't figured that out yet. Start killing the Taliban off and you'll start to get rid of a lot of your trouble. Shouldn't be too hard since you all know who they are.

[dwilliamsiii]

Most Taliban have zero education in anything but hyper-superstition, a sociopathic form of Islam & twisted interpretation of Koran, to justify control of true Muslims, especially females, by fear, torture, murder etc. (their only "employable" skills & talents). They live a dismal life in the a desert lacking all they've seen in pictures, TV, film of wonders of western life... luxury homes by beautiful coasts, yachts, cars for all, fine restaurants galore, nightclubs, freedom to dress, dance, uninhibitedly, sexily "like nobody's watching", the wonders of science, computers, spaceships to the solar system, etc.

So they're understandably, frustrated, jealous, angry, not only that they can't enjoy that life but schizophrenic about simultaneous envy & hate of all they'll never enjoy in their world of anti-freedom-science-fun-music-skin-sex etc. They live in the dark ages & know it, suffer an inferiority complex for good reason, like all bullies, need to feel superior by creating an "inferior" person or group, cowardly target the weakest, defenseless in their world, that's females, especially educated girl children.

But this time they created a heroic girl child, a living but damaged martyr, suddenly famous world wide, vast mobs of angry muslims, all religions, races, nations, sowing the seeds of their destruction sooner.

Zero education maximizes stupidity, but maybe even the Taliban will "get it" that torture, rape, stone-ing burning etc. innocents to death etc. isn't advised by the famous book "the best way to make friends & influence people."

[thelittlehunter]

My feeble attempt to comment on this article pales in comparison to DWILLIAMSIII comments. He said what I wished I could convey. A tip of my hat to you.

[Forty-Four]

Bet they feel big and bad attacking a defenseless teenage girl with a gun in front of her peers. Some people need a morality check. Sad thing is they probably didn't "know" any better due to the way that they were raised. They need to be eliminated

[pcwag]

I wouldn't believe any Taliban statement reported by the MSM (liars). What does Mullah Omar say? I bet he condemns the cowardly, evil false flag attack on the girls. Who benefits from this?

[john92021]

Mohamed is probably running short of virgins for the brave suicide bombers.
Pretty hard gaining the moral high ground by waging war against 14 year old girls.

[do_japan]

It seems the Taliban and GOP have more in common than we once thought. They both hate Obama, and they both push away supporters with their radical agendas.

[burtwoody]

For the Taliban to shoot a 14 year old girl only shows how insecure they are. Their great Muhammad must not be so great after all, if they have to resort to this sort of thing. The Taliban consists of weak minded individuals who can't see right from wrong. They have no brain power and the men have no male sex organ! LOL!

The sooner the Taliban are eliminated the better off the world will be.