The new leader of the Taliban in Pakistan has issued a stark option to the country’s military: Stop following American orders and we will stop our attacks
In the interview obtained by Sky News, Hakimullah Mehsud also said he will send his soldiers to the Indian border to fight there, once an Islamic state is created in Pakistan.
His words will be seen as chilling by Pakistan’s neighbour.
They come as the US Treasury declared the Taliban was thriving financially, while terror group al Qaeda was suffering a cash crisis.
David Cohen, the US Treasury’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing, said the West had successfully cut off al Qaeda’s funds.
This has manifested itself in the organisation losing influence and weakened it substantially, he said.
On the other hand, as a Sky News investigation demonstrated some time ago, the Taliban have bolstered their finances dramatically through the sale and manufacture of drugs like heroin.
The Taliban also extort protection money from legitimate businesses in Afghanistan.
Mehsud would move forces to India. The money raised is used to pay for weapons, bombs and recruits to fight the coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Mr Cohen said that, in the first half of 2009, al Qaeda made four public appeals for money to help bolster its recruitment and training.
The Pakistani Taliban, which wants to impose hardline Islamist rule, has been responsible for a wave of violence across Pakistan since mid-2007.
As well as numerous suicide bomb strikes against military, government and foreign targets, the group were accused of killing former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in late 2007.