Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
    • Reason TV
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • Free Media
    • The Reason Interview
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • Freed Up
    • The Soho Forum Debates
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Print Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Subscriber Support

Log In

Create new account

Policy

Taliban Spokesman Accidentally Unveils Email List, Says Nothing About it on Twitter

Matthew Feeney | 11.16.2012 2:59 PM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmedi, has accidentally revealed the names of his subscribers by CC'ing everyone on his mailing list.

The list has over 400 recipients and includes a journalist based in Afghanistan who is now understandably a little concerned about his safety:

"Taliban have included all 4 of my email addresses on the leaked distribution list," tweeted journalist Mustafa Kazemi, a prolific Kabul-based tweeter with more than 9,500 followers. "Quite reassuring to my safety."

Others on the mailing list include activists, legislators, and academics.

If you're interested you can follow Ahmedi on twitter. At the time of writing he has yet to mention his mistake. 

Ahmedi is not the only fundamentalist Muslim using social media or email. A piece from the Washington Times highlighted two twitter accounts that might be of interest to those who like to keep up with news from the Taliban and Al Qaeda:@alemarahweb, a news source from the Taliban, and @Al_nukhba, an account that links to Al Qaeda messages from affiliated groups across the Middle East. For those who are interested in Somalia you can follow Al Qaeda allies al-Shabab. 

Quite how the accounts of Taliban fighters and spokepersons are even permitted considering how the Taliban interprets Shariah is unclear. Thanks to twitter any of us could ask. 

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

NEXT: Who Removed Reference to Terrorists From Talking Points on Benghazi?

Matthew Feeney is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute.

PolicyScience & TechnologyWorldAfghanistanSocial MediaInternetFree SpeechTechnology
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Show Comments (167)

Latest

Brickbat: In-N-Out but Not Thru

Charles Oliver | 7.21.2026 4:00 AM

Research Suggests Trump and His Opponents Are Both Wrong About the Impact of Voter ID Requirements

Jacob Sullum | 7.20.2026 5:25 PM

South Carolina Law Prohibits Tattoo Parlors Near Churches. A New Lawsuit Calls That Unconstitutional.

Meagan O'Rourke | 7.20.2026 4:59 PM

Britain's New Prime Minister Andy Burnham Promises 'Stronger Public Control' of Stagnating Economy

Reem Ibrahim | 7.20.2026 2:16 PM

A Man Died of COVID at This California Detention Center. A Judge Just Ordered Sweeping Improvements There.

C.J. Ciaramella | 7.20.2026 1:35 PM

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS Add Reason to Google

© 2026 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Reason's July 4 Special!

For America's 250th, Get 2 Years of Reason for $17.76

Celebrate your independence with a subscription to Reason magazine, your most trusted source of honest, insightful news and analysis.

Subscribe to Reason