Stronger and more deadly, the terror of the Taliban is back

[papau]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1086197,00.html

Stronger and more deadly, the terror of the Taliban is back


Sunday November 16, 2003 The Observer

<snip>

…Now it is 25-year-old Mullah Akhtar's turn to use Sangesar's only mosque's only microphone. 'The Taliban are good men trying to do good things for our country,' he says.He is right to use the present tense. On the northern horizon, jagged hills are just visible. They are the stronghold of men loyal to Mullah Omar. Despite two years of effort by the US-led coalition, the cleric remains free. Indeed, he is more than just free. The hi-tech onslaught that followed the 11 September attacks in America appeared to have consigned the Taliban to the overfull dustbin of Afghan history. But in recent months they have crawled out again. The Taliban are back. And if for the moment they are confined to a few isolated, inaccessible, lawless mountain valleys, their power, military and political, is growing.

Last week the resurgent Taliban began striking into the cities and against heavily armed coalition troops. Their efforts were once limited to hit-and-run attacks on far-flung government outposts or aid projects and the assassination of moderate clerics. But in the past eight days they have attacked a column of armoured vehicles near the Pakistani border, killing a Romanian soldier, and detonated a series of bombs in Kandahar city itself and in Qalat, capital of Zabul province. The Taliban's leaders are also refusing to surrender a Turkish engineer who was kidnapped two weeks ago while working on the key road from Kabul to Kandahar. Instead, they issued threats to kidnap Western journalists.

The Taliban are expanding fast. The deputy governor of Zabul admits most of his province is now controlled by the militia. Most of Oruzgan province and around half of Kandahar province is now beyond government authority.

Even in supposedly loyal areas there are many loyal to Mullah Omar. In the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, Sher Ahmed Hakiya, the local chief, said: 'Many here were with the Taliban. Now they have all given me written pledges of their allegiance, so I am confident that there will be no problem.' Few are so optimistic. <snip>

[JailBush]

1. I guess those arrogant Taliban b*stards weren't listening when

Laura Bush spoke so strongly in favor of liberating Afghani women. Will they defy Laura's righteous wrath and searing commitment a second time?

[papau]

2. US Media have a blackout on analysis of the Afghan disaster

at least until after the election.

Remember - the adults are now in charge - the adults who appear to be unable to organize a 2 car parade.

[E_Zapata]

3. Fuck yeah they are stronger and fiercer.......

this time around......they have a poppy crop that has grown over 500% in less than a year....... big windfall (thank you USA!!! King George IS a saint over there......maybe he should have his little ticker tape parade in Kabul?)

The money trail, as our wise George Bush tell us, is the KEY to stopping bad behavior......or enhancing it.