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| Taliban proving to be a real threat. |
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| bhaloo |
| 08/22/03 at 22:46:06 |
| [slm] Taliban 'hit and run raids' a real threat KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Taliban forces using guerrilla tactics reminiscent of "mujahideen" fighters who saw off the Soviets in the 1980s are posing a serious threat in Afghanistan, a top official said on Tuesday. Khalid Pashtun, director of foreign affairs in the southwest of the country, said that "The Taliban are there. They are crossing the border," he said in the southern city of Kandahar, once the Talibanīs stronghold from where they eventually took control of most of the country during the mid- to late 1990s. "They are using exactly the same methods as the mujahideen used against the Russians." More than 90 people have been killed across Afghanistan since last week in one of the bloodiest few days since the Taliban was overthrown by a U.S.-led coalition in late 2001. Not all the deaths are linked with the Taliban, but an ambush on police in Logar province on Monday that killed 10 and weekend clashes in Paktika province involving up to 200 fighters were both blamed on the Islamic militia. Pashtun said there was a risk that Taliban attacks, which have increased dramatically in recent weeks, could undermine peopleīs confidence in the U.S.-backed government. "Once people are discouraged, that is the point of success for them, as no one will collaborate (with the authorities)." Instability has created a power vacuum in some remote parts of Afghanistan, and of Kandaharīs 18 districts, five are considered "red", or dangerous to visit, Pashtun said. Pashtun added that "a neighbouring country" was providing direct support to remnants of the Taliban regime. Kandahar borders Pakistan, which officials in Kabul accuse of harbouring, and in some cases aiding, Taliban militants. Pakistan, once the Talibanīs main ally, denies the charge, saying it has rounded up over 400 al Qaeda and Taliban operatives in support of the U.S.-led "war on terror". MEET LIKE WITH LIKE Pashtun said that former mujahideen fighters should be allowed to counter the Taliban using guerrilla tactics, rather than waiting for the fledgling Afghan National Army (ANA) to slowly build up the capacity to secure large areas of territory. "Even if the ANA comes (to Kandahar), the ANA only learns discipline, but they do not know the geography and the area. "I am saying that the mujahideen should be used to fight the Taliban. The Taliban canīt wait for the ANA." His comments are at o`ds with the thinking in Kabul, which is to demobilise private militias and armies, some led by commanders and notorious warlords, and instead build up the ANA which currently numbers only around 5,000 soldiers. Pashtun welcomed the arrival of a new governor in Kandahar after President Hamid Karzai named Yusuf Pashtun to replace Gul Agha Sherzai. But while the appointment may help strengthen Karzaiīs weak grip on outlying provinces, it could hamper attempts to counter the Taliban threat in and around Kandahar province. Pashtun said Sherzai had had the ability to deploy forces quickly, not only to all parts of the province, but also to neighbouring regions hit by Taliban attacks. Tens of thousands of Taliban fighters were from Kandahar, and Pashtun said that while many had migrated across the border, sympathisers inevitably remained. He said the movement tended to work in small groups, rarely as large as 30-35, and identified "soft", or easy, targets a few days before launching an attack. U.S.-led forces are hunting Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in the east, southeast and south of the country, but have had only limited success in capturing senior figures in rugged terrain and amid some hostility to their presence in Afghanistan. Source: Taliban Onlien via AfghanSite Forum |
| Re: Taliban proving to be a real threat. |
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| humble_muslim |
| 08/25/03 at 11:36:01 |
| AA Again just a personal opinion and not a fatwa. It seems to me that a lof of Afghanis are unbalanced. They either go to one extreme or the other. To understand the effects of this, listen to Hama Yusuf's "Purifiction of the Heart (you can probably tell what I've been listening to lately!). In one section he talks about the four cardinal virtues, and the importance of balancing them. These are mercy, courage, justice and self-control. When these become out of balance, it leads to not-so-good things. And it appears from my reading of Afghanistan and Afghanis over the last few years that most Afghanis have one or more of these virtues, but in a rather unbalanced way. And Allah knows best. And by the way this is not a criticism, just a comment from someone whose courage is close to absolute zero. |
| NS |
| Re: Taliban proving to be a real threat. |
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| Aurora |
| 08/25/03 at 12:01:25 |
| Its difficult to get an accurate picture of a people if you have never lived among them. News stories and flashy documentaries just don't cut it. You can't expect people who have lived the greater part of their lives dealing with war to act 'normal'. If you live in a largely multicultural community and are not averse to mixing up with people from different regions and backgrounds you see this firsthand. Living where I do, the majority of our muslim community is made up of refugees and a lot of these people carry a lot of psychological baggage with them, things that may be difficult for those who have never been truly exposed to war to understand, things that cause those people to act in certain ways. It frustrates me that so many are quick to brush these people aside and discredit them, not realizing that for many of them the debilitating chaos of war is all they've ever known, I'm not going to single any one group out here, but there's many, and a lot of them are marginalized on the basis of ethnicity. Instead of reaching out the 'normal' members of the community have a tendency to shy away or shun. Sorry Brother that wasn't directed at you, just a personal rant I guess. But if you'd really like to know more about the afghans, i.e. how their minds work, I really recommend this book, [u]The Unexpected Light[/u], by Jason Elliot - if you ever get around to reading it i'd really like to hear what you (or anyone else out there) have to say about it. Its beautifully written, reads like poetry and even more than that I think its one of the best books written by an outsider on his experiences with the afghan people - and trust me i've read a lot. ps. Yeah you did strike a nerve when you said - a lot of Afghanis are unbalanced cause I definitely do not think so. But since you've said that, would you be willing to say the same about the palestinians, iraqis, chechens or kurds? Just curious :) |
| Re: Taliban proving to be a real threat. |
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| humble_muslim |
| 08/25/03 at 12:23:15 |
| AA Please feel free to rant, I don't take it personally. I'm just a very confused brother trying to work out what the hell is going on in this crazy world we're living in these days. My deductions were based on what I heard on the Prurifaction of the Heart tapes. I'll tell you what went thru my mind. Hamza Yusuf gave the example of Muyaiwayh (RA) and Ali(RA). What led to their disagreement? According to Hamza Yusuf, Muyawiwah was "unbalanced" because he wanted justice above all else, while Ali had a degree of mercy with the justice. NOT a crticism, just an attempt by Hamza Yusuf to explain the root causes of the fitnah between them. And this made me think of the Taliban. That they are obviously sincere, and obviously are VERY concerned with justice, they are courageous, they have self-control... but where is the mercy? I may be completely wrong, please correct me if I am. What I mean by the "other" extreme is the horrendous crimes that occur in Afghanistan, like the kidnapping of boys to be used for sex, and the mass rapes. It was these kinds of crime that ironically led to the Taliban becoming so strong, since they actually stood up and started fighting against the perutators of these crimes. I mean you really wonder what the HELL is going on in a muslim country if these kinds of things are happening? Hope this makes sense. |
| NS |
| Re: Taliban proving to be a real threat. |
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| bhaloo |
| 08/29/03 at 02:13:54 |
| [slm] I agree with sister Aurora. I don't think its approrpriate to be calling "a lot of Afghanis unbalanced". We don't know the complete situation, so its best to be silent in this matter. There are a lot of different viewpoints on this matter and a lot of discussions have happened in the past. [quote] And this made me think of the Taliban. That they are obviously sincere, and obviously are VERY concerned with justice, they are courageous, they have self-control... but where is the mercy? I may be completely wrong, please correct me if I am. [/quote] There are numerous examples of their mercy and kindess. About 2 years ago Kashif and I established a forum to discuss the Taliban (as a discussion on them is banned on this board, per the constitution). http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taliban_info/ So please do not get into the merits or problems with the Taliban as the post will most likely be edited or deleted. I also don't like how Muawiyyah (ra) was called "unbalanced". To me that sounds insulting, and no such behavior should be shown to any of the companions. Imagine if someone called you "unbalanced" wouldn't you be offended? |
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