The Taliban collection (2006 onwards)

**SSG Rock** · 10-03-2006

QALAT, Afghanistan - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said yesterday that the Afghan war against Taliban guerrillas could never be won militarily and urged support for efforts to bring "people who call themselves Taliban" and their allies into the government.....

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/n...t/15664062.htm

**Uboat509** · 10-03-2006

Somebody correct me if I am wrong, but one central tenants of the Taliban is rule by Theocracy which is not terribly compatible with democracy. Don't get me wrong I am happy hear a Senator saying that neither a pure military solution nor a cutting and running is the answer. I'm just not sure that trying to get former Taliban into the government is the answer either.

SFC W

**SSG Rock** · 10-03-2006

IMO, yes, the Taliban were absolutely a "dictatorial" Islamic Theocracy. And you might be right in that they won't play well with others. But I'm heartend to at least hear a civilian leader talking about this....finally.

**marct** · 10-03-2006

It's certainly something that does need to be on the table. We've had some experience in Ontario with attempts to get parts of Sharia law introduced as "optional" (e.g. in some adjudication proceedings). So far, it has failed, mainly due to action from moderate Muslims and questions as to which law, Canadian or Sharia, would have ultimate precedence.

Marc

**Strickland** · 10-03-2006

Originally Posted by SSG Rock

IMO, yes, the Taliban were absolutely a "dictatorial" Islamic Theocracy. And you might be right in that they won't play well with others. But I'm heartend to at least hear a civilian leader talking about this....finally.

Question - were more people victims of murder, rape, sectarian and religious violence under the Taliban or since Oct. 2001?

What was the level of heroin production under the Taliban? What has it been since?

**SSG Rock** · 10-04-2006

You mean in terms of executions, or collateral damage?

I'm not sure what kind of correlation heroin production has to do with anything. We might be better served to ask who is growing the poppies and why?

**Stu-6** · 10-04-2006

Poppies were wide spread under the Taliban until about '99 or so when they ban their production.

I agree with the idea of letting the Taliban in the government, if they had a good democratic vote I am sure some of them would get elected so while they may not support democracy I am not sure you can really have a democracy without them.

Of course my real reason for wanting to let them in is the simple logic that we can’t kill them all so we better find a way to live with them.

**SSG Rock** · 10-04-2006

Originally Posted by Stu-6

Poppies were wide spread under the Taliban until about '99 or so when they ban their production.

I agree with the idea of letting the Taliban in the government, if they had a good democratic vote I am sure some of them would get elected so while they may not support democracy I am not sure you can really have a democracy without them.

Of course my real reason for wanting to let them in is the simple logic that we can’t kill them all so we better find a way to live with them.

Ah yes, now I remember. The Taliban did not allow poppies to be grown under their watch.

The idea of bringing the Taliban into the government I think, is something that should most definately be explored. The idea while kind of novel in and of itself, is a take on classic counterinsurgency operations. Unless I'm way off, an insurgency is rarely defeated in the classic military sense rather, you take away it's support and if you can't do that, diluting it might work too.

**tequila** · 09-25-2007

Taliban must be involved in peace process: Defence Minister - AFP 25 Sep.

Afghanistan's Islamist Taliban militia will have to be involved in the country's peace process, Defence Minister Des Browne told delegates at the Labour Party conference.

Browne also echoed comments made by the head of the British Army General Richard Dannatt, who said in June that Britain faced a "generation of conflict."

"In Afghanistan, at some stage, the Taliban will need to be involved in the peace process because they are not going away any more than I suspect Hamas are going away from Palestine," Browne told delegates at a fringe meeting late on Monday.

"But in my view, those who convene that process are entitled to say there are some basic parameters that people ought to apply to their engagement ..."

**goesh** · 09-26-2007

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20990358/

"165 insurgents reportedly killed in Afghanistan
Two battles takes heavy toll on fighters, U.S.-led coalition statement says"

**Rex Brynen** · 09-26-2007

Afghanistan's Islamist Taliban militia will have to be involved in the country's peace process, Defence Minister Des Browne told delegates at the Labour Party conference.

Interesting stuff--I had a not-for-attribution conversation with a senior UK official in the spring on this issue, and was told in no uncertain terms that the government was dead-set against dialogue with Taliban elements. Indeed, I was rather taken aback with the vehemence with which the view was expressed.

I wonder if its a MoD/FCO split, a Blair/Brown difference, a change over time, or whether my interlocutor was expressing a personal view as government policy.

**tequila** · 09-26-2007

One wonders how much of this is related to current strains in Afghan politics.

Karzai's continued replacement of former Northern Alliance and associated former mujahidin/warlords/commanders in both the provinces and in the central government has largely gone unnoticed and unremarked upon. That a lot of the replacements are semi-Westernized Popolzai Pashtuns like Karzai himself is significant, and increasingly the Tajiks and Uzbeks are feeling marginalized. A real showdown is brewing and we had better be ready.

**Jedburgh** · 01-17-2008

RFE/RL, 17 Jan 08: Former Taliban Commander Advises US Ambassador

....Salaam, a powerful local commander who has brought some 300 militia fighters to the side of the Afghan government in northeastern Helmand Province, even gave the U.S. ambassador tactical advice on how to prevent the Taliban from attacking the strategic Kajaki hydroelectric dam, which is about 25 kilometers from Musa Qala.

In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan on the sidelines of the talks, Salaam said the international community must understand that residents of Musa Qala blame British forces for allowing the Taliban to seize their town in February 2007.

He says that is because of a deal brokered by the British in 2006 under which local militia fighters were disarmed and then expected to prevent the Taliban from moving back into the area.....