Quote Originally Posted by tequila View Post
"Village" insurgencies of this type should not be regarded as really dangerous to the GIRoA, and their "accidental guerillas" are better reconciled than fought. However, I think it's a stretch to identify these groups as the same as the Taliban. They may ally with Taliban fighters to fight ANSF or NATO forces, and ambitious local commanders might transit to the full-time pros, but the vast majority will not leave their own areas and are more interested in local control and security than kicking the foreigners out, much less advancing Mullah Omar to Kabul. These fighters can be flipped or reconciled if local control can be established.
Roger, but they are a concern in that as long as they exist, IEDs are emplaced, checkpoints are attacked and locals are coerced. If left unchecked, then they do turn into that force that marched on Kabul in the mid '90s.

As to whether they are Taliban or not, the best description I saw was viewing them as "Subway chains" - independently owned and operated by local entrepreneurs with resources, messaging and an image provided from corporate HQ. A pissed off guy will get his cousins together and shoot at the ANP, calling himself the "Taliban". The mid-level guy will get wind of this, go to these locals, give him some stuff and some guidance and let him run his show. So what if he isn't interested in re-establishing the Emirate right now - if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, it's probably a duck.

I try not to use the word "Taliban" too much when talking with locals. Once, when I asked, I got the young students from a Mosque brought to me. The word still carries it's legitimate religious connotations down here at times. I use the word "insurgent", "stranger", "foreigner" or "enemy" (dushman) based on who I am talking to.

Anyways, I digress - Marjah anyone?