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SNIPPET - Quote:

www.jihadica.com/al-qa’ida-and-the-afghan-taliban-“diametrically-opposed”/

Al-Qa’ida and the Afghan Taliban: “Diametrically Opposed”?
Vahid Brown

October 21st, 2009 | AQ Leadership, Afghanistan, China, Hamas, Hezbollah, Jund Ansar Allah, Pakistan, Taliban

Mullah Omar’s Afghan Taliban and al-Qa’ida’s senior leaders have been issuing some very mixed messages of late, and the online jihadi community is in an uproar, with some calling these developments “the beginning of the end of relations” between the two movements. Beginning with a statement from Mullah Omar in September, the Afghan Taliban’s Quetta-based leadership has been emphasizing the “nationalist” character of their movement, and has sent several communications to Afghanistan’s neighbors expressing an intent to establish positive international relations. In what are increasingly being viewed by the forums as direct rejoinders to these sentiments, recent messages from al-Qa’ida have pointedly rejected the “national” model of revolutionary Islamism and reiterated calls for jihad against Afghanistan’s neighbors, especially Pakistan and China. However interpreted, these conflicting signals raise serious questions about the notion of an al-Qa’ida-Taliban merger.

The trouble began with Mullah Omar’s message for ‘Eid al-Fitr, issued on September 19, in which he calls the Taliban a “robust Islamic and nationalist movement,” which “wants to maintain good and positive relations with all neighbors based on mutual respect.”

I read the entire article which was worth it.

To make it short and sweet, the Islamic pragmatists recognize this fact.

It is one thing to take on the West (christian or not).

It is quite another thing to take on the RED Chinese or even the still-RED Russians. These regimes will stop at nothing to defend their sovereignty without internal squabbling and descent.

Of course he is. But you don’t have to be a zealot or a coward to be afraid of China.

First, China has a common border with Afghanistan. This means if the Taliban take over in the future, the Chinese can reach out and touch them. Omar is said to have ambitions for a Central Asian empire. That can only happen with Chinese consent.

Second, someone who doesn’t go around poking at hornets’ nests isn’t a coward. He’s merely prudent. China’s population is close to that of the entire ummah. However, the entire population of the ummah isn’t in Afghanistan - only 30m is. You don’t go around supporting terrorist attacks against neighboring countries with 40 times your population without incurring consequences.

Third, China has occupied Afghanistan before. If I were Omar, I wouldn’t want to remind China of this ancient territorial claim.

Fourth, China has been pretty lukewarm in its view of US forces in Afghanistan. Omar supporting terrorist attacks against China would make the Chinese a lot more supportive, perhaps to the extent of allowing US supplies through its territory (currently verboten).

Fifth, Afghanistan’s supply lines run through Pakistan. A key country keeping Pakistan afloat is China. Omar is currently living in Pakistan. If the Chinese ask Pakistan to squish Omar, Pakistan will do it.