Cute chicks.
Posted on 07/09/2007 4:17:23 AM PDT by Renfield
July 9, 2007: In Afghanistan, even the radicals are having problems with their radicals. The Taliban are undergoing something of a civil war, and it's all about tribal traditions. The Taliban, on both sides of the border, are basically political manifestations of traditional Pushtun tribal culture. That is, very conservative, especially when it comes to the treatment of women and in religious matters. Not all Pushtun tribes share the very conservative attitudes espoused by the Taliban. In fact, the reason why the Taliban is now a struggling minority is because so many more moderate (or less radical) Pushtun tribes have rejected the Taliban ideas. But even among the Taliban true believers, there are moderates and radicals, and that has led to a growing civil war within the Taliban.
It breaks down like this. The moderates believe that Afghanistan should be ruled by a Taliban that followed traditional Pushtun customs. This means restricting the killing to adult males, and honoring the duty to protect guests and tribal elders. The Taliban radicals are more influenced by al Qaeda, which many Pushtuns see as an alien, and somewhat evil, influence. The Taliban radicals believe it is OK to kill women and children (especially when it involves the use of suicide bombs), and that tribal elders and chiefs are fair game if they don't agree with you. Thus, in the past two years, over a hundred tribal chiefs and elders have been killed, mostly in Pakistan (where most of the Taliban support it).
All this has gone beyond mere disagreement. The Taliban moderates (or "traditionalists") believe their radical foes have turned into homicidal maniacs. The radicals, in turn, see their less bloodthirsty Pushtun brethren as weak and not up to the task. All those dead chiefs and elders have generated dozens of nasty blood feuds. This is making it more difficult for the Taliban to keep operations going. The much publicized "Spring Offensive" was a bust partly because the Taliban could not get enough of their people across the border and into Afghanistan. Too many Taliban were still back in Pakistan, fighting other Taliban, or non-Taliban Pushtuns.
The consensus among tribal and political leaders on both sides of the border is that the Taliban radicals are going to be the agents of their own destruction. The terrorism works, up to a point. But if you antagonize enough of your fellow tribesmen, you will find yourself up against impossible odds. In Pakistan, the government is capitalizing on this by providing artillery and air support to tribes, or tribal factions, that will take on the Taliban. Same thing on the other side of the border, except that the Afghan and foreign troops will go after the Taliban directly. That's why the recent "Spring Offensive" was more about NATO troops conducting a grand hunt for Taliban gunmen, and killing over a thousand of them.
The only thing stupider than having a power-structure defined so that any pinhead who declares himself an Imam can "proclaim" that "Allah says this!" is allowing people to die because of it. Any group that poclaims that those outside of it are barbarians, and yet spends all its time and effort at bringing death and desruction in the most gruesome ways to everyone without and many within it's following is not to be followed, trusted, or indeed tolerated.
The holy god of "tolerance" is what brought us 9/11. We should no longer tolerate madmen.
But, ah, (thinks the Left), the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Interesting article. Thanks for posting.
I have always wondered just why anyone would fight over Afghanistan. For centuries, India, then Britain, then Russia and now America is fighting to control this barren rocky land.
What is it? Oil?
What has been in it, off and on for centuries, is a power vaccuum. The power with the greatest collective ego always rushes in to fill it, and then withdraws when it gets tired.
There is nothing of any intrinsic value there, beyond the souls of the Afghanis.
“Get yer program! Get yer programs here. Ya can’t follow the game without your program.”
Cute chicks.
The irony here is truly stunning...
Mark
Actually, prior to the British conquest of India, Afghanistan repeatedly conquered India (or large sections of it), not the other way around.
I believe the last time India conquered Afghanistan was in the 3rd century BC, under Asoka.
Britain and Russia competed for influence in the country because it was a buffer state between their empires, and both were under the delusion that a Russian conquest of India through Afghanistan was feasible.
The US got interested only as a way first of draining Russian resources and willpower during the Cold War, and then to strike back at al Queda and the Taliban.
IOW, there is no consistent reason for powers being interested.
Bump
Let the Taliban devour themselves.
Afghanistan bordered Imperial Iran,which made it vital for both Russia & Britain to fight for influence from the late 1800s to early 1900s.
So why was Imperial Iran so critical?
You may want to rethink your timespan. It’s really short. :)
The time span I mentioned is over 40 years-sorry I wasn’t clear enough-or till the Russian revolution,when the Russians stopped focussing(temporarily) on Iran.Iran was critical because of it’s location-pretty much similar as that of Afghanistan,though it had the advantage of a large number of ports as well as land borders with the Persian Gulf states-essentially a bridge between the Persian Gulf & the Indian colonies.
Not to mention oil,after 1900 or so.
Didn’t know if you were talking about 1898 to 1902. :)
Nope-from about 1870 until after 1910.
I’m aware that Britain and Russia battled each other for influence over Persia.
Part of the old Russian drive towards icefree ports, I guess.
The House Dems are already following suit.
Traditions, like how best to kill the largest number of victims simultaneously.
“Tastes Great!” “Less Filling!”
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