Hard-line Taliban are not 'al Qaeda lite'
James Forsyth 1:57pm
David Rohde’s account of being held hostage by the Taliban for seven months is a fantastic piece of journalism, I’d urge you to read the whole thing. One point in it struck me as particularly pertinent to the current debate about Afghanistan:
“Over those months, I came to a simple realization. After seven years of reporting in the region, I did not fully understand how extreme many of the Taliban had become. Before the kidnapping, I viewed the organization as a form of “Al Qaeda lite,” a religiously motivated movement primarily focused on controlling Afghanistan.Living side by side with the Haqqanis’ followers, I learned that the goal of the hard-line Taliban was far more ambitious. Contact with foreign militants in the tribal areas appeared to have deeply affected many young Taliban fighters. They wanted to create a fundamentalist Islamic emirate with Al Qaeda that spanned the Muslim world.”
If Nato was to move to a more purely counter-terrorist mission in Afghanistan, the Taliban would quickly expand its control over various areas. As Rohde’s account show, it would be foolish to imagine that the Taliban’s ambitions end in Afghanistan. Instead, we would have a Taliban region committed to exporting its ideology and extremist view of Islam.
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Rhoda Klapp
October 20th, 2009 2:29pm Report this commentPlease to point out on a map the areas which they don't control, at least some of the time.
Frank S
October 20th, 2009 2:49pm Report this commentIt is not necessary to posit that the Taliban have 'an extremist view of Islam'. The phrase 'adherence to Islam' would do perfectly well.
David Ossitt
October 20th, 2009 4:10pm Report this comment"They wanted to create a fundamentalist Islamic emirate with Al Qaeda that spanned the Muslim world"
Wrong a thousand times wrong; these primitive fanatics want to span their revolting faith across the entire world.
Eventually we will have to have and win an all out war.
Norman Dee
October 20th, 2009 4:38pm Report this commentit's easy to forget that the majority of Muslims are the real victims in all this. From birth they are corrupted and brainwashed into a life that exists solely and completely around the Koran and the word of the Iman. For a large number the only education they will get is to learn the Koran. sharia law threatens them with terrible punishments for the slightest indiscretions, it is a system that encourages them to murder their own children in the name of honour. They are then easy meat for the more educated and politically wise amongst their leaders who harness their faith for evil.
All religions are the same and have all gone through this stage in their evolution, can you not imagine what the catholics could have done with modern weapons in the middle ages. They would be no different, and today they must look at the adherents to Islam and think "if only"
JohnAnt
October 21st, 2009 2:31am Report this comment"Can you not imagine what the catholics could have done with modern weapons in the middle ages[?]"
Errrr, maybe...won the Crusades?
Fergus Pickering
October 21st, 2009 5:06am Report this commentNo, Norman Dee, all religions are not the same. Might as well say all political parties are the same. Consider the religion of the Russell Crowe guy in 'Gladiator', where he carries his gods in his pocket, or indeed the rteligion of the Thais I used to teach who worshipped the Buddha and Saint Christopher indiscriminately. What you say may be true of certain kinds of organised religion. The chapter on the Grand Inquisitor in Dostoevsky is relevant. But Layosha's religion nis not as you describe nor, come to that, is Doctor Johnson's. But then I take it ypou are an atheist and a humanist. Now THERE's a daft and sentimental set of beliefs if you like.
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