Held By The Taliban

[logic]

Ripping the 'good taliban' argument to shreds now aren't we.

This is nothing but pure evil.

North Waziristan will be next, HAS to be next.

Dear do you stil belive we can have good and bad taliban?

In my opinion Taliban are nothing but pure evil and religious thugs wanting to enforce there self derived devious ways on anyone that comes across them.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Dear do you stil belive we can have good and bad taliban?

In my opinion Taliban are nothing but pure evil and religious thugs wanting to enforce there self derived devious ways on anyone that comes across them.

That was my point, their ideology and goals are evil, whether they are in SW or NW.

The phrase 'good Taliban' was only used to differentiate between those who attacked the Pakistani State and those who did not - it is clear though the ones that do not overtly target the Pakistani state still rejoice in the murder of innocent Pakistanis and covertly and overtly plot against Pakistan.

These aren't 'allies', they are merely waiting their turn to destroy Pakistan as soon as their current objective is achieved.

I hope the Pakistani state is dealing with them on the same principle.

 

[logic]

That was my point, their ideology and goals are evil, whether they are in SW or NW.

The phrase 'good Taliban' was only used to differentiate between those who attacked the Pakistani State and those who did not - it is clear though the ones that do not overtly target the Pakistani state still rejoice in the murder of innocent Pakistanis and covertly and overtly plot against Pakistan.

These aren't 'allies', they are merely waiting their turn to destroy Pakistan as soon as their current objective is achieved.

Complete Agreement. You have just put it the best way possible.

I hope the Pakistani state is dealing with them on the same principle.

GOP dealing with them on the same principal ? I dont think so.
If they were Jamat e Islami and Maulana Diesel would have been behind bars.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

ISLAMABAD (updated on: October 20, 2009, 18:01 PST): Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday said that all roads of Islamic University attack are leading to North Waziristan and South Waziristan where operation is underway.
University blasts lead to Waziristan: minister : Business Recorder | LATEST NEWS

Signaling future intentions?

I hope so, though I also hope he keeps his mouth shut until SW is pacified.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

GOP dealing with them on the same principal ? I dont think so.
If they were Jamat e Islami and Maulana Diesel would have been behind bars.

By dealing with them 'on the same principle' I meant that just as they are waiting to fulfill their current objectives before they turn on the Pakistani state, the Pakistani state should also be looking to destroy the terrorist sanctuary in NW once it achieves its objectives in SW.


Mullah Diesel and Jamaat-e-Islami are best handled by the people of Pakistan - give them the same courtesy that Imran Khan gets at the polls.

 

[logic]

Saudi funding for these terrorist are still flowing freely. GOP should also take measures in this regard too and ban collection of charity in Taliban affiliated so called mosques.

I think we are becoming a sandwich between the Saudi and US that are fighting there proxy wars on the Pakistani soil.

 

[Solomon2]

Taliban are bloody thugs and psychopaths these cancer cells need to be eradicated from the society.
There is no place for a Talib in Pakistan. Every bloody Talib will be eliminated from our Land.

I don't doubt the accuracy of your characterization of the Taliban, but can you think of no alternative to destroying them or driving them out?

 

[fhassan]

can you think of no alternative to destroying them or driving them out?

Noooooooooooooooo

 

[S-2]

David Rohde and Bill Keller answer questions from readers about the series and Rohde's experiences.

Both questions and replies are interesting in revealing the nature of reporting in a war zone of Pakistan and Afghanistan's complexity.

Comments can be read here.

 

[hembo]

That was a really good read, Thanks S-2 for providing the link. Good insight into the Taliban mentality.

 

[S-2]

The latest installment from David Rohde on his odyssey through Haqqaniville-

A Drone Strike and Dwindling Hope-NYT Oct. 21, 2009

Here is the accompanying video.

Held By The Taliban-NYT

His perspectives are sharpened by a drone attack that kills seven arab and taliban fighters in two cars very near to where he'd been moved down in Mehsudville. Fortunately no civilians were killed.

What follows from there is even more fascinating...

 

[Skeptic]

Final Parts:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/world/asia/22hostage.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=asia

And

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/world/asia/22epilogue.html

Also found this bit intriguing:

My suspicions about the relationship between the Haqqanis and the Pakistani military proved to be true. Some American officials told my colleagues at The Times that Pakistan’s military intelligence agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, turns a blind eye to the Haqqanis’ activities. Others went further and said the ISI provided money, supplies and strategic planning to the Haqqanis and other Taliban groups.

Pakistani officials told my colleagues that the contacts were part of a strategy to maintain influence in Afghanistan to prevent India, Pakistan’s archenemy, from gaining a foothold. One Pakistani official called the Taliban “proxy forces to preserve our interests.”

Meanwhile, the Haqqanis continue to use North Waziristan to train suicide bombers and bomb makers who kill Afghan and American forces. They also continue to take hostages

Even after being explicit in his appreciation of Pakistani Base officials and their Polite behaviour he still finds suspicions and mistrustand mentions the proxy support to these forces.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Final Parts:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/world/asia/22hostage.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=asia

And

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/world/asia/22epilogue.html

Also found this bit intriguing:



Even after being explicit in his appreciation of Pakistani Base officials and their Polite behaviour he still finds suspicions and mistrustand mentions the proxy support to these forces.

The accusations of 'proxy support' are no different than the accusations in the Pakistani press quoting anonymous officials, that the US and Indians are supporting the TTP.

Without evidence they are just speculation.

I also have to wonder about the veracity of accounts suggesting that Pakistani officials are bragging about contacts with the Haqqanis as a 'proxy force'. Why would Pakistani officials tell his colleagues about this? It could be exaggeration or misinterpretation.

Pakistani officials in the past have maintained that they have contacts with the Haqqanis, as any intelligence agency would, but they have also denied that the relationship goes beyond that towards any sort of tangible support (leaving alone the argument of 'sanctuary' for the moment, which is more complicated).

Riveting account aside from that.

 

[Developereo]

Even after being explicit in his appreciation of Pakistani Base officials and their Polite behaviour he still finds suspicions and mistrustand mentions the proxy support to these forces.

The NYT is floundering, with readership at an all-time low, so spicing things up is always on order. Let's also not forget this is the same NYT that loves to malign Pakistan. I remember reading a long article in NYT some time back (Dec 2000) about the 1947 partition where they mentioned Hindus being massacred by Muslims, but did not say a single word about Muslims being massacred by Hindus. The bias was so ridiculously blatant, it was unbelievable.

I'm not trying to defend the Taliban, but I take would everything this guy says with a grain of salt.

 

[S-2]

"The NYT is floundering, with readership at an all-time low..."

Can you identify the newspaper(s) whose PRINT readership/circulation is growing...?

All newspapers, I suspect, are near all-time lows whether they offer on-line viewing or not.

We'll be paying soon, I fear, for what is on-line and freely available now.

Those from America's conservative right, btw, will tell you that the NYT is a bastion of anti-American thinking and no friend of America.

Sometimes you can't win for losing.

Thanks, Skeptic, for the final postings of this really interesting series.