ianstone
10-10-2010, 08:19 AM
Afghanistan’s Taliban: cowards or fearless warriors?
Full story with a lot of comments.
They say one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter, is it that clear, well you tell me please guys ?
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Afghanistan (http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/tag/afghanistan) | IEDs (http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/tag/ieds) | Taliban (http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/tag/taliban) | U.S. troops (http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/tag/us-troops)
http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/files/2010/10/t1.jpg
U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan have often called the Taliban cowards for planting crude roadside bombs, the biggest killer of troops and civilians. They should come out and fight like men, instead of planting these improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and then slipping away into the countryside. If you are out on a patrol with the forces, that’s the kind of thing you often hear.
But some people are questioning this kind of labelling, asking if it is right to dismiss your enemies as cowards, especially one in this case that has fought the world’s most powerful military to a draw, if not a possible retreat.
Can you really call the Taliban who go to war wearing robes, sandals and turbans and armed with assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades and whatever else they can lay their hands on as cowards, asks NightWatch (http://www.kforcegov.com/Services/IS/NightWatch/NightWatch_10000257.aspx), an intelligence firm that produces regular assessments. They are fighting an army that comes with the most advanced equipment in the history of warfare – body armour, tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, backed by helicopter gunships, artillery and surveillance aircraft.
And above all, the drones – the unmanned aircraft that hover over the skies for hours at a stretch beaming back high resolution pictures down to the numbers on the license plate of pick-ups that the Taliban use in the mountains that straddle Afghanistan and Pakistan. And these unmanned planes are being remotely controlled all the way from the United States.
What kind of bravery is that, flying these planes from a tractor trailer in the Nevada desert, hunched over computer terminals and firing missiles like it was a video game, asks John Treep in a piece in The MinnPost (http://www.minnpost.com/community_voices/2010/10/05/22049/thoughts_regarding_bravery_in_modern_warfare). Except that in this case the death and destruction is real.
I do not criticize modern American warriors for choosing the close-to-home computer terminal over a tent and a Humvee on the Afghan-Pakistan border — I’d make the same choice in a flash. But does it really make sense to describe our warriors as brave and our enemies, people apparently eager to give their lives for what they believe in, as “cowards.”
Does it really matter what you call your enemies? It can, actually, because you run the risk of underestimating them. Dismissing the Taliban as burqa-wearing cowards who strap explosives to their chests may not be the best way to tackle them, especially now that they control large parts of the countryside.
« Previous Post (http://blogs.reuters.com/photo/?p=17559)
October 8th, 2010
GMT
Truth Speaks Itself No Need For Labeling everyone has brain to think
- Posted by Junaid
October 8th, 2010
GMT
@sanjeev Miglani
Let us expand your article for assessment;
The so called Afghan talibans are made of local Pashtoon tribes who strictly operate within their own specified territory. Tresspassing into another tribal area is forbidden, unless they have the free passaghe.
In addition, there are chechanians, arabs, the tajiks and the uzbek warriors from abroad who are supporting the resistance and fighting along with their Pashtoon comrades against most western countries of the world. Their guerella tactics are probably superior to those of the regular army, who rely on their military text books. The one tactic you must have observed is that they do not provide a large space to the enemy to move around. Fear is also not part of the taliban baggage, which the regular soldiers carry with them in their protacted armour.
At the age of five the pashtoon learns to shoot and before sixteen they learn to make bullets and practice target shooting.
They are known to have shot down the aeroplane, the helicopter and lately the drones. They live mostly on very rich meat diet for proteins and fruits for minerals and vitamins. No junk or sandwitched diet. Cowardness is not an acceptable vocabalry, any one receiving this titile has only one remedy and that is to revenge or leave the Pashtoon Land.
Any foreign invader who proves to be braver is fully respected by the Pashtoons. Those who sit in the flying machines and drop bombs from the sky or enter into the houses and molest their women and children are regarded by them as not worth opponents and cowards.
Rex Minor
- Posted by rex Minor
October 8th, 2010
GMT
Pakistan’s ISI, a hidden, frustrating power for U.S.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69 721Z20101008?pageNumber=1 (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69721Z20101008?pageNumber=1)
- Posted by Umair
October 8th, 2010
GMT
So far this is the most unbiased report i’ve ever read in a western news agency. Well i think the biggest mistake the americans are committing is underestimating their enemy. If they don’t learn to respect the courage of their enemy, they’ll never be able to win this war. Despite of the adversities they’re still strong n firm in resolve to fight the americans. Well i don’t mean that they’re good people (talibanis) but still they’re brave, n shouldn’t be called coward.
- Posted by lavi
October 8th, 2010
GMT
The big picture isn’t always seen. These ‘cowards’ don’t recognize, or adhere to Geneva conventions, international pressure, or the idea that they have to be friends to all. the US issue is not that the troops are less capable of the same tactics, or that they even dismiss their enemies as weak, it that we don’t use civilians as fodder as a practice, and when it does happen, the troops are considered guilty until further notice. Most troops would travel native if given the opportunity, and if thr ROE (Rules of Engagement) weren’t as tight, more would be done, to the dismay of the international conscience that seems to pervade all that ocurrs with US foreing policy.
- Posted by Robert Walker
October 9th, 2010
GMT
Dear Robert Walker,
Which American and Jew Military are you refering too?
The GI joes you saw at the theater. Theses violations are on video for all to see. Xenophobic, look it up Mr. Walker.
Damon McCann
- Posted by damon
October 9th, 2010
GMT
The 17th century theologist philosopher descartes presented to the then world that since no one complains about the lack of common sense, proves that the God almighty have provided common sence to all humans. he erred, because the people without common sense would not know if they have or have not the common sence. Today we have some idea about the IQ level of inividuals.
On average the american soldier has the lowest common sense in the world and their commanders and supporters are presenting the ROE and Geneva conventions and human rights to afghans after invasion, which the American administraations have been violating in our time. The International criminal court is not recognised by today’s USA and torture and criminal concentration cmps are not only in place within the USA but also around the globe. Wars are won in combat and not in the offices, think tank institutions. the call of the day is to Bring them on or withdraw quitely and peacefully wothout remorse and accusations. the valleys of afghanistan have witnessed more death than the Verdun battle front. The honourable exit for the top US commander of the forces and the defence chief would be to resign and follow the great marine General adiviser to mer Obama.
Rex Minor
- Posted by rex Minor
October 9th, 2010
GMT
The men who fought the Soviets are warriors who fought for their freedom but now, there fighting are mindless and meaningless. They are fighting on behalf of few men whose egos are hurt by the western powers the men who provoked the fighting are nowhere to see they just send some poor guy brainwashed and strapped with explosives to his death. The people of Afghanistan are fearless but the leaders who control them are definitely cowards.
- Posted by T Mark
October 9th, 2010
GMT
@T Mark
Sorry, but your prejudice would always influence you. The Pashtoons afghans do not need your advice or concurence nor do they accept the premise of the invaders who launcheda campaign on the basis of terrorism coming from Afghanistan. Some new actors like the new Brish Prime Minister still believe that the people who supposedly launched the Sept. 2001 attack were trained in afghanistan. The fact that they were arabs, receiving their education in Hamburg germany and received flying training in the USA had nothing to do with it.
one thing is sure neither Afghanistan nor Pakistan are the banana republics, which their current leaders have inadvertantly and for their limited interest managed to make them. The backlash is now in progress and we should wait for the next scenario to see whether VERNUNFT or VENGENCE round prevails.
I üpray for the former.
Rex Minor
- Posted by rex Minor
October 9th, 2010
GMT
You are wrong. The leaders are not cowards. Every so-called “leader” knows his days are numbered if there is even a shred of truth to the daily news flash that another “taliban leader” was killed. No. These are indeed brave men who knows that even his most trust confidante could spills all the beans under torture. Yes, the United States does and still do torture. ANYONE engaged in the defense of his own land is a fearless warrior. The “coward” label is for the Americans who pride themselves in in calling people derogatory names.
- Posted by Arar
October 9th, 2010
GMT
The Taliban are cowards because they terrorize and dominate primarily women, using beating, mutilation and outright death to impose their interpretation of Islam, and their backward worldview in general. their religious police intimidation and beatings, public torture and execution. They engage in pederasty with abandon because they fear women on so many physical and intellectual levels, yet warp the minds and habits of young boys to serve their ends either physically or militarily. These are all documented facts by the way.
They’re afraid of music, dancing, most images that don’t concern them ( Carved buddahs that predate their sect of islam by near a millennium are destroyed, but when was the last time you heard of a Taliban tearing or blacking out a picture of Mullah Omar out of an old copy of Time Magazine?) sports and oh yes, kites.
They are fighting a solid guerrilla war against western forces, this cannot be denied. But they are fighting a military of some restraint (regardless of how public opinion may vary on Predator strikes, etc.)
The Taliban are lucky they aren’t in fact fighting someone with the resolve of the old British empire, who would have treated them much like the Thuggee of old, with a policy of extermination by hanging, every adult male who even had a link to their order.
- the Russians very likely would have done just that had they even existed during the soviet occupation. But regardless of retroactive history, the Taliban didnt come onto the world stage til the time of power vacuum when the USSR collapsed. God help them if the Chinese ever feel unchallenged enough to take interest in their theater of the world. Because Allah certainly wont be able to save them. I doubt he’d even acknowledge they ever existed.
Just an opinion, but I doubt most women in either Afghanistan or Pakistan would miss them for a moment.
Just remember, if there were no NATO troops for them to attack, they’d turn their fury on women, disobedient children, any man with a beard of less than ZZ top dimensions. ( while ironically they’d try slaughter or at least silence Billy, Dusty and Frank in a hot second)
Fierce guerrillas do not worthwhile warriors, let alone human beings, make.
- Posted by rogueresearch
October 9th, 2010
GMT
You people are all idiots. Its sad, sad, sad. You think you truly understand the afghans? or those Pushtun fighters that fight the coalition? You don’t. You are the “cowards” criticizing either side from a computer screen.
The unfortunate truth is (and i am sorry to say) that the Jihadis already have lost. They can keep blowing themselves up for all we care. No one cares about it anymore. Unfortunately for your Muslim brethren, no one cares anymore. The whole point of martyrdom (as with most terrorism) is to draw attention to your cause..But guess what? No one cares! And trust me on this, PLEASE..You have no idea how little they accomplish with blowing themselves up (Who blows up themselves and all their own friends just to kill ONE american? dumbasses. I think its ridiculous and wasteful)
So, just for your information people…The Taliban (as brave as they were during the Soviet occupation I guess) are now just wasting time and money trying to stop the Coalition (who are just trying to build schools and mosques and provide security and relief!). America will leave when we are ready, and we when we do, the funny thing is that the afghans will have killed more of their own people than we EVER did!! And trust me, this will be forgotten in a hundred years. And when our future children look at the numbers, they won’t lie. It will say America destroyed hundreds of thousands of Taliban and the Taliban only killed ten thousand Americans (oh, and thousands of their own people in suicide bombings too). Who won? yeah, we will see on that. Ha ha…idiots.
- Posted by rashid
October 9th, 2010
GMT
OH! and by the way…I like how the commentor “Damon” tries to sound like he knows what he is talking about. I like how he uses the words “Jew military”!! ha ha ha ha!!! thats hilarious. What a MORON! damon, you need to be hit in the head with a tack hammer…You poor, ignorant little dune monkey.
I think you guys think that all Americans think the Taliban are cowards. We don’t. I have seen their work firsthand, and they are just fighting the WRONG WAY! They could do more (like the south Vietnamese did) if they just were a little smarter about it. Remember Vietnam? Now thats an enemy insurgency the Americans respect. They knew how to fight…And there are many brave Pashtuns, don’t get me wrong. i think they are BRILLIANT in some of their tactics. They are not the ones who introduced suicide bombings (that is the Arabs) into the fighting. They fight with the hearts of lions. But the taliban “converts” unfortunately are just not too bright and will keep getting their asses beat every time they stick their heads up until they finally learn.
And just so you guys understand, the Americans are not there to “invade” your sh*thole country. We couldn’t care less who owns it a hundred years from now. We just want those people who are being stoned to death for no good reason by the “sharia” psychopaths to feel secure for once. And yes, we make mistakes and bomb the wrong people. We actually spend BILLIONS of dollars trying NOT to do that!! We spend BILLIONS on laser guided bombs to try and avoid hurting all of your dirtball little cousins and relatives…What do the Taliban do? They actually TRY and AIM their weapons at innocent people in order to “send a message”…wow…They are sooooo brave!! I would rather sit behind a computer far away and blow them up then run into battle yelling “allah ackbar” and then die and thats it…My life is over. And for what? No one will remember me…No one cares. In the end, those who are trying to do good and help build schools, provide medicine, protect little girls who just want to go to school from Taliban bullies, and build roads will be remembered as the winners. And thats the sad truth for the taliban. And I don’t think we (america) really mind losing a few thousand more of our soldiers in order to whoop your asses a little longer…haha. So keep strapping that dynamite on!! No problem. We will just wait till there is no one left…ha ha ha!!
- Posted by rashid
October 9th, 2010
GMT
I think the Taliban are just mad about the drone attacks because the U.S just adapted to the Taliban’s only method of fighting..And it is obvious that it is working because everyone is furious about it! Thats how you know something works…Is if your enemy freaks out about it and calls YOU the coward. God bless the drones. They are the best invention since the wheel.
And for the record, how mad can someone really at America? Afghanistan has no oil, no gold, nothing that anyone wants. So why do Americans “invade”? Because I think we just got tired of getting betrayed by the same people we helped during the Soviet invasion. We paid for their freedom, and they turned around and bit us. Thats ok tho. We just showed up and slapped them around and now they are are more than a little mad about it…and thats to be expected. No one likes getting beaten. And thats why they kidnap harmless journalists and UN aide workers. They do that because they are ineffective in their efforts elsewhere. They do this because they are hoping to gain leverage in a fight they have already lost. And thats ok, too. Pashtun fighters have many honorable traditions and they are great fighters. But the Taliban are taking their conscript army and trying to use any desperate tactic they can in order to show they can hurt the super power in their backyard. The only problem is that the scoreboard shows the truth.
Coalition wins: 500,000 +
Taliban wins: less than 10,000 (coalition losses are actually more than a dozen times less than the Taliban hoped and prayed they would be)
So why can’t the Taliban just take a break for a while, I say?? I mean, its time for a little vacation. maybe some time in the Bahamas? get a little rest and maybe a massage?
They can’t possibly think that detonating bombs on desert roads and in crowded cafes is gonna work do they? I mean, they are killing hundreds of their own to just kill one Westerner! That is not gonna work, in my humble opinion. History shows this and constant civil war in Afghanistan shows that not too many people enjoy the Taliban. The best idea is just to let the Coalition finish their work, create a small amount of stability (at least as much as possible) and then let them leave. I mean, does it really matter? The Taliban will just take over again once America leaves right? So just relax, Osama bin Laden. Let it go. You can’t win this one, big guy. I think its best to stop whining about the drones (because they will be around for a long, long time and they cost next to nothing. We can lose hundreds of them and its no big deal). I just feel bad for the children of Afghanistan. They hate the Taliban and they just want to be free to go to school and play and have fun. And what do the Taliban want? to beat people with rocks and enslave the countryside. We will just see who comes out on top, I guess. But so far, its not looking good for the Taliban right now (especially to those of us who are muslim and live nearby)…So maybe its time to relax and take a vacation for the taliban. They look like they need it.
Full story with a lot of comments.
They say one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter, is it that clear, well you tell me please guys ?
<LI style="DISPLAY: inline; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class="share "><LI style="WIDTH: 450px; DISPLAY: inline; VERTICAL-ALIGN: top" class=share tns="no">
Afghanistan (http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/tag/afghanistan) | IEDs (http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/tag/ieds) | Taliban (http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/tag/taliban) | U.S. troops (http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/tag/us-troops)
http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/files/2010/10/t1.jpg
U.S. military commanders in Afghanistan have often called the Taliban cowards for planting crude roadside bombs, the biggest killer of troops and civilians. They should come out and fight like men, instead of planting these improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and then slipping away into the countryside. If you are out on a patrol with the forces, that’s the kind of thing you often hear.
But some people are questioning this kind of labelling, asking if it is right to dismiss your enemies as cowards, especially one in this case that has fought the world’s most powerful military to a draw, if not a possible retreat.
Can you really call the Taliban who go to war wearing robes, sandals and turbans and armed with assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades and whatever else they can lay their hands on as cowards, asks NightWatch (http://www.kforcegov.com/Services/IS/NightWatch/NightWatch_10000257.aspx), an intelligence firm that produces regular assessments. They are fighting an army that comes with the most advanced equipment in the history of warfare – body armour, tanks and armoured fighting vehicles, backed by helicopter gunships, artillery and surveillance aircraft.
And above all, the drones – the unmanned aircraft that hover over the skies for hours at a stretch beaming back high resolution pictures down to the numbers on the license plate of pick-ups that the Taliban use in the mountains that straddle Afghanistan and Pakistan. And these unmanned planes are being remotely controlled all the way from the United States.
What kind of bravery is that, flying these planes from a tractor trailer in the Nevada desert, hunched over computer terminals and firing missiles like it was a video game, asks John Treep in a piece in The MinnPost (http://www.minnpost.com/community_voices/2010/10/05/22049/thoughts_regarding_bravery_in_modern_warfare). Except that in this case the death and destruction is real.
I do not criticize modern American warriors for choosing the close-to-home computer terminal over a tent and a Humvee on the Afghan-Pakistan border — I’d make the same choice in a flash. But does it really make sense to describe our warriors as brave and our enemies, people apparently eager to give their lives for what they believe in, as “cowards.”
Does it really matter what you call your enemies? It can, actually, because you run the risk of underestimating them. Dismissing the Taliban as burqa-wearing cowards who strap explosives to their chests may not be the best way to tackle them, especially now that they control large parts of the countryside.
« Previous Post (http://blogs.reuters.com/photo/?p=17559)
October 8th, 2010
GMT
Truth Speaks Itself No Need For Labeling everyone has brain to think
- Posted by Junaid
October 8th, 2010
GMT
@sanjeev Miglani
Let us expand your article for assessment;
The so called Afghan talibans are made of local Pashtoon tribes who strictly operate within their own specified territory. Tresspassing into another tribal area is forbidden, unless they have the free passaghe.
In addition, there are chechanians, arabs, the tajiks and the uzbek warriors from abroad who are supporting the resistance and fighting along with their Pashtoon comrades against most western countries of the world. Their guerella tactics are probably superior to those of the regular army, who rely on their military text books. The one tactic you must have observed is that they do not provide a large space to the enemy to move around. Fear is also not part of the taliban baggage, which the regular soldiers carry with them in their protacted armour.
At the age of five the pashtoon learns to shoot and before sixteen they learn to make bullets and practice target shooting.
They are known to have shot down the aeroplane, the helicopter and lately the drones. They live mostly on very rich meat diet for proteins and fruits for minerals and vitamins. No junk or sandwitched diet. Cowardness is not an acceptable vocabalry, any one receiving this titile has only one remedy and that is to revenge or leave the Pashtoon Land.
Any foreign invader who proves to be braver is fully respected by the Pashtoons. Those who sit in the flying machines and drop bombs from the sky or enter into the houses and molest their women and children are regarded by them as not worth opponents and cowards.
Rex Minor
- Posted by rex Minor
October 8th, 2010
GMT
Pakistan’s ISI, a hidden, frustrating power for U.S.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69 721Z20101008?pageNumber=1 (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69721Z20101008?pageNumber=1)
- Posted by Umair
October 8th, 2010
GMT
So far this is the most unbiased report i’ve ever read in a western news agency. Well i think the biggest mistake the americans are committing is underestimating their enemy. If they don’t learn to respect the courage of their enemy, they’ll never be able to win this war. Despite of the adversities they’re still strong n firm in resolve to fight the americans. Well i don’t mean that they’re good people (talibanis) but still they’re brave, n shouldn’t be called coward.
- Posted by lavi
October 8th, 2010
GMT
The big picture isn’t always seen. These ‘cowards’ don’t recognize, or adhere to Geneva conventions, international pressure, or the idea that they have to be friends to all. the US issue is not that the troops are less capable of the same tactics, or that they even dismiss their enemies as weak, it that we don’t use civilians as fodder as a practice, and when it does happen, the troops are considered guilty until further notice. Most troops would travel native if given the opportunity, and if thr ROE (Rules of Engagement) weren’t as tight, more would be done, to the dismay of the international conscience that seems to pervade all that ocurrs with US foreing policy.
- Posted by Robert Walker
October 9th, 2010
GMT
Dear Robert Walker,
Which American and Jew Military are you refering too?
The GI joes you saw at the theater. Theses violations are on video for all to see. Xenophobic, look it up Mr. Walker.
Damon McCann
- Posted by damon
October 9th, 2010
GMT
The 17th century theologist philosopher descartes presented to the then world that since no one complains about the lack of common sense, proves that the God almighty have provided common sence to all humans. he erred, because the people without common sense would not know if they have or have not the common sence. Today we have some idea about the IQ level of inividuals.
On average the american soldier has the lowest common sense in the world and their commanders and supporters are presenting the ROE and Geneva conventions and human rights to afghans after invasion, which the American administraations have been violating in our time. The International criminal court is not recognised by today’s USA and torture and criminal concentration cmps are not only in place within the USA but also around the globe. Wars are won in combat and not in the offices, think tank institutions. the call of the day is to Bring them on or withdraw quitely and peacefully wothout remorse and accusations. the valleys of afghanistan have witnessed more death than the Verdun battle front. The honourable exit for the top US commander of the forces and the defence chief would be to resign and follow the great marine General adiviser to mer Obama.
Rex Minor
- Posted by rex Minor
October 9th, 2010
GMT
The men who fought the Soviets are warriors who fought for their freedom but now, there fighting are mindless and meaningless. They are fighting on behalf of few men whose egos are hurt by the western powers the men who provoked the fighting are nowhere to see they just send some poor guy brainwashed and strapped with explosives to his death. The people of Afghanistan are fearless but the leaders who control them are definitely cowards.
- Posted by T Mark
October 9th, 2010
GMT
@T Mark
Sorry, but your prejudice would always influence you. The Pashtoons afghans do not need your advice or concurence nor do they accept the premise of the invaders who launcheda campaign on the basis of terrorism coming from Afghanistan. Some new actors like the new Brish Prime Minister still believe that the people who supposedly launched the Sept. 2001 attack were trained in afghanistan. The fact that they were arabs, receiving their education in Hamburg germany and received flying training in the USA had nothing to do with it.
one thing is sure neither Afghanistan nor Pakistan are the banana republics, which their current leaders have inadvertantly and for their limited interest managed to make them. The backlash is now in progress and we should wait for the next scenario to see whether VERNUNFT or VENGENCE round prevails.
I üpray for the former.
Rex Minor
- Posted by rex Minor
October 9th, 2010
GMT
You are wrong. The leaders are not cowards. Every so-called “leader” knows his days are numbered if there is even a shred of truth to the daily news flash that another “taliban leader” was killed. No. These are indeed brave men who knows that even his most trust confidante could spills all the beans under torture. Yes, the United States does and still do torture. ANYONE engaged in the defense of his own land is a fearless warrior. The “coward” label is for the Americans who pride themselves in in calling people derogatory names.
- Posted by Arar
October 9th, 2010
GMT
The Taliban are cowards because they terrorize and dominate primarily women, using beating, mutilation and outright death to impose their interpretation of Islam, and their backward worldview in general. their religious police intimidation and beatings, public torture and execution. They engage in pederasty with abandon because they fear women on so many physical and intellectual levels, yet warp the minds and habits of young boys to serve their ends either physically or militarily. These are all documented facts by the way.
They’re afraid of music, dancing, most images that don’t concern them ( Carved buddahs that predate their sect of islam by near a millennium are destroyed, but when was the last time you heard of a Taliban tearing or blacking out a picture of Mullah Omar out of an old copy of Time Magazine?) sports and oh yes, kites.
They are fighting a solid guerrilla war against western forces, this cannot be denied. But they are fighting a military of some restraint (regardless of how public opinion may vary on Predator strikes, etc.)
The Taliban are lucky they aren’t in fact fighting someone with the resolve of the old British empire, who would have treated them much like the Thuggee of old, with a policy of extermination by hanging, every adult male who even had a link to their order.
- the Russians very likely would have done just that had they even existed during the soviet occupation. But regardless of retroactive history, the Taliban didnt come onto the world stage til the time of power vacuum when the USSR collapsed. God help them if the Chinese ever feel unchallenged enough to take interest in their theater of the world. Because Allah certainly wont be able to save them. I doubt he’d even acknowledge they ever existed.
Just an opinion, but I doubt most women in either Afghanistan or Pakistan would miss them for a moment.
Just remember, if there were no NATO troops for them to attack, they’d turn their fury on women, disobedient children, any man with a beard of less than ZZ top dimensions. ( while ironically they’d try slaughter or at least silence Billy, Dusty and Frank in a hot second)
Fierce guerrillas do not worthwhile warriors, let alone human beings, make.
- Posted by rogueresearch
October 9th, 2010
GMT
You people are all idiots. Its sad, sad, sad. You think you truly understand the afghans? or those Pushtun fighters that fight the coalition? You don’t. You are the “cowards” criticizing either side from a computer screen.
The unfortunate truth is (and i am sorry to say) that the Jihadis already have lost. They can keep blowing themselves up for all we care. No one cares about it anymore. Unfortunately for your Muslim brethren, no one cares anymore. The whole point of martyrdom (as with most terrorism) is to draw attention to your cause..But guess what? No one cares! And trust me on this, PLEASE..You have no idea how little they accomplish with blowing themselves up (Who blows up themselves and all their own friends just to kill ONE american? dumbasses. I think its ridiculous and wasteful)
So, just for your information people…The Taliban (as brave as they were during the Soviet occupation I guess) are now just wasting time and money trying to stop the Coalition (who are just trying to build schools and mosques and provide security and relief!). America will leave when we are ready, and we when we do, the funny thing is that the afghans will have killed more of their own people than we EVER did!! And trust me, this will be forgotten in a hundred years. And when our future children look at the numbers, they won’t lie. It will say America destroyed hundreds of thousands of Taliban and the Taliban only killed ten thousand Americans (oh, and thousands of their own people in suicide bombings too). Who won? yeah, we will see on that. Ha ha…idiots.
- Posted by rashid
October 9th, 2010
GMT
OH! and by the way…I like how the commentor “Damon” tries to sound like he knows what he is talking about. I like how he uses the words “Jew military”!! ha ha ha ha!!! thats hilarious. What a MORON! damon, you need to be hit in the head with a tack hammer…You poor, ignorant little dune monkey.
I think you guys think that all Americans think the Taliban are cowards. We don’t. I have seen their work firsthand, and they are just fighting the WRONG WAY! They could do more (like the south Vietnamese did) if they just were a little smarter about it. Remember Vietnam? Now thats an enemy insurgency the Americans respect. They knew how to fight…And there are many brave Pashtuns, don’t get me wrong. i think they are BRILLIANT in some of their tactics. They are not the ones who introduced suicide bombings (that is the Arabs) into the fighting. They fight with the hearts of lions. But the taliban “converts” unfortunately are just not too bright and will keep getting their asses beat every time they stick their heads up until they finally learn.
And just so you guys understand, the Americans are not there to “invade” your sh*thole country. We couldn’t care less who owns it a hundred years from now. We just want those people who are being stoned to death for no good reason by the “sharia” psychopaths to feel secure for once. And yes, we make mistakes and bomb the wrong people. We actually spend BILLIONS of dollars trying NOT to do that!! We spend BILLIONS on laser guided bombs to try and avoid hurting all of your dirtball little cousins and relatives…What do the Taliban do? They actually TRY and AIM their weapons at innocent people in order to “send a message”…wow…They are sooooo brave!! I would rather sit behind a computer far away and blow them up then run into battle yelling “allah ackbar” and then die and thats it…My life is over. And for what? No one will remember me…No one cares. In the end, those who are trying to do good and help build schools, provide medicine, protect little girls who just want to go to school from Taliban bullies, and build roads will be remembered as the winners. And thats the sad truth for the taliban. And I don’t think we (america) really mind losing a few thousand more of our soldiers in order to whoop your asses a little longer…haha. So keep strapping that dynamite on!! No problem. We will just wait till there is no one left…ha ha ha!!
- Posted by rashid
October 9th, 2010
GMT
I think the Taliban are just mad about the drone attacks because the U.S just adapted to the Taliban’s only method of fighting..And it is obvious that it is working because everyone is furious about it! Thats how you know something works…Is if your enemy freaks out about it and calls YOU the coward. God bless the drones. They are the best invention since the wheel.
And for the record, how mad can someone really at America? Afghanistan has no oil, no gold, nothing that anyone wants. So why do Americans “invade”? Because I think we just got tired of getting betrayed by the same people we helped during the Soviet invasion. We paid for their freedom, and they turned around and bit us. Thats ok tho. We just showed up and slapped them around and now they are are more than a little mad about it…and thats to be expected. No one likes getting beaten. And thats why they kidnap harmless journalists and UN aide workers. They do that because they are ineffective in their efforts elsewhere. They do this because they are hoping to gain leverage in a fight they have already lost. And thats ok, too. Pashtun fighters have many honorable traditions and they are great fighters. But the Taliban are taking their conscript army and trying to use any desperate tactic they can in order to show they can hurt the super power in their backyard. The only problem is that the scoreboard shows the truth.
Coalition wins: 500,000 +
Taliban wins: less than 10,000 (coalition losses are actually more than a dozen times less than the Taliban hoped and prayed they would be)
So why can’t the Taliban just take a break for a while, I say?? I mean, its time for a little vacation. maybe some time in the Bahamas? get a little rest and maybe a massage?
They can’t possibly think that detonating bombs on desert roads and in crowded cafes is gonna work do they? I mean, they are killing hundreds of their own to just kill one Westerner! That is not gonna work, in my humble opinion. History shows this and constant civil war in Afghanistan shows that not too many people enjoy the Taliban. The best idea is just to let the Coalition finish their work, create a small amount of stability (at least as much as possible) and then let them leave. I mean, does it really matter? The Taliban will just take over again once America leaves right? So just relax, Osama bin Laden. Let it go. You can’t win this one, big guy. I think its best to stop whining about the drones (because they will be around for a long, long time and they cost next to nothing. We can lose hundreds of them and its no big deal). I just feel bad for the children of Afghanistan. They hate the Taliban and they just want to be free to go to school and play and have fun. And what do the Taliban want? to beat people with rocks and enslave the countryside. We will just see who comes out on top, I guess. But so far, its not looking good for the Taliban right now (especially to those of us who are muslim and live nearby)…So maybe its time to relax and take a vacation for the taliban. They look like they need it.