Talks With Taliban Hopeful

[Khataiy]

The Taliban sold drugs, the NA kidnapped and raped kids is basically the truth of the matter.

"In July 2000, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, collaborating with the UN to eradicate heroin production in Afghanistan, declared that growing poppies was un-Islamic, resulting in one of the world's most successful anti-drug campaigns. The Taliban enforced a ban on poppy farming via threats, forced eradication, and public punishment of transgressors. The result was a 99% reduction in the area of opium poppy farming in Taliban-controlled areas, roughly three quarters of the world's supply of heroin at the time.[19] The ban was effective only briefly due to the deposition of the Taliban in 2002."

"On 26 April, ISIL kidnapped 3 drug dealers in Darzab that were to have an opium deal with the Taliban. Taliban repeatedly asked ISIL to release the captives, but the later refused, leading the Taliban to gather forces in Darzab. After that, ISIL attacked the Taliban killing 79 Taliban fighters, wounding another 57, and capturing another 60. Among the dead Taliban fighters were three commanders, Sheikh Hamidullah, the Taliban district chief for Qush Tapa district and Tawakkal, Shahzada Mazlomyar, and Mohibullah. One Taliban commander was also among the captured, named Haji Nokur. Also, 15 ISIL fighter killed, and 12 wounded. ISIL captured most of Darzab from Taliban, along with Qush Tapa during the fighting." [See here]

[Fartsniffage]

Did you know a Taliban roadside mine in Ghor province killed seven kids this past Saturday, including a 5-year-old? Found that out in the same story as the one about the bombing in Ghazni two days ago, apparently because it was so unremarkable as to not merit its own story.

The United States has explicit policies to minimize civilian casualties and avoid innocent loss of life, and discipline those who commit war crimes. The United States doesn't assassinate schoolgirls for reading. I don't think we're saints by any stretch of the imagination, because this is a messy and pointless war, but at least we're doing better than the Taliban when it comes to how heavy our souls are with the stain of sin.

Not a fan of the Taliban, but they do care about civilian casualties they consider themselves a Nationalist-Islamic project expelling foreign invaders, they have extensive tribal ties and rely greatly on their relationship with the public things like this make the Taliban look bad and the know that, they are also trying really hard to get the US to leave and stuff like this obviously doesn't help. So they are trying, but they just aren't as capable or careful enough. It was likely a left over ordinance that detonated or they confused the target with something else, its all collateral damage, and unfortunate but reality of modern war.

According to the United Nations, the Taliban and its allies were responsible for 76% of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2009, 75% in 2010 and 80% in 2011.[65][248]

According to Human Rights Watch, the Taliban's bombings and other attacks which have led to civilian casualties "sharply escalated in 2006" when "at least 669 Afghan civilians were killed in at least 350 armed attacks, most of which appear to have been intentionally launched at non-combatants."[249][250]

The United Nations reported that the number of civilians killed by both the Taliban and pro-government forces in the war rose nearly 50% between 2007 and 2009. The high number of civilians killed by the Taliban is blamed in part on their increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), "for instance, 16 IEDs have been planted in girls' schools" by the Taliban.[251]

In 2009, Colonel Richard Kemp, formerly Commander of British forces in Afghanistan and the intelligence coordinator for the British government, drew parallels between the tactics and strategy of Hamas in Gaza to those of the Taliban. Kemp wrote:

Like Hamas in Gaza, the Taliban in southern Afghanistan are masters at shielding themselves behind the civilian population and then melting in among them for protection. Women and children are trained and equipped to fight, collect intelligence, and ferry arms and ammunition between battles. Female suicide bombers are increasingly common. The use of women to shield gunmen as they engage NATO forces is now so normal it is deemed barely worthy of comment. Schools and houses are routinely booby-trapped. Snipers shelter in houses deliberately filled with women and children.[252][253]

— Richard Kemp, Commander of British forces in Afghanistan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban#C ... _practices

[Scomagia]

Yeah, I'm sure the Taliban dogs only beat the little girls for going to school. No rape. Totally.

The Taliban doesn't oppose female education according to their spokesman take that how you will they oppose mixed schools and classes.

I'll take it for what it is: lies from the mouths of human trash.

[Highever]

Did you know a Taliban roadside mine in Ghor province killed seven kids this past Saturday, including a 5-year-old? Found that out in the same story as the one about the bombing in Ghazni two days ago, apparently because it was so unremarkable as to not merit its own story.

The United States has explicit policies to minimize civilian casualties and avoid innocent loss of life, and discipline those who commit war crimes. The United States doesn't assassinate schoolgirls for reading. I don't think we're saints by any stretch of the imagination, because this is a messy and pointless war, but at least we're doing better than the Taliban when it comes to how heavy our souls are with the stain of sin.

Not a fan of the Taliban, but they do care about civilian casualties they consider themselves a Nationalist-Islamic project expelling foreign invaders, they have extensive tribal ties and rely greatly on their relationship with the public things like this make the Taliban look bad and the know that

Guess that's why they massacrednvillages and towns extensively in the Emirate days.

[Al Mumtahanah]

You obviously don't know about the shelling of Fallujah

The situation in Iraq is worse than Palestine, Syria or Afghanistan.

True, what an absolute mess. The Invasion and murder of Saddam Hussein will one day be seen in the west for the evils they were hopefully.

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

You obviously don't know about the shelling of Fallujah

The situation in Iraq is worse than Palestine, Syria or Afghanistan.

Look, pal, I despise Iran and their cohorts as much as you do.

But you're seeing Iranians in your soup.

[Scomagia]

The situation in Iraq is worse than Palestine, Syria or Afghanistan.

True, what an absolute mess. The Invasion and murder of Saddam Hussein will one day be seen in the west for the evils they were hopefully.

The terrorist apologist calling something evil. Hilarious.

[Khataiy]

Not a fan of the Taliban, but they do care about civilian casualties they consider themselves a Nationalist-Islamic project expelling foreign invaders, they have extensive tribal ties and rely greatly on their relationship with the public things like this make the Taliban look bad and the know that, they are also trying really hard to get the US to leave and stuff like this obviously doesn't help. So they are trying, but they just aren't as capable or careful enough. It was likely a left over ordinance that detonated or they confused the target with something else, its all collateral damage, and unfortunate but reality of modern war.

According to the United Nations, the Taliban and its allies were responsible for 76% of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2009, 75% in 2010 and 80% in 2011.[65][248]

According to Human Rights Watch, the Taliban's bombings and other attacks which have led to civilian casualties "sharply escalated in 2006" when "at least 669 Afghan civilians were killed in at least 350 armed attacks, most of which appear to have been intentionally launched at non-combatants."[249][250]

The United Nations reported that the number of civilians killed by both the Taliban and pro-government forces in the war rose nearly 50% between 2007 and 2009. The high number of civilians killed by the Taliban is blamed in part on their increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), "for instance, 16 IEDs have been planted in girls' schools" by the Taliban.[251]

In 2009, Colonel Richard Kemp, formerly Commander of British forces in Afghanistan and the intelligence coordinator for the British government, drew parallels between the tactics and strategy of Hamas in Gaza to those of the Taliban. Kemp wrote:

Like Hamas in Gaza, the Taliban in southern Afghanistan are masters at shielding themselves behind the civilian population and then melting in among them for protection. Women and children are trained and equipped to fight, collect intelligence, and ferry arms and ammunition between battles. Female suicide bombers are increasingly common. The use of women to shield gunmen as they engage NATO forces is now so normal it is deemed barely worthy of comment. Schools and houses are routinely booby-trapped. Snipers shelter in houses deliberately filled with women and children.[252][253]

— Richard Kemp, Commander of British forces in Afghanistan

It says nothing about intentional attacks on civilians like I said they do care, they just are not careful, a lot of their fighters are locals from the villages they operate in and they rely on familial and tribal ties to carryout their insurgency without at least some public support or collaborating they'd be much weaker and this has been an issue for US occupational forces in winning over public support, the Afghans are ethnically divided the Taliban is a Pashtun nationalist movement they are not deliberately targeting their own people.

[Mzeusia]

Literally just posted about the Taliban mine that blew like half a dozen kids to smithereens this past Saturday in Ghor province.

And yes, civilized people drop their (laser-guided) bombs from planes, after using spy satellites and drones to try and make sure that there aren't civilians in the area and there is a target present worth using such expensive and deadly hardware against. Sometimes they make mistakes and innocent people die, or the target survives, but they get the job done without hurting people much more effectively than, say, people who just drive up to a government building with a truck full of TNT and set it off whenever they think the most people are around.

You obviously don't know about the shelling of Fallujah

You seem to be completely ignoring all the terrible things that the Taliban have done. How can you say what you do about them, when it is so clear that stopped a few poppies from growing doesn't excuse the murder and rape that they have meted out?

[Senkaku]

Did you know a Taliban roadside mine in Ghor province killed seven kids this past Saturday, including a 5-year-old? Found that out in the same story as the one about the bombing in Ghazni two days ago, apparently because it was so unremarkable as to not merit its own story.

The United States has explicit policies to minimize civilian casualties and avoid innocent loss of life, and discipline those who commit war crimes. The United States doesn't assassinate schoolgirls for reading. I don't think we're saints by any stretch of the imagination, because this is a messy and pointless war, but at least we're doing better than the Taliban when it comes to how heavy our souls are with the stain of sin.

There's nothing pointless about exterminating evil.

We don't have a strategy to exterminate it though, do we? We have a strategy to grind it into a grueling and unsustainable stalemate that leaves us unable to defeat it on other fronts and in other places.

Let me know when you've got the former and I will champion its implementation.

Did you know a Taliban roadside mine in Ghor province killed seven kids this past Saturday, including a 5-year-old? Found that out in the same story as the one about the bombing in Ghazni two days ago, apparently because it was so unremarkable as to not merit its own story.

The United States has explicit policies to minimize civilian casualties and avoid innocent loss of life, and discipline those who commit war crimes. The United States doesn't assassinate schoolgirls for reading. I don't think we're saints by any stretch of the imagination, because this is a messy and pointless war, but at least we're doing better than the Taliban when it comes to how heavy our souls are with the stain of sin.

Not a fan of the Taliban, but they do care about civilian casualties they consider themselves a Nationalist-Islamic project expelling foreign invaders, they have extensive tribal ties and rely greatly on their relationship with the public things like this make the Taliban look bad and the know that, they are also trying really hard to get the US to leave and stuff like this obviously doesn't help. So they are trying, but they just aren't as capable or careful enough. It was likely a left over ordinance that detonated or they confused the target with something else, its all collateral damage, and unfortunate but reality of modern war.

A reality of asymmetrical war, you mean. The US doesn't do that because it doesn't have to put people at risk like that to deliver explosive payloads onto their targets; we use bombers and drones or heavy artillery-- but the Taliban has decided that if it's their only option, then they'll do it. The moral decision is still being made here.

As for the bombing in Ghazni the other day-- I don't think the US would set off a huge bomb directly across from a school while that school was full of students. But maybe I'm not giving the murderous jihadists enough credit, eh?

[Fartsniffage]

It says nothing about intentional attacks on civilians like I said they do care, they just are not careful, a lot of their fighters are locals from the villages they operate in and they rely on familial and tribal ties to carryout their insurgency without at least some public support or collaborating they'd be much weaker and this has been an issue for US occupational forces in winning over public support, the Afghans are ethnically divided the Taliban is a Pashtun nationalist movement they are not deliberately targeting their own people.

It says they placed 16 IEDs in girls schools. Schools.

They are scum.

[Khataiy]

The situation in Iraq is worse than Palestine, Syria or Afghanistan.

True, what an absolute mess. The Invasion and murder of Saddam Hussein will one day be seen in the west for the evils they were hopefully.

In Iraq there are no safe-zones like Gaza or Idlib and Afrin in Syria, or room for negotiations or anything like Afghanistan there are no cease-fires its a war of total obliteration against Iraq's Sunnis (including Kurds), by the Pro-Iran regime.

[Senkaku]

It says nothing about intentional attacks on civilians like I said they do care, they just are not careful, a lot of their fighters are locals from the villages they operate in and they rely on familial and tribal ties to carryout their insurgency without at least some public support or collaborating they'd be much weaker and this has been an issue for US occupational forces in winning over public support, the Afghans are ethnically divided the Taliban is a Pashtun nationalist movement they are not deliberately targeting their own people.

It says they placed 16 IEDs in girls schools. Schools.

They are scum.

To say nothing of their campaign of intimidation to get girls to stop going to school and their firebombings of unoccupied girls' schools-- they're real princes.

[Khataiy]

It says nothing about intentional attacks on civilians like I said they do care, they just are not careful, a lot of their fighters are locals from the villages they operate in and they rely on familial and tribal ties to carryout their insurgency without at least some public support or collaborating they'd be much weaker and this has been an issue for US occupational forces in winning over public support, the Afghans are ethnically divided the Taliban is a Pashtun nationalist movement they are not deliberately targeting their own people.

It says they placed 16 IEDs in girls schools. Schools.

They are scum.

I agree the Taliban needs to be dissolved their leaders are drug dealers and Iranian intelligence assets, and murderers.

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

True, what an absolute mess. The Invasion and murder of Saddam Hussein will one day be seen in the west for the evils they were hopefully.

The terrorist apologist calling something evil. Hilarious.

Imagine unironically thinking Hussein was anything but evil. Never mind the illegal invasion of Kuwait, burning oil fields to cripple their economy when he couldn't hold it, using chemical weapons against the Iranians, the systematic extermination of non-Arab minorities' cultural identities, use of torture by the Republican Guard, etc.

[Vetalia]

Well, we can't stay there forever...eventually something has to give. Two questions come to mind:

First, why is there such pernicious support for the Taliban throughout Afghanistan? Do a significant number or even a majority of Afghans support the Taliban? If so, why?

Second, why aren't bordering nations like Iran and Pakistan involved in this issue but instead they're Qatar and Germany (of all places) sponsor useless "dialogues" in Doha? Pretty much all that's going to come of this is giving the delegates from both sides a vacation.

[Al Mumtahanah]

"In July 2000, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, collaborating with the UN to eradicate heroin production in Afghanistan, declared that growing poppies was un-Islamic, resulting in one of the world's most successful anti-drug campaigns. The Taliban enforced a ban on poppy farming via threats, forced eradication, and public punishment of transgressors. The result was a 99% reduction in the area of opium poppy farming in Taliban-controlled areas, roughly three quarters of the world's supply of heroin at the time.[19] The ban was effective only briefly due to the deposition of the Taliban in 2002."

"On 26 April, ISIL kidnapped 3 drug dealers in Darzab that were to have an opium deal with the Taliban. Taliban repeatedly asked ISIL to release the captives, but the later refused, leading the Taliban to gather forces in Darzab. After that, ISIL attacked the Taliban killing 79 Taliban fighters, wounding another 57, and capturing another 60. Among the dead Taliban fighters were three commanders, Sheikh Hamidullah, the Taliban district chief for Qush Tapa district and Tawakkal, Shahzada Mazlomyar, and Mohibullah. One Taliban commander was also among the captured, named Haji Nokur. Also, 15 ISIL fighter killed, and 12 wounded. ISIL captured most of Darzab from Taliban, along with Qush Tapa during the fighting." [See here]

So they've started relying on taxes from druglords, that's unfortunate. I hope they stop once the U.S. leaves.

[Senkaku]

they do care, they just are not careful,

Then for all intents and purposes they don't care.

a lot of their fighters are locals from the villages they operate in and they rely on familial and tribal ties to carryout their insurgency without at least some public support or collaborating they'd be much weaker

Hence why they prefer to bomb innocent people in government-controlled cities like Kabul or Ghazni.

[The New California Republic]

It says nothing about intentional attacks on civilians like I said they do care, they just are not careful, a lot of their fighters are locals from the villages they operate in and they rely on familial and tribal ties to carryout their insurgency without at least some public support or collaborating they'd be much weaker and this has been an issue for US occupational forces in winning over public support, the Afghans are ethnically divided the Taliban is a Pashtun nationalist movement they are not deliberately targeting their own people.

It says they placed 16 IEDs in girls schools. Schools.

They are scum.

Yup. I remember watching the bombing of the Taliban mountain strongholds by the B-52 bombers in 2001. They should have kept that shit going.

[Kowani]

The terrorist apologist calling something evil. Hilarious.

Imagine unironically thinking Hussein was anything but evil. Never mind the illegal invasion of Kuwait, burning oil fields to cripple their economy when he couldn't hold it, using chemical weapons against the Iranians, the systematic extermination of non-Arab minorities' cultural identities, use of torture by the Republican Guard, etc.

What would be a legal invasion, then? Do all participants have to sign a waiver?

[Trollzyn the Infinite]

Imagine unironically thinking Hussein was anything but evil. Never mind the illegal invasion of Kuwait, burning oil fields to cripple their economy when he couldn't hold it, using chemical weapons against the Iranians, the systematic extermination of non-Arab minorities' cultural identities, use of torture by the Republican Guard, etc.

What would be a legal invasion, then? Do all participants have to sign a waiver?

I suppose "unjustified" would have been better in hindsight.

[Senkaku]

Imagine unironically thinking Hussein was anything but evil. Never mind the illegal invasion of Kuwait, burning oil fields to cripple their economy when he couldn't hold it, using chemical weapons against the Iranians, the systematic extermination of non-Arab minorities' cultural identities, use of torture by the Republican Guard, etc.

What would be a legal invasion, then? Do all participants have to sign a waiver?

An invasion authorized by the UN Security Council. That would be a legal invasion. It's all very simple-- we don't do wars of territorial aggression any more.

[Khataiy]

they do care, they just are not careful,

Then for all intents and purposes they don't care.

a lot of their fighters are locals from the villages they operate in and they rely on familial and tribal ties to carryout their insurgency without at least some public support or collaborating they'd be much weaker

Hence why they prefer to bomb innocent people in government-controlled cities like Kabul or Ghazni.

Their spokesman has said the Taliban wants girls only schools, I don't doubt that and that they oppose schools funded by and supported by the Afghan government and Occupational forces. They don't deny it they are open about their beliefs on this, I mean they obviously don't think they're doing something wrong they believe they are correcting perceived wrongs against their country and community. The overall leadership is corrupt, this is a fact but at the same time they still reconcile what they are doing internally as protecting their country. People here are also ignoring the Afghan tribes and their interests here, if the tribes are happy its the same in Arab countries everyone will be happy, but the Taliban has tight control over the Pashtuns whereas the government is dominated by Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras, the Taliban has Uzbeks, Hazaras and Tajiks in their ranks as well, but they were born out the Pashtun community, their strongholds are in Pashtun lands and the Pashtuns don't want to be governed or dominated by other races.

It'd be like if you went into a black community in the south and appointed white people from the north to control the community and make policies there and vice versa it obviously is an issue. Neither the Taliban or Afghan government want a Balkanized state either but the demographics aren't helping, the Taliban has better PR with the Pashtun community which is huge in Afghanistan than the overall government.

[Kowani]

What would be a legal invasion, then? Do all participants have to sign a waiver?

An invasion authorized by the UN Security Council. That would be a legal invasion.

So, nothing.

[Dooom35796821595]

Imagine unironically thinking Hussein was anything but evil. Never mind the illegal invasion of Kuwait, burning oil fields to cripple their economy when he couldn't hold it, using chemical weapons against the Iranians, the systematic extermination of non-Arab minorities' cultural identities, use of torture by the Republican Guard, etc.

What would be a legal invasion, then? Do all participants have to sign a waiver?

One done in either self defence, or with the authorisation of the UN general Assembly.