A reflection on the realities of the Taliban. It seems all too easy for some to refer to both Afghanistan and Iraq actions by U.S. and allies as unnecessary wars. Well, call getting rid of a brutal dictator in Iraq unnecessary, if you must. While I prefer peace and tranquility to war, to me it's odd that those who seem to so loudly (and militantly, strangely enough) demand peace seem to long for it for themselves, but are as a result of their particular blindness, are not interested in clearing the way for an end to tyranny for others. "let them live as they want," and such relative nonsense.
There is no "moderate Taliban": here's why that's so, in Life's concise description. From the start of our action against the Taliban, there is this, from Life Magazine (link):
Perhaps the most mysterious leader today (it's not even entirely clear what he looks like), Mullah Mohammed Omar is the chief of the Taliban, the extremist Islamic group that was the de facto government of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. According to stories, he began his path to power when he led a group of 30 men to rescue two girls who had been kidnapped and raped by local warlords, and his actions quickly snowballed into a mass armed movement that led him to be "Commander of the Faithful" and ruler of Afghanistan. As head of government, he instituted the Taliban's incredibly harsh interpretations of Muslim law on everyone. The list of bans was long and verged on the ludicrous -- among the forbidden were pictures, music, dancing, clapping at sporting events, kites, the cutting of beards, chess, stuffed animals, Christmas cards, and sewing catalogs. There were devastating punishments for minor infractions -- women with painted nails had their fingers cut off, thieves had their hands cut off, and adulterers were stoned to death. In 1996, Afghanistan had become one of the most repressive countries in the world ... and, in the eyes of Osama bin Laden, an ideal place to place his headquarters.
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Perhaps the most mysterious leader today (it's not even entirely clear what he looks like), Mullah Mohammed Omar is the chief of the Taliban, the extremist Islamic group that was the de facto government of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. According to stories, he began his path to power when he led a group of 30 men to rescue two girls who had been kidnapped and raped by local warlords, and his actions quickly snowballed into a mass armed movement that led him to be "Commander of the Faithful" and ruler of Afghanistan. As head of government, he instituted the Taliban's incredibly harsh interpretations of Muslim law on everyone. The list of bans was long and verged on the ludicrous -- among the forbidden were pictures, music, dancing, clapping at sporting events, kites, the cutting of beards, chess, stuffed animals, Christmas cards, and sewing catalogs. There were devastating punishments for minor infractions -- women with painted nails had their fingers cut off, thieves had their hands cut off, and adulterers were stoned to death. In 1996, Afghanistan had become one of the most repressive countries in the world ... and, in the eyes of Osama bin Laden, an ideal place to place his headquarters.
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- jR (@AirFarceOne on Twitter)
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