Afghan insurgent and former prime minister Gulbadin Hikmatyar has told Aljazeera that Usama Bin Laden is alive and well. Hikmatyar, once the recipient of 20 percent of all the funds disbursed by US intelligence for fighting the Soviets, is now fighting US troops in eastern Afghanistan. He condemned bombings against the Pakistani military, saying that only foreign, non-Muslim troops should be targeted. He also said his group refuses to coordinate with the Haqqani Network, a rival fundamentalist militia. He said that US troops could be given safe passage to leave Afghanistan if they would agree to go.
Online News reports of Hikmatyar: “he said that Taliban government came to end in Afghanistan due to the wrong strategy of Al-Qaeeda.”
This open criticism of Bin Laden by Hikmatyar points to a larger split between al-Qaeda on the one hand, and the Taliban & other insurgents on the other.
Analysts worried about al-Qaeda taking back over Qandahar should consider another possibility, which is that the neo-Taliban and neo-Mujahidin won’t be so stupid as to tolerate Arab al-Qaeda types in Afghanistan. As Hikmatyar noted, the mass murderers after all got Mulla Omar overthrown and exiled.
Note that the old Taliban and other insurgents are alleged by the US to control 10-15 percent of Afghanistan. Yet Jim Jones says there are less than 100 al-Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan.
Ipso facto neo-Talibanism does not imply the return of al-Qaeda.
As the nation awaits President Barack Obama’s decision on Afghanistan strategy, it should not be forgotten that the country’s poor and displaced face a hard and sometimes fatal winter. The Australian ABC reports:
Also, check out two recent strong essays on Afghanistan at Tomdispatch.com, by Nick Turse and by Dahr Jamail and Sarah Lazare.
Everytime the US or NATO kills locals in their own country, those murdered are ALWAYS labeled taliban or insurgents or militants. How does the US know if the dead are who they claim they are? Do the dead have "militant cards" or "insurgent cards" in their pockets that identify them?? Everyone must read Matthew Hoh's resignation letter. Google it.
"Ipso facto neo-Talibanism does not imply the return of al-Qaeda."
I'm pretty sure you're right, Juan.
In 2000 the Taliban were dependent on Al Queda for funding and military support fighting the United Islamic Front (the Northern Alliance).
More recently the Taliban seem to have learnt some basic economic realities and developed their own funding streams. Fairly obviously they can now fight their own battles.
Although it seems unlikely that after a Western withdrawal the Taliban will simply re-conquer Afghanistan. I'd have thought a fractured warlordism is more likely, leaving Al Queda a possible role as mercenaries for one side or another.
Given the history of Afghanistan it'd be no great surprise for Karzai to buddy up with Al Queda while the US pays the Taliban to fight him.
I believe the fact that Gulbuddin Hiqmatyar, who the U.S. has claimed to have killed at least three times, is alive is much bigger news than Osama.
Hiqmatyar, as you note, is very well connected with the ISI due to his contacts with them in the 1980s and 1990s – after all, he received the majority share of all funding for the Afghan jihad and specialized in killing Afghans not conducive to his, and ISI's, goals.
Hiqmatyar is also very familiar with the terrain through which money, arms and militants travel in and out of Af-Pak, and his continuing contribution to the insurgency in Afghanistan can be compared in a different theater only to someone like the Ba'athist General Izzat Ibrahim Al-Duri (who is rumored to have been killed in Iraq, but is he dead?).
Afghan insurgent and former prime minister Gulbadin Hikmatyar has told Aljazeera that Usama Bin Laden is alive and well. Hikmatyar, once the recipient of 20 percent of all the funds disbursed by US intelligence for fighting the Soviets, is now fighting US troops in eastern Afghanistan. He condemned bombings against the Pakistani military, saying that only foreign, non-Muslim troops should be targeted. He also said his group refuses to coordinate with the Haqqani Network, a rival fundamentalist militia. He said that US troops could be given safe passage to leave Afghanistan if they would agree to go.
Online News reports of Hikmatyar: “he said that Taliban government came to end in Afghanistan due to the wrong strategy of Al-Qaeeda.”
This open criticism of Bin Laden by Hikmatyar points to a larger split between al-Qaeda on the one hand, and the Taliban & other insurgents on the other.
Analysts worried about al-Qaeda taking back over Qandahar should consider another possibility, which is that the neo-Taliban and neo-Mujahidin won’t be so stupid as to tolerate Arab al-Qaeda types in Afghanistan. As Hikmatyar noted, the mass murderers after all got Mulla Omar overthrown and exiled.
Note that the old Taliban and other insurgents are alleged by the US to control 10-15 percent of Afghanistan. Yet Jim Jones says there are less than 100 al-Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan.
Ipso facto neo-Talibanism does not imply the return of al-Qaeda.
As the nation awaits President Barack Obama’s decision on Afghanistan strategy, it should not be forgotten that the country’s poor and displaced face a hard and sometimes fatal winter. The Australian ABC reports:
Also, check out two recent strong essays on Afghanistan at Tomdispatch.com, by Nick Turse and by Dahr Jamail and Sarah Lazare.
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We must stop this troop surge and get aid to those in need. The video is so clear in showing the suffering.
Everytime the US or NATO kills locals in their own country, those murdered are ALWAYS labeled taliban or insurgents or militants. How does the US know if the dead are who they claim they are? Do the dead have "militant cards" or "insurgent cards" in their pockets that identify them?? Everyone must read Matthew Hoh's resignation letter. Google it.
"Ipso facto neo-Talibanism does not imply the return of al-Qaeda."
I'm pretty sure you're right, Juan.
In 2000 the Taliban were dependent on Al Queda for funding and military support fighting the United Islamic Front (the Northern Alliance).
More recently the Taliban seem to have learnt some basic economic realities and developed their own funding streams. Fairly obviously they can now fight their own battles.
Although it seems unlikely that after a Western withdrawal the Taliban will simply re-conquer Afghanistan. I'd have thought a fractured warlordism is more likely, leaving Al Queda a possible role as mercenaries for one side or another.
Given the history of Afghanistan it'd be no great surprise for Karzai to buddy up with Al Queda while the US pays the Taliban to fight him.
I believe the fact that Gulbuddin Hiqmatyar, who the U.S. has claimed to have killed at least three times, is alive is much bigger news than Osama.
Hiqmatyar, as you note, is very well connected with the ISI due to his contacts with them in the 1980s and 1990s – after all, he received the majority share of all funding for the Afghan jihad and specialized in killing Afghans not conducive to his, and ISI's, goals.
Hiqmatyar is also very familiar with the terrain through which money, arms and militants travel in and out of Af-Pak, and his continuing contribution to the insurgency in Afghanistan can be compared in a different theater only to someone like the Ba'athist General Izzat Ibrahim Al-Duri (who is rumored to have been killed in Iraq, but is he dead?).