July 30, 2007:
The Taliban
have admitted that they are carrying out a new strategy of kidnapping
foreigners, in order to trade them for imprisoned terrorists. This worked last
March, when the Italian government persuaded the government to free several
senior Taliban in return for a kidnapped Italian journalist. This was widely denounced
in Afghanistan, and by nations with aid workers and troops in Afghanistan. It
was believed this trade would just encourage the Taliban to kidnap more
foreigners, and this is exactly what happened. Now the government has to risk
seeing far more foreign hostages killed, all because they would not stand up to
the Italian government demands for a trade.
Kidnapping the 23 South
Koreans eleven days ago is turning out to be a public relations disaster for
the Taliban. First, the Koreans were there to help with reconstruction, to do
good works. In that role, they are supposed to be treated as guests, and
guarding the safety of guests is a big deal in Afghan culture. But worst of
all, 18 of the 23 are women, and most Afghans see it as shameful to threaten women
in this fashion. The Taliban have kept moving their deadline, and there is
another "release our men or the hostages die" one today. The
government believes they know where the Koreans are being held, and have
surrounded the area with troops. But using force to free the hostages would
probably result in some, or all, of the Koreans getting killed. One Korean, who
was apparently ill, has already been killed by the Taliban. Two Germans were
also kidnapped by the Taliban, and one killed, as the Taliban demanded the
release of some Taliban from jail.
If the government does not
give in, which is apparently the strategy, the Taliban will have suffered yet
another defeat. This, coupled with the war going on back in their Pakistani
base areas, the continued NATO military pressure on strongholds in Afghanistan,
leaves the Taliban looking like losers. This is not a good image to have in
this part of the world.
In yet another catastrophe
for the Taliban, Pakistan announced that it would close all Afghan refugee
camps in Pakistan by 2009, sending some two million Afghans back to
Afghanistan. Most of the camps are in the tribal areas along the Afghan border,
and have long been used as Taliban bases, and centers of Islamic radical
activity.
July 26, 2007: In Helmand
province, the center of heroin production in the country, Taliban have
been standing and fighting, rather than fleeing. That's because Helmand is the
base of operations for so many Taliban units, as well as the source of much income
from drug operations. Nearly 200 Taliban have been killed in the last week, as
determined Taliban gunmen barricade themselves in fortified compounds, which
are destroyed by smart bombs. Few, if any, civilians appear to have died in
these operations. Civilians know that to be around Taliban when the police or
troops show up is courting death. Apparently the Taliban are not trying to hold
the civilians by force, realizing that the human shield routine doesn't work,
and killing more Afghans makes them look bad.