[taliban] why they’ll never be defeated

Syed Saleem Shahzad, of the Asia Times, rode with Abdul Jalil, of the Taliban, whose multiple roles include coordinating between the Taliban and those government officials who are sympathetic. He relates how, when he has to travel in high-risk areas, a friendly, highly placed government official from Kandahar takes him in his jeep - complete with official license plates. He adds that much of the material he sources comes from the government.

Commenting on the Taliban's tactics, he said, "We follow the techniques of remote-controlled explosive devices used by the Iraqi resistance. But our technology is different. The Iraqis improvise with various explosive materials and then link it to a remote control. Our source of explosives is anti-personal and anti-tank mines. These were in the possession of various warlords who looted them after the fall of the communist government in Kabul. They either sold or donated the mines to us."

"These mines are our main source and we link them with remote controls and effectively blow up our targets. But this is not the only source - the other source is American bombs. Many of the bombs they drop from the air do not explode. I am an expert in defusing these unexploded bombs, and there are many others like me. We extract all the explosives inside the bomb shells and use them for sacrifice [suicide] attacks," said Abdul Jalil.

Nice one, huh? Afghanistan is their home. There are only two places they’re going, in their own minds, the Taliban – either home or to the 72 virgins. They are not going to lose. They have never lost in Afghanistan. Why oh why can’t the Defence Department wake up, why couldn’t they learn the Russian lesson, what on earth are they trying to prove there and why did they drag Canada into it?

This blog is in full support of the troops and is deeply angered by their shoddy equipment and short-changing by the DofD but it equally asks Rumsfeld/Gates: ‘Just what the hell do you think you’re playing at over there?’

Please read the whole article here …