Forced Trust
It's a formula that has played out in various parts of the world for an awfully long time, and its success from time to time is regrettable, in that it institutionalizes and legitimizes the presence of a quasi-political body whose societally-destructive agenda brings only misery and failure to human societies. It's a brutally insidious evil, victimizing those who cannot fend for themselves, whose governments, or those who set themselves up as their political protectors, are incapable of forfending.It has worked latterly for Hezbollah in Lebanon, as it set up a political wing and a structured and well-armed militia, alongside a separately, but allied social engineering wing, to work toward a successful conclusion. Earning the gratitude and the approbation and finally support of a population whose fortunes were allowed to fester in neglect and deprivation.
It has worked also for Hamas in the Palestinian Territories, with the social wing supplying aid and assistance to the peoples' neglected needs, the militia striking an identified common enemy, and the political portion standing for successful election. For Hezbollah, it has resulted in an uneasy sharing of government in Lebanon, for Hamas, a similar conclusion with the Palestinian Authority.
In both instances long traditions of bloody resistance and resentment along ancient tribal and cultural lines has kept mutual enmity and outbreaks of violence alive. Now in Afghanistan the Taliban, resurgent in several provinces, despite the determined presence of NATO-affiliated foreign troops, has set up a parallel government opposite to and opposed to the duly constituted government of the country.
"The Taliban announced to the villagers that if they face any kind of problems, they should come to the court and they will find a transparent judgement", explained one of many questioned provincial Afghans, through a translator. "They deal with a number of cases: land disputes, family disputes, loan disputes, robbery, killing fighting ... and the people are happy with them."
The population, widely dispersed, and far from the urban centers of the country, experiences ongoing frustration and disappointment, never quite knowing with whom they might align themselves, the government officials who are enduringly corrupt, or the insurgents plying their harsh and unforgiving version of Islam. The triad of despair is complete with the NATO presence which they construe as bringing additional adversity from the destruction of poppy fields to bombing civilians.
"We see trouble from the Taliban, from NATO and from the Afghan government. They [Taliban] don't allow schools. We don't have schools and our children don't understand what schools are. We are totally deprived of the rights that a human being should have", they mournfully advise their interlocutors. And they advise that 70% of their districts, west of Kandahar city, are under Taliban control.
They handily detail the Taliban modus operandi, of the Taliban separating their people into units, where one unit becomes responsible for planting the ubiquitous and too-often deadly improvised explosive devices along roadways, while another carries out attacks on Afghan police and NATO forces, and the third ambushes military supply convoys, while another clandestinely collects information, reporting on locals.
Any Afghans, village locals, farmers, who seek to ally themselves with government agencies, or to give information to government agents, are identified, isolated and murdered by the Taliban as just punishment for betraying them. "Yes", said one, "we do like Islamic Shariah law, but not the way the Taliban are doing it right now. Islam is not strict and harsh, it's a religion of peace and brotherhood.
"They are burning the schools, killing the teachers and the students." Young men often are happy to join the Taliban, their agenda of guns, power, money and motor vehicles appeal to the values of young men, finding the life of an insurgent exciting. The excitement extending to fighting, killing, experiencing age-old traditions of warfare in a war-torn and brutally poor area of the world.
The Taliban have been successful even in infiltrating Kandahar City, where officials of the Afghanistan government may find it useful to work discreetly with the Taliban. Where, in any event, they set up their parallel 'officials' under cover to work quietly alongside those of the actual officials.
Their shadow administrations have been set up to enable them to fully take charge at such time as they become successful in their mission to once again administer the affairs of the country, after ousting foreign troops, and toppling the current government of the country.
The very like agenda of those other groups, Hezbollah, Hamas.
Labels: Political Realities, Religion, Terrorism, World Crises
posted by Pieface @ Monday, October 27, 2008
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