Afghan politician defects to Taliban
BBC News online -- 19 September 2013
A
former Afghan senator and district governor has defected to the Taliban
in the northern province of Sar-e-Pol, officials have told the BBC.
Correspondents say he is thought to be the highest-ranking civilian official to have joined the Taliban.
The move comes as foreign combat forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014 and ahead of elections next year.
Mr Hai is believed to have defected to the Taliban along with two of his bodyguards on Tuesday.
Analysis
As a tribal elder and former senator and official, Qazi Abdul Hai has some influence locally. But he doesn't have a big following and it is unlikely that it would dramatically increase Taliban strength in the area. Nevertheless, this defection is symbolically significant.
Low-level defections to the Taliban, mostly by Afghan policemen, have happened in several parts of the country. But this is the first time a former official and politician of this status has defected.
But there is also a significant propaganda element for the Taliban. They have been promoting this as a success of their integration program and say that he switched sides after "realising the reality" and "seeing the truth".
We are likely to see more defections to and from the Taliban in such fluid and, for some people, uncertain political conditions.
Officials say it is unclear why he decided to join the Taliban and played down the impact of his decision.
The Taliban welcomed the move, describing it as an achievement that supports their cause and said that it was partly due to their efforts in the area.
Mr Hai also appears in a video posted on the Taliban website in which he describes himself as a former mujahideen fighter and says that in his four years in Kabul he saw what he describes as "the corrupt face of the government".
Correspondents say the video is being used as an opportunity to bolster their propaganda effort as well.
Sar-e-Pol, a mountainous region in Afghanistan's north, has not suffered the worst of Taliban violence over the years, but militants have increased their presence in the north in recent years.
Last year there were several defections to the Taliban among police with a police commander and 13 junior officers joining militants in western Farah province in late July. This was followed when 11 policemen defected in Helmand.
Labels: Afghanistan, Conflict, Crisis Politics, Taliban
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, September 19, 2013
<< Home