Why the Taliban hate the Predator

Bangalore, India, May 05 — The historical track record of the Afghan people includes two crushing defeats of the Sikhs, three wins against the three British expeditions of the past, and one against the recent occupation by the Soviet Union. The British and Soviets were both superpowers at the time.

Pakhtunwali, or the Pakhtun code of conduct, dates back to ancient history, well before the advent of Christianity or Islam. It was there when Alexander came; it was also there when Genghis Khan passed through. The code has very little to do with religion, but it has everything to do with respect. The subject is extremely broad and covers all aspects of human conduct in Pakhtun society, a society which had no police, no courts, and no government as such. But it had the code.

The Pakhtun Taliban in Pakistan merely honor the code when they enter Afghanistan. How did Pakhtunwali become merged with Islam? The Taliban movement, primarily religious in nature, became entwined with a political cause through the actions of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with encouragement from Saudi Arabia and the CIA, in an effort to remove the atheist Russians from Afghanistan.

After so many decades of war, it was a miracle that the Taliban was able to take control of all Afghanistan under a single authority, disarm the country, clear all drug production, and make it a safe place for Afghans to live. Afghanistan did not get the breathing space of a few years to allow them to create a constitution, since they were being guided by the undemocratic nations of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The national interest of those countries guided the Taliban government to be undemocratic.

The strict enforcement of Islam by the Taliban in Afghanistan is actually akin to the mutawwas, or religious police, in Saudi Arabia. The mutawwas had no respect for the dignity of ordinary Saudis dignity. In some cities, they were known to barge into people’s homes and harass them. They also harassed women, except for the Amreeki female soldiers who were roaming around in fatigues during the first Gulf War; the mutawwas just looked at them with fear and, of course, lust.

In the last 62 years, the Pakistani system has failed to meet the expectations of the poor rural masses. But they get prompt relief and reassurance from the mullahs, for this life and in the life hereafter with houris. The Taliban ranks are snowballing wherever they take control. The Pakistani government has nothing to offer the people except false promises and continued exploitation and repression.

During the Vietnam War, the United States killed over 3 million Vietnamese, but when their own death toll reached over 58,000 soldiers with a couple hundred thousand wounded, it threw in the towel. In Afghanistan, the Soviets killed over 300,000 Afghans and wounded many more. When their own losses reached over 12,000, and their wounded over 150,000, they also called it a day. A little over 4,200 American soldiers have died in Iraq so far, with the number of wounded over 45,500. Of American security employees and civilians in Iraq, some 3,000 are dead, a higher number wounded. So, the US has a fig-leaf withdrawal.

In Afghanistan, the coalition forces have lost about 1,124 soldiers (including 674 Americans). In spite of superior numbers and weapons, Humvees, tanks, fighter planes, helicopter gunships and transport aircraft, and satellite mapping, history tells the world that Americans will throw in the towel. It is only a question of increasing the body count of Americans to a level where political opposition comes into play.

So, the real problem for the Taliban is the Predator plane. You cannot increase the enemy’s body count when they use the Predator. It is here we find good Taliban, along with bad Taliban, both asking for a cessation of Predator attacks. Americans sitting in air-conditioned rooms in front of TV screens in Tucson, Arizona, are controlling the Predators with joysticks just like computer games. Of course a surge of troops in Afghanistan would be more welcomed by the Taliban.