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Opinion
There must be a complete lack of understanding of the mentality and religious zeal of the Taliban to think that they would be bought off by US dollars and that this is a viable solution to end the war in Afghanistan.* First of all, these fighters are not in it for money, particularly when it is being offered by their opponents. The intention of Jihadists and Bin Laden sympathisers is to defeat the West as they consider Western society, as well as their own government, to be corrupt and misguided. They are also incensed about the Palestinian situation in Gaza and the apparent support which the Israelis receive from Western governments and the planting of Jewish settlements in Arab areas. Any Afghan who accepted money and defected to the Afghan government side would be regarded as a traitor by his former masters and this would increase the conflict and the risk of a civil war. Gordon Brown's policy of enticing Afghanis away from their cause by offering money as an inducement to desert is dangerous and will doubtless fail.
(disclaimer: *I could be wrong)
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"The Nineteenth century saw a great Springtime of Nations as the revolutions of 1848 saw new countries created the length and breadth of Europe. In our world today we are now seeing our own Spring Awakening with people and cultures that have long been dormant and subdued asserting their right to exist, their right to dream." Adam Price MP
You are completly right in what you say! The fact that money is being offered is astonishing, like you stated, they are not in it for the money, their hatred for the West is not a fad, the Taliban are not so easily stopped and surely this offer will only serve as an insult.
ReplyDeleteI share your sympathies but the Taliban is a Pashtun based movement, not that concerned with Gaza or with Arabs. They do not want to defeat or conquer Western Society, they want control of Afghanistan's southern provinces and to rule there with their interpretation of law.
ReplyDeleteAl Qaeda is quite separate, it also does not want to conquer the West, but it wants to establish a 'Caliphate' to unite the Muslim world as one political entity.
It may be a separate organisation but they share the same sympathies.
ReplyDeleteThey would also like the reconquest of Andalus, and establish a caliphate there.
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