Winning the battle over Taliban
Joe Fleishman
August 10, 2009
Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud reportedly killed in a CIA missile attack. A suspected unmanned drone aircraft killed Pakistan´s number 1 enemy. Earlier officials confirmed the death of his second wife. It is thought that during the time of missile attack Baitullah Mehsud was in his father in law´s house. Some confirms Mehsud was buried nearby where the missile attack took place.
How bad this news is for Taliban? It is of course a bad news for them. But it doesn´t mean this will cause any situation that Taliban will set back. They have plenty of leaders who can try to take a revenge of Baitullah Mehsud´s death.
Actually this sort of drone attack will simply reduce the number of Taliban for the moment but hope for an end of the Taliban era is a far cry. U.S. and NATO forces are using billions of dollars to win over this Taliban. But what actually been achieved so far? The only significant victory is to an end of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Since then no considerable achievement added in the last eight years.
I am not saying the current U.S. lead crackdown is unnecessary or fruitless but it is almost certain that this will not stop Taliban forever even if the U.S. and NATO forces get a landslide victory. If Taliban found it is not easy for them to survive in Afghanistan they will move to Pakistan. If that would also face challenge – they will look for some other countries like across the sea the coast of Somalia and some other African nations. Their South Asian neighbors are also sometimes providing them safe heaven. Talibans are often infiltrates India and Bangladesh.
So Taliban have lots of well-wisher around the globe. It is difficult to imagine that U.S. and its allies will able to root out every single Taliban. Every single Taliban is able to reproduce many. Anti Taliban forces have military backup beside them while Taliban have the ideology. It is easy for Taliban to expand rapidly as they can use their ideology.
Victory in true meaning will never take place if U.S. and its allies failed to win over this ideology building effort. Use of firepower is not enough to gain victory over Taliban. Talibans are not much feared for their life. These people believe if they die with this war they will be martyr and heaven is confirmed after their death. So they are very willing to die.
Taliban knows how to grow. They have someone to funding them. There are many impoverished people, who don´t have much opportunity to see the world or get the proper education. These people don´t have enough money or any certain job or even dream for the future. These people are the first target of the Taliban. They convinced them if the die in the way of Islam – heaven after death is confirmed. Even if they still alive they will live like a hero. Everything will be equal for all etc. People who have less knowledge on Islam and little concern on reality easily believe them. They seem to know lots of Islam, they have money, their leaders live a very simple life – Taliban looks very attractive. This easily earns the trust among the deprived population. Wherever these Taliban goes they gain attention from the disadvantaged people.
Stop them with only by the bullet is probably not the solution. Fight them with their own ideology is very essential. Islam never approves any innocent death, Islam said it is Farz (must comply upon) to save own life – so suicide or suicide bombing is 100% against Islam. In Islam Prophet Muhammad (SM.) never starts any war with rival tribal group. He always pardoned them and did not start war unless they were attacked. In Islam no one can punish someone for a crime which he or she personally did not committed. Islam said "You cannot create life so you have no right to take life". So U.S. and allied forces have Islam beside them to deal with the Taliban. They can use it to educate local people to stop regeneration of Taliban.
How bad this news is for Taliban? It is of course a bad news for them. But it doesn´t mean this will cause any situation that Taliban will set back. They have plenty of leaders who can try to take a revenge of Baitullah Mehsud´s death.
Actually this sort of drone attack will simply reduce the number of Taliban for the moment but hope for an end of the Taliban era is a far cry. U.S. and NATO forces are using billions of dollars to win over this Taliban. But what actually been achieved so far? The only significant victory is to an end of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Since then no considerable achievement added in the last eight years.
I am not saying the current U.S. lead crackdown is unnecessary or fruitless but it is almost certain that this will not stop Taliban forever even if the U.S. and NATO forces get a landslide victory. If Taliban found it is not easy for them to survive in Afghanistan they will move to Pakistan. If that would also face challenge – they will look for some other countries like across the sea the coast of Somalia and some other African nations. Their South Asian neighbors are also sometimes providing them safe heaven. Talibans are often infiltrates India and Bangladesh.
So Taliban have lots of well-wisher around the globe. It is difficult to imagine that U.S. and its allies will able to root out every single Taliban. Every single Taliban is able to reproduce many. Anti Taliban forces have military backup beside them while Taliban have the ideology. It is easy for Taliban to expand rapidly as they can use their ideology.
Victory in true meaning will never take place if U.S. and its allies failed to win over this ideology building effort. Use of firepower is not enough to gain victory over Taliban. Talibans are not much feared for their life. These people believe if they die with this war they will be martyr and heaven is confirmed after their death. So they are very willing to die.
Taliban knows how to grow. They have someone to funding them. There are many impoverished people, who don´t have much opportunity to see the world or get the proper education. These people don´t have enough money or any certain job or even dream for the future. These people are the first target of the Taliban. They convinced them if the die in the way of Islam – heaven after death is confirmed. Even if they still alive they will live like a hero. Everything will be equal for all etc. People who have less knowledge on Islam and little concern on reality easily believe them. They seem to know lots of Islam, they have money, their leaders live a very simple life – Taliban looks very attractive. This easily earns the trust among the deprived population. Wherever these Taliban goes they gain attention from the disadvantaged people.
Stop them with only by the bullet is probably not the solution. Fight them with their own ideology is very essential. Islam never approves any innocent death, Islam said it is Farz (must comply upon) to save own life – so suicide or suicide bombing is 100% against Islam. In Islam Prophet Muhammad (SM.) never starts any war with rival tribal group. He always pardoned them and did not start war unless they were attacked. In Islam no one can punish someone for a crime which he or she personally did not committed. Islam said "You cannot create life so you have no right to take life". So U.S. and allied forces have Islam beside them to deal with the Taliban. They can use it to educate local people to stop regeneration of Taliban.
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