Canada's Dark Day in Afghanistan

4 Canadian soldiers and 1 Canadian journalist were killed in Afghanistan due to bombing yesterday. The names of the soldiers are not being released until all family members have been contacted. The journalist, 34 year old Michelle Lang, was in Afghanistan on a six week assignment. She is the first Canadian journalist to be killed since Canada began sending troops in 2002.

Former Free Press editor Cam McAlpine, who worked with Lang in Prince George, said she was a terrific reporter.

32 Canadian soldiers have died this year in Afghanistan.

Progress in 2010

2010 will bring Afghan progress, U.S. general says

BY JULIET O'NEILL, CANWEST NEWS SERVICE

DECEMBER 16, 2009 9:56 PM

 Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and commander of United States Forces Afghanistan, and Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk salute after laying a wreath during a ceremony at the National War Memorial in Ottawa Dec. 15, 2009.

Photograph by: Chris Wattie, Reuters

OTTAWA — By the time American and Canadian combat forces are withdrawing in July 2011, "we will have reversed Taliban momentum," Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, said Wednesday.

He predicted that this time next year there will be hard proof "the insurgency will be defeated" and he spoke of a role for coalition forces in protecting the lives and families of Taliban insurgents who want to "leave the fight" and reintegrate into Afghan life.

"This is not a fight to the death, but a fight for the minds of the Afghan people," he asserted, adding that the people of Afghanistan do not regard coalition forces as occupiers but as protectors and stabilizers.

McChrystal is commander of ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force, comprised of more than 130,000 military personnel from 44 countries, and he commands U.S. Forces in Afghanistan.

He made the prediction of success against the Taliban at a news conference and in a speech to about 500 defence experts, diplomats and government officials at an event organized by the Canadian Conference of Defence Associations Institute during a two-day visit to Ottawa.

Contrary to some other American officials who have publicly urged Canada to prolong at least some parts of its 2,830-member military mission in Afghanistan past July 2011, McChrystal declined to be drawn into that debate, saying it is up to Canada to decide.

The government has said the Canadian mission ends July 2011 and Gen. Walt Natynczyk has told a parliamentary committee the withdrawal will be complete by the end of the year and will include not just combat forces but military personnel who protect provincial reconstruction teams.

McChrystal said that while U.S. President Barack Obama has said U.S. forces will begin withdrawing in July 2011, the pace of that withdrawal is not decided. U.S. forces will soon total more than 90,000 after the arrival of an additional 30,000 troops recently committed by the United States.

"The date of July 2011 to begin the withdrawal of American forces is a decision," he told reporters. "We will begin the withdrawal of American forces. The rate and pace of that withdrawal will be up to national leadership. And I'm sure I'll have a recommendation into that but it will be a decision based upon conditions then."

He said there are not enough forces in Afghanistan now to defeat the Taliban but there will be enough with the extra U.S. troops, additional coalition forces and the continued growth of Afghan security forces.

McChrystal called Canada's contribution to the Afghan campaign over the last eight years "extraordinary." He had been impressed by Canadians' performance in close combat and said Canadian methods of securing stability and a chance for development were a model to other military forces.

His measure of the success of the war in 2011 would be "whether the Afghan people get a chance to shape their own future" and whether they have a chance to earn a living, go to school and live without violent coercion.

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

"Taliban Should Be Admired..."

Bishop States “Taliban Should Be Admired For Their Conviction In Faith & Loyalty”

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11:05 pm, Tue 15 Dec 2009

The Taliban "can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other", the new bishop for the Armed Forces has said.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph The Rt Rev Stephen Venner argued against demonising the Taliban and said the attitude taken towards them had been "too simplistic".

The Church of England bishop was recently commissioned in his new role by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

He told the newspaper:

"We've been too simplistic in our attitude towards the Taliban.

"There's a large number of things that the Taliban say and stand for which none of us in the West could approve, but simply to say therefore that everything they do is bad is not helping the situation.

"The Taliban can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other."

The bishop said he admired the sacrifices made by the British forces fighting in Afghanistan and he said some of the Taliban's methods were not honourable or acceptable.

Bishop Venner said all the people of Afghanistan, including the Taliban, needed to be involved in a solution to the country's problems.

Within moments of this message being aired, you could almost sense that their would be a severe backlash from the pro war British Hawks, any narrative that dares to oppose or step out of line of the simplistic official narrative of "Good V Evil" will be severely rebuked.

As the bishop was seen to be grovelling as he backtracked over his previous message with the usual "It was taken out of context" and "I'm not trying to support the Taliban, what they are doing is evil." as he said to the BBC.

At a time when British Muslims are pressurised to distance themselves from their fellow Muslims around the world who fight against invading western forces, often with the tried and tested formulae of labelling any resistance to imperialist schemes as being a distorted and "extreme" version of Islam, one which all "moderate" British Muslim groups are forced to condemn.

Yet Tony Bliar will openly admit that he lied and misled the British people to launch illegal wars and there is no widespread condemnation for his actions, his actions will never be viewed as hateful or extreme.

Read more: http://www.mpacuk.org/story/151209/bishop-states-“taliban-should-be-admired-their-conviction-faith-loyalty”.html#ixzz0ZojxONZi

"It is not what the Taliban say or even what they say they stand for, it is what they do. They hide out in the mountains, come down to villages and shoot people without any recourse for crimes they may or may not have committed. They rule through terror; they subjugate women; they bomb innocent people. Organized crime rings also have convictions of faith and a sense of loyalty to each other but that does not make them admirable."

Join US in a Mighty Fight

The front page of today's South China Morning Post shouts out "US sees bigger role for China in Afghanistan." Obama is requesting that Papa Beijing open up the tiny border between the northwest of China and east of Afghanistan for the purpose of forming supply lines to the troops. Obama's pledge to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan over the next few weeks, pushing the number of troops to about 100,000, raises more concerns about the most efficient way to supply those troops. In the past, lines through Pakistan have been repeatedly attacked.

According to Foreign Minister spokesman Qin Gang "negotiations were continuing." While Beijing would be happy to see the Taliban and al Qaeda supporters crushed, it remains wary of the US-led operation in Afghanistan.

The US is also seeking a bigger role for China with infrastructure after the withdrawal in Afghanistan in 2011. China has been directly investing in Afghanistan with a 3.5 billion dollar deal  to operate a copper mine in Aynak. China is building a mosque and hospital for local workers and will get half the output when production begins in 2011.

To The Rescue

A new book, called Design for Obama, features over 200 posters inspired by Barack Obama's election victory last year.

This image is called Obama Superman by Mr Brainwash

Everyone needs a hero and, whether the people of Afghanistan want it or not, here comes President Barack Obama to the rescue. Maybe some American people think this war is stupid and maybe many believe it is about the evils of religion. Whatever the current beliefs are, Superman is attempting to save the day, with 30,000 additional troops being deployed before Christmas. Each one of those soldiers will be leaving family and friends behind to fight an uphill battle. War is one of the harshest facts of life, since the dawn of humankind and to the dusk, it will exist. If forces do not fight back they flee and when they flee other forces take over.

It is a complex situation and there are no simple solutions. I just always want to remember that human beings are fighting on both sides. Some human beings want to kill anyone who does not believe in what they believe. Belief is a powerful force and in our human consciousness it is belief that drives us all.

Many nations believe in the power of Barack Obama and will show their support by backing "the leader of the free world." Long live the free world.

Fighting Words

Mullah Omar, the reclusive Taliban leader, has issued statements on a Taliban website to journalists and government officials. He has declined talks with President Hamid Karzai and has urged Afghans to cease relations to his "stooge" administration.

Omar's message comes about a week before President Barack Obama will most likely announce an increase of thousands more troops to Afghanistan. Even though he plans to send more troops, Obama is, as stated by The White House, focusing on eventual U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Omar insists in a statement on the website that foreign troops are losing the war.

"Ground realities in our beloved country indicate that the invaders are about to escape."

Omar was leader of the Taliban regime that was toppled by a U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. He has not been seen since. Afghan officials claim he has been hiding out in Pakistan.

Chief spokesman for the NATO-led force in Afghanistan acknowledges the Taliban have gained momentum in their insurgency. Canadian Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay states, "We need to neutralize locally some of those initiative to slow them down." He also said the militants are aware of the progress made in the country with international support, so they are trying to undermine the government.

The Taliban leader said there would be no negotiations that would prolong or legitimize the presence of foreign forces in the country.

"Those who have occupied our country and taken our people hostage, want to use the stratagem of negotiation like they used the drama of elections for some time in order to achieve their colonialist objectives, " he states. "However, the people of Afghanistan will not agree to negotiation which prolongs and legitimizes the invaders' military presence."

His message implored Afghans to reject the Karzai government whose re-election was albeit rife with vote-rigging, and thus allowed Karzai in for a second term by default.

"I hope you will continue your legitimate jihad (holy war) and struggle in the way of realizing your Islamic aspirations...and break off all relations with the stooge Kabul administration," Omar stated.

Source: The Associated Press
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD9C6NKI80
www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-afghan-taliban26-2009nov26,0,5252210.story

Obama's Dilemma

Afghan policemen at a checkpoint in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Jonathan Saruk / Getty

This article originally found on time.com 

President Obama's plain-speaking Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, on Nov. 12 summed up the Administration's Afghan dilemma in a single question: "How do we signal resolve and at the same time signal to the Afghans and the American people that this is not open-ended?" The fact that there's no good answer explains the Administration's hesitation in committing more troops to the fight. Indeed, the objectives cited by Gates may function at cross-purposes.

The Taliban knows that time is the indispensable ally of the indigenous insurgent facing a foreign army. Its forces were scattered during the U.S. invasion in late 2001 and only began to reassert themselves almost four years later. Yet today they effectively control vast and growing swaths of territory, making it extremely difficult for the U.S. to turn the civilian population into reliable allies. Given the limits of U.S. control on the ground and the expectation that, sooner or later, like the Russians, the Americans will leave, many ordinary Afghans see little incentive to risk their lives in supporting the U.S. mission.Signaling America's resolve to prevail is essential, as Gates notes, because as long as Afghans and others in the region believe the U.S. military's presence in Afghanistan is finite, they'll hedge their bets. And hedged bets right now work in the Taliban's favor because, as General Stanley McChrystal has warned, it is the insurgents who have the momentum.

The calculations of ordinary Afghans could change, of course, if they believed the U.S. was there to stay and had the will and capability to prevail. But, as Gates also notes, the U.S. military is not in Afghanistan to stay, and Obama is under growing domestic political pressure to find an exit strategy from a costly war whose importance to U.S. national security has grown murky.

The simple answer to the Administration's dilemma, in the minds of many in Washington, is to train and equip Afghans to do the job themselves. Obama reportedly rejected all four options offered by his national-security staff on Nov. 11 — ranging from a relatively light increase of some 10,000 troops, mostly for training purposes, to the 40,000 reinforcements requested by McChrystal to wage a counterinsurgency fight — because they failed to make clear how and when responsibility for the war would be transferred to Afghan forces. By doing so, Obama may have pointed to the elephant in the room. On present indications, the Afghan forces are unlikely anytime in the near future to be ready and willing to take over the fight against the Taliban.

The Afghan National Army (ANA) comprises some 94,000 troops, although even by the official numbers, only half of those are combat-ready. The reality of the recent U.S. and British operations in Helmand province, however, suggests that a lot fewer may be capable of being deployed to fight effectively alongside NATO forces, much less on their own. The desertion rate of troops trained in the ANA stands at 20% — and is reportedly even higher among forces deployed in combat. Afghan field officers are in short supply, and the top echelon of the officer corps is dominated by ethnic Tajiks who are often viewed with suspicion by Pashtuns, the country's largest ethnic group and the one in which the Taliban is based. And the recent killing of five British soldiers by an Afghan policeman they had been mentoring, who then ran off to join the Taliban, highlights the risk of infiltration in efforts to expand the Afghan security forces.

The Karzai government's poor standing among the Afghan people is generally acknowledged as a problem in that not many Afghans are going to be willing to risk their lives to defend it. Karzai is as aware as his people of the limits of control on the ground by NATO forces and the certainty that they'll leave at some point. And so he has been protecting his interests by making deals with some pretty unsavory characters who wield real power on the ground — and that often requires turning a blind eye to corruption and other transgressions. Washington is looking to turn up the heat on Karzai to crack down on corruption by making clear that its commitment to Afghanistan is finite. Yet if Karzai took the threat of a U.S. pull-out seriously, it could make him even more reliant on ties with unsavory protectors.

Even if Karzai did a more effective job of governing, it's far from clear how many Afghans would be willing to fight their fellow Afghans in the Taliban. While poverty and corruption at the local level certainly fuel the resentment on which the Taliban capitalizes, it is not a protest movement against bad governance as much an insurgency rooted in Islamic and nationalist identities that challenges a political order installed and defended by foreign armies.

Rather than allowing himself to be drawn blindly into a quagmire, Obama is insisting on a clear-eyed view of the prospects for success and ultimately, withdrawal. And that's likely to confirm that even pursuing the most limited kind of success in Afghanistan might require an expanded troop commitment that goes well beyond the next U.S. presidential election.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1939590,00.html#ixzz0XeIgKgOY

Run Fazlullah Run

Taliban leader 'flees Pakistan'

By Hai Kakar  BBC Urdu, Peshawar Maulana Fazlullah commands the loyalty of many militants in Swat One of the most wanted Taliban leaders in Pakistan has escaped to Afghanistan and is planning new attacks on Pakistani forces, he has told the BBC. Maulana Fazlullah founded the Swat Taliban to enforce a hardline version of Islamic law. The government at first accepted his demands, but later accused the militants of reneging on a peace deal and sent troops into the valley. Maulana Fazlullah was said by officials to have been wounded or killed in July. Threats "I have reached Afghanistan safely," Maulana Fazlullah told BBC Urdu. "We are soon going to launch full-fledged punitive raids against the army in Swat." The voice was recognisably Maulana Fazlullah's - he has a very distinct way of pronouncing words. I have spoken to him on several occasions and met him twice. Maulana Fazlullah was calling from an Afghan number and sounded in good spirits when he called on Monday. He said that those claiming success for the Swat operation should try to prevent drone attacks and the US security firm Blackwater from operating in Pakistan. He issued a warning to the North West Frontier Province's information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain. "The authorities should beware, especially Mian Iftikhar Hussain, whose fate will be like that of Najibullah," he warned, referring to Dr Najibullah who was Afghan president before the Taliban hanged him in 1996 when they took Kabul. Talking about US President Barack Obama's Afghan policy, Maulana Fazlullah said there was no need for the US to send in more troops. "Hundreds of thousands of Pakistani soldiers are already involved in furthering the US agenda in the region," he said. 'Boost for militants' Maulana Fazlullah has been incommunicado for several months. During this time a number of reports had circulated about his death or capture by the military. These had gained credence after Pakistani authorities said he was fatally wounded in the army operation. The Taliban denied reports that he had been injured or was close to death. His return is likely to be a morale booster for the increasingly beleaguered Taliban in Pakistan. But it appears unlikely that his militants will be able to take the fight to the army, so soon after being soundly defeated in Swat. The Taliban are also on the run in their main stronghold in South Waziristan, where the Pakistani military recently launched a major offensive. source: www.bbc.co.uk

Support By Terror

1. Night letters warning village elders to cooperate or face death.
2. Religious "taxes"that must be paid.
3. Fiery sermons in mosques attacking Karzai and international forces.
4. Roadside bombings and drive-by shootings.

These are the types of threats that prompt villagers in northern regions of Afghanistan to reluctantly comply with the Taliban. These are the tactics utilized by this militia to garner support of the people in Afghanistan and eleswhere.

The Taliban will overrun Afghanistan if international troops pull out, according to what former Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah stated on Monday.


Abdullah's comments came a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that the U.S. was "not interested in staying in Afghanistan" and that America had "no long-term stake there."


Perhaps America has no stake there. If terror is acceptable there then perhaps it is acceptable everywhere.


sources: www.moinansari.files.wordpress.com
              csmonitor.com
              www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jf5dFMrHejXDJJU3OIFyGXRrwgAw

A Good Question That's Tough to Answer

November 10, 2009

All Things Considered asked listeners to e-mail questions for three military thinkers featured on the show's hourlong special report on Afghanistan: "Hard Choices in Afghanistan: What's Next?"Thomas Hammes is a senior military fellow at the National Defense University's Institute for National Strategic Studies; Max Boot is a senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; and Austin Long is assistant professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University.

Just how big is the Taliban threat in terms of number? We are led to believe that most Afghans want a Taliban-free peace in which to live. If that is true, why do the "most" keep getting their butts kicked by the minority even with massive foreign support?

Fred Braman

Captain, U.S. Navy (ret)

Fleming Island, Fla.

THOMAS HAMMES: Fred, good question — and almost impossible to answer. Despite the fact the North Vietnamese had unified the resistance movement into a single entity, the U.S. intelligence community had massive disagreements over the number of insurgents in Vietnam — particularly over whether or not to count part-time guerrillas or not.

Afghanistan is even tougher because the insurgency is not a unified insurgency. Rather it is a coalition of the angry. And it's not just the people angry at the government or even the Western powers, it also includes criminal elements, elements of one tribe or clan that are fighting another tribe or clan that is on the government side, economic opportunist and even bored young men.

Further complicating the count is the fact that, in many rural areas, every adult (i.e., over 14 years old) Afghan male is armed and part of a tribal militia. As long as that tribe is not fighting, the count is essentially zero. Once they choose to fight, the count is every male in the tribe. And of course, how do you count all the men in Pakistan that cross the border at times to fight in Afghanistan?

In short, you won't get an accurate count of insurgents. I think the published accounts are best estimates of the full-time insurgents. As far as why the "most" keep getting their butts kicked — combat in Afghanistan is very local and fluid. While many people will say they don't like the insurgents, that doesn't mean they are ready to fight yet. Much like most citizens of a drug-infested neighborhood in the U.S. would like to see the dealers go, they won't get involved unless the police can protect them. And if they know the police cannot protect them from retaliation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they remain silent.

Afghan villagers may not like the insurgents, but unless someone (i.e., the government) can provide unity and resources that give them a very good chance of winning, they won't join the fight.

MAX BOOT: I don't think anyone has a good count of the Taliban. Such figures aren't worth much anyway since most of the Taliban are part-time fighters, and their numbers fluctuate with the season and with other factors.

Suffice it to say there are a lot of them — many thousands — and they are well-funded and well-armed. They have little appeal for most Afghans; only about 4 percent of those surveyed in opinion polls say they want a return to Taliban rule. That would be a critical problem for the Taliban if they were trying to win free elections, but they're not. They advance their cause at gunpoint. There has been no shortage of examples of how unpopular groups can shoot their way into power and stay there notwithstanding the wishes of most of the population. Iran provides a particularly dramatic example of the phenomenon today.

Most people in Afghanistan, like anywhere else, are not fighters or heroes willing to put their lives on the line to fight against violent groups. Most are determined to do whatever it takes to survive, and sometimes this requires making accommodation with thugs and criminals and religious fanatics — but that is certainly not their preference.

Our role should be to provide the aid and resources needed for Afghans to fight for their own freedom — as many of them are doing today in the Afghan National Security Forces. But those forces are far too small to defeat the Taliban, and it will be years before they are big enough and strong enough. In the meantime, U.S. troops can provide a vital stopgap as they did in Iraq to protect the population from the predators and to buy breathing space for the expansion of indigenous security forces.

AUSTIN LONG: Not particularly caring for the Taliban does not make one love the government or the United States. The vast majority of Pashtuns don't like either side. Also bear in mind the Taliban receive considerable support from outside actors. Finally, the Taliban are not kicking butt in parts of Afghanistan. For example, in the Panjshir Valley northeast of Kabul, a Tajik area, there is essentially no Taliban presence.

Source: www.npr.org

More U.S. Troops Will Probably Be Deployed

According to recent reports, the Pakistan Army and NATO forces are making headway on both sides of the border against the Taliban. Areas near the Afghan border in Pakistan such as Mohmand and Bajaur Agency as well as South Waziristan are reporting Taliban fatalities and surrenders. Meanwhile, in the Afghanistan province of Zabul, NATO forces and Afghan troops killed 17 Taliban and captured 1 injured fighter in a fierce battle.

All of these reports come at a time when Obama is considering options to deploy 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. This figure is less than that of 40,000 troops as recommended by Gen Stanley McChrystal, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Obama is expected to announce his decision within a few weeks possibly after the inauguration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The re-election is controversial as Karzai was handed a second term after the election run-off was cancelled.

sources: www.dailytimes.com.pk

www.reuters.com

www.gulfnews.com

24 Taliban Militants Killed by Pakistan Army

Photographer: Nir Rosen

www.rollingstone.com

The Army estimates that 450 fatalities have occurred as the operation continues in South Waziristan. The Pakistan Army's assault began on October 17, 2009 with about 30,000 soldiers fighting against 10,000 Taliban militants in the lawless area.

According to the Army, fighting is likely to continue for the next six to eight weeks with no definite deadline given.

Both the Pakistani and Afghan Taliban are Pashtuns who have joined together in the past to fight invaders. According to, New York Times columnist Nick Kristof's more recent argument, sending more Western troops to Afghanistan will only provoke a wider nationalist uprising. The Taliban's extremist views on Islam solidify ties to al Qaeda. These ties suggest that if the Taliban are restored to power in Afghanistan, al Qaeda could then easily return.

source: news.xinhuanet.com

www.huffingtonpost.com

The Mahsud Tribesmen of South Waziristan Not Hating the Taliban

An Afghan child grabs razor wire protecting the ruins

of the former Royal Palace in Kabul

Peter Nicholls/The Times

A report by Alex Rodriguez in the Los Angeles Times states that the Mahsud back the offensive by the Pakistan Army because it offers the only hope for government assistance for the basics such as phones, electricity and asphalt roads. On the other hand, having the Taliban around is not so bad according to the people. The Taliban have brought order to a community faced with kidnappers and thievery. The Mahsud have said crime dropped when the Taliban came to town from the mountain hide-outs in tinted-glass SUVs and resolved disputes between rival tribes by executions.

Gul Gai, an unemployed villager from Khaisura describes the Taliban relationship, "Many of them were locals from the town. Many villagers believe the Taliban are good Muslims."

Many villagers are recruited into the Taliban while others need no invitation. Most youths in Waziristan cannot read or write and are easily led by the militants preaching jihad as the only way out of misery.

Sultan Mahsud, a 22 year-old tribesmen from Ghurghurai and a university student, is the exception in this region. Mahsud says success in Waziristan will not come from airstrikes but from teachers and textbooks.

"Tribal people in Waziristan are illiterate," Mahsud states. "They need awareness, which is why they need schools. If the offensive is successful, that would be my demand to government."

source: www.latimes.com

www.timesonline.co.uk

Hunt is on for Afghan Policeman

Afghan National Police being trained by the US Army in Gardez, Afghanistan.

A sudden attack killing five British Soldiers and wounding five others yesterday has been attributed to the infiltration of the Taliban in the Afghan police force. The attack comes after last week's attacks on five UN election workers in Kabul. Investigators say the detailed information obtained to carry out the attack could only come from official sources. The Taliban have a presence at every level of the police force.

This shocking news comes at a time when Obama must decide whether to send 40,000 more troops into Afghanistan. With a corrupt government, Taliban infiltrations in the police force, Taliban attacks on UN workers and fighting across the border in Pakistan it hardly seems worthwhile or sensible. Yet, what will become of this nation if Nato troops pull out?

source: www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Afghan President Hamid Karzai Seeks Unity With Taliban

Mr. Karzai urged the Taliban to come home and embrace their land. (Reuters: Ahmad Masood)

According to a recent report by frontline Australian journalist Sally Sara, the Taliban rejected Karzai's call and ridicules him as a puppet of the West. Mr. Karzai was the only candidate left standing in Afghanistan's run-off presidential election. The election faced widespread electoral fraud and the final round of voting was cancelled, therefore, Mr. Karzai retains power.

The looming question is whether Karzai is able to end the corruption this time around. He promises to break the cycle.

The streets of Kabul are being watched by thousands of police and troops while citizens hope for a reprieve from Taliban attacks due to the cancellation of the election.

The pressure is on for Afghan President Hamid Karzai to deliver on promises of reform in Afghanistan with or without the cooperation of the Taliban.

"A Fight to the Finish"

According to the latest report from CNN on the ousting of the Taliban from Pakistan, the Pakistan army has the Taliban on the run. The Taliban have set up camps in the mountainous region in Northwest Pakistan known as South Waziristan. This region borders Afghanistan and is ideal terrain for the Taliban to hide out and carry out operations.

The army has a strategy for raiding these headquarters. They will attack from three sides and kill as many militants as possible. Soldiers displayed captured weapons and ammunitions. There was also evidence of two laptops and internet access by the Taliban.

There are probably thousands of Taliban hiding out in this mountainous region of Pakistan. Though General Khalid Rabanni of the Pakistan Army states, "It's a professional army and there's no way they can beat us." This is the fourth attempt using similar strategies against the Taliban since 2004.

"The Taliban Has Momentum"

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued this statement but also maintained that the U.S. is not losing this war. Although it is a costly war, as Obama and top field commanders meet today to decide on sending 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

In the November 9th issue of Time magazine, the headline of a story reads "Pakistan's Army Gets Serious." Thank goodness someone is getting serious.

The Devil They Know

The Taliban ruled for five years in Kabul until 2001 when they were ousted by American forces. Most Afghans do not trust Americans so the Taliban continue to control rural and other surrounding areas of Kabul. Their resurgence has been reported in the October, 2007 New York Times as numbering around 10, 000 of which about 3,000 are full-time insurgents.

The Taliban support Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. The Taliban also have strict laws prohibiting women from obtaining education or leaving their homes without male supervision and wearing head-toe-veils. These crimes are punishable by lashing, stoning or public executions. Since the Taliban have brought some stability and order to parts of the country there is according Kenneth Katzman, a specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, "a little more permissiveness in some areas for the Taliban. That is a worrisome trend." A reign of terror is more tolerable to the people than the presence of U.S. troops.

Leading up to the presidential elections on November 7, 2009 in Afghanistan, the terror will only worsen as the Taliban have threatened. The Taliban will do anything to instill enough fear in Afghans so that they will not turn out to vote.Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi spoke to an AFP reporter by telephone from an undisclosed location."We'll intensify our attacks in the coming days. We'll disrupt the elections."

We may think that these insurgent powers are limited to Pakistan and Afghanistan but like a deadly serious disease their ideologies and hunger for power and control could one day reach global proportions.

Welcome to a Small Slice of Reality and it is in Our Backyards

Evil exists in this world in the form of such entities as the Taliban. I have to believe there is a special place in Hell reserved for these people. I have to believe there is a special place in Heaven for those innocent women and children who died in the hands of these madmen. How cowardly are those demons that go into a market armed with guns and bombs and kill unarmed civilians and then blow themselves up before justice can be served. No worries people let’s just go on having fun seeing movies about accused pedophiles such as Michael Jackson and paying attention to useless sports activities or even investing our energies into pets. Keep handing your money over to the rich through movies, sports events and musical events all in an attempt to drug ourselves into ignorance and keep pretending evil doesn’t exist in our corners of the world and allowing the rich to supply arms to these terrorist groups.

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