Return of the Taliban

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis Tuesday December 02, 2003 19:25 by European

Americas other war is providing more bad news for supporters of the so-called war against terrorism.

Friday 28th November last saw the resurgent feudalists of the Taliban score possibly their most significant strategic success since their ousting in November 2001 with the fall of the Mezana district in the Kabul district. The rout of Karzai forces with at least 15 dead and many wounded was followed by the flight of officials and surrender of administrative control. Much military equipment was seized by the Taliban, which included several military vehicles and a huge arsenal of guns and ammunition intended for the planned launch of an anti-Taliban offensive.

At least sixteen districts of Afghanistan are now under their total control and have had Sharia law reimposed. The targeting of foreigners by the Taliban has led to the suspension of humanitarian relief programmes inside Afghanistan. A Turkish engineer, recently kidnapped on the grounds that he was a Turkish intelligence and recently released due to mistaken identity, was to be held until the release of a number of captives in the kennels of Guantanamo Bay.

Mainstream media coverage of the conflict in Afghanistan has concentrated mainly on much trumpeted US macho-named offensives and attacks on foreign aid workers. The deaths, by torture, of at least three inmates of Bagram air base by American hands and the attack on Afghanistan has produced stories Less comfortable stories like the granting of a services supply contract to a “former” compant of Dick Cheney’s, Halliburton Corporation, have been understandably given much less coverage.