Taliban Slay Six Village Elders Over Aid Money

Source: NYT

KABUL, Afghanistan — In many of the farm hamlets of eastern Afghanistan, the elders have become used to late-night knocks at the door and masked Taliban men with guns demanding money, but this year was different.

When the men came, the elders refused to pay. The Taliban response in the impoverished Dwa Manda district of Khost Province was swift and brutal. They kidnapped 15 elders from villages that refused to turn over money they had received from the government for small development projects. A day later, the bodies of six elders were found, shot to death, said the Khost provincial police chief, Gen. Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai, on Tuesday.

(snip)

In the mid-1990s the killings were common practice in Khost as well when the Taliban were seeking to take over Afghanistan, said Arsala Jamal, the former governor of Khost, who is now the acting minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs. By killing just a few elders, the Taliban were able to terrify the others and thus found it easier to gain dominance, he said.

The elders who were attacked earlier this week were from villages that had received grants worth just a few thousand dollars from Afghanistan’s National Solidarity program, which is one of the government’s most successful efforts to spur grass-roots development projects. The Taliban, hearing of the awards, demanded the money, said General Ishaqzai.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/world/asia/26afghan.html

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Just a few thousand dollars, not even foreign aid money, it's from an Afghan national program, and the Taliban killed them for saying no.

...Yeah, Afghans can't wait for NATO to leave so the Taliban are in complete control again. :eyes:

would prefer you didn't know.

Although I do comment on ideas of construction not destruction, it is possible that some good can come from things, although not sure if military is best way, especially with mercenaries not in the same chain of command as created by a representative democracy, and under base line sets of acceptable actions.

It is a topic I have not really commented on much because I think it requires people with specialties in those areas, and because I believe in representative democracies. Although it also depends on intent of outcome, and what kind of changes to that society are trying to be done. I do make comments on the wrong methods used for years like hurting people and violence, but think protection can have many meanings.

But anyway, that is why I rarely comment on the Afghanistan topic.

they stood up to the taliban. this is a huge risk they took and they should be highly commended. if everyone, on all sides, could stop for one brief moment maybe an end to the madness can finally arrive.

to Afghanistan. They know that the moment the American combat troops are withdrawn, the Taliban will immediately take over. Can't expect much from them other than to "hedge their bets" to maximize survival.

I'll confess, I'm getting a little tired of your "noble savage" routine. It's pretty offensive, and not just for its overt racism.

That's what I've noticed from her all the time. She's so dismissive of the Afghans.

whether you're in Afghanistan, or here in the U.S.

what those tribal elders did was beyond brave. it takes a lot of courage to stand up to tyranny, domestic and/or foreign.

who knows, maybe this is becoming a habit. it only takes one splash to make a ripple.

Despite all the tag-team war cheerleading you can muster.

Despite all the tag-team isolationist rhetoric you can muster. :hi:

In 2 years, we'll still be there. We may be there for my lifetime. Some think it's OK. I don't believe in 'nation-building' personally. But keep tag-teaming your war....if it turns you on.

etc.

Really, I would love to know when we are going to do this.