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| Afghanistan | |||
| Taliban Commander Says 'Deal' Not A Blow | |||
| 2006-10-03 | |||
Karachi, 3 Oct. (AKI)- Afghanistan's Helmand province, the nucleus of unrest in south-western Afghanistan, is now calm. After 29 British soldiers were killed over the past two months, British NATO troops say they have reached an agreement with Afghan elders aimed at ending Taliban attacks. Some see the accord as a defeat for the Taliban, others argue that it's a 'deal' between the Taliban and British troops. But Raza Bacha, an up-and-coming Taliban commander in Helmand told Adnkronos International (AKI) that it was not a setback for the Taliban, simply the response to a request by tribal elders for a pause.
NATO spokesman Mark Laity on Monday insisted that no negotiations had been held with the Taliban and that the 140 or so British troops in Musa Qala were not withdrawing. The alliance is due to take over control of operations across Afghanistan from Thursday. Since taking over from US-led troops in southern Afghanistan at the end of July, NATO troops have been fighting big battles across the region. Currently Britain has nearly 5,000 troops in Afghanistan - including 3,600 in the volatile Helmand province - with a further 900 on the way. Over the past two months, 29 British soldiers have lose their lives in southern Afghanistan. While NATO forces have had to deal with a high death toll, fighting between the NATO forces and the Taliban has also led to casualties among the local population and Taliban fighters. According to reports, figures provided by the Afghan government and the foreign forces in the country show that the Taliban have suffered much heavier losses, estimated at around 2,500 killed this year. The Taliban has acknowledged casualties but dismissed this figure and stressed instead the civilian death toll. "In fact, the Taliban did sustain casualties but it's hardly 20 percent of what the local population has sustained," Bacha told AKI. "The tribal elders requested a pause [in fighting] and now we're on the mountains," said Bacha, whose command of the Taliban in Musa Qila is said to have inflicted serious damage to the British forces in the district. Raza BachaÂ’s assertion may appear to be correct. As soon as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan began on the weekend of 23-24 September, there were two significant developments in southern Afghanistan. The Taliban fighters, who were controlling the main roads, towns and villages in southern Afghanistan, appear to have retreated to the mountains and it is believed that they may have altered their strategy for a while, switching once again to hit-and-run guerrilla attacks.
Given the hostility of the terrain, the British forces appear in urgent need of a respite - something the deal with tribal elders should give them. But that same breathing space could be put to much better advantage by the Taliban themselves, to regroup. | |||
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Raza Bacha, an up-and-coming Taliban commander in Helmand told Adnkronos International (AKI) that it was not a setback for the Taliban, simply the response to a request by tribal elders for a pause. Don't know the area myself but if the Talibs held any kind of sway here then any disagreeable tribal elders would surely be dispatched. |
| Posted by: Howard UK 2006-10-03 14:32 |