Date: 07 Aug 2010
Title: Taliban’s ghastly deeds Author: Editorial Publication: The Pioneer////////////// Date: August 7, 2010. ////////////// <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->///////////// http://www.dailypioneer.com/274479/Taliban%E2%80%99s-ghastly-deeds.html /////////// <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> ////////////// Taliban’s ghastly deeds /////// The Pioneer Edit Desk////////////// Aisha’s plight shows what lies in store ////////////// For all those who favour peace with the Taliban as a way to end the war in Afghanistan, Bibi Aisha is a grim reminder of the disaster that lies in store if that step is taken. Aisha is an 18-year-old victim of the cruelty routinely perpetrated by the Taliban: Her nose and ears were chopped off on the orders of a Taliban commander for fleeing the home of her abusive parents-in-law. If the Taliban can do something so horrific when it is supposedly on the run and despite the presence of a huge number of foreign armed forces, imagine the havoc its members will unleash if it were to regain power. Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai must rid himself of the thought that the ‘moderate’ Taliban should be part of a political solution. Unfortunately, Mr Karzai’s view appears to be shared by some in the West too, largely because they feel so frustrated with the unending war that they just want to get out of Afghanistan. But such sense of frustration must not be nursed by Mr Karzai. On the contrary, he should feel outraged over Aisha’s plight — brought to light by Time — and abandon plans to appease the brutal organisation; indeed, he must call for a stepped up offensive against the Taliban. Of course, there are those in Kabul who believe that an isolated incident of a woman being punished in so gruesome a manner should not be allowed to cloud the larger issue of peace. As reported by Time, Aisha is only one of the many victims; the crime committed against her is not unheard of. Hence, it would be erroneous to claim that it’s an isolated incident or that it does not reflect what lies in store if Kabul were to fall to the Taliban: Women are known to have been whipped for not wearing a burqa long enough to cover their ankles or for failing to cover their face; even the use of cosmetics, for instance something as innocuous as nail enamel, can fetch the Taliban’s savagery. Aisha lost her nose and ears to those who believe women deserve no better. ////////////////// The US Administration, in an effort to legitimise President Barack Obama’s decision to begin pulling out troops by next summer, are now at pains to explain that the Americans are in Afghanistan not to reform that country’s society but to punish those behind the 9/11 terror attacks. That’s not only warped but also a rancid view: The war in Afghanistan would amount to no more than wasted lives if the Taliban remains unaffected. Let’s not forget that Afghans had welcomed the US-led forces not as invaders but as liberators. That liberation from the Taliban’s oppressive dictatorship is now at stake as Mr Karzai, goaded by both the US and Pakistan, is seeking to cut a deal with those very forces that are primarily to blame for Afghanistan’s sorrow. The peace council that he has established to negotiate with his “upset brothers” — as he calls the Taliban — could end up legitimising intolerance. While women rights activists are understandably alarmed by Mr Karzai’s overtures, there are others who are concerned by its larger impact on the region. They are unimpressed, and for good reason, by bogus assurances that the Afghan Constitution will serve as an effective bulwark against the Taliban. History shows forces of terror are not deterred by barriers raised by the best of Constitutions. //////////////// 000000000