Embedded With The Taliban
Dave Dilegge at Small Wars Journal takes care of the takedown on Nir Rosen of Rolling Stone, who chose to hang out with the enemy that has killed more of its own people than it has the hate Crusaders:
Just call me old fashioned – I have serious misgivings respecting and tolerating journalists who embed with an enemy (the Taliban in this instance) responsible for what some call the strictest interpretation and implementation of Sharia law “ever seen in the Muslim World.” The crimes against humanity that were a direct result of their rule in Afghanistan and continue in their desire to regain that rule cannot be forgiven or glossed over in hopes of some temporary respite from increased violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Yea, yea, okay – some people’s terrorists are other people’s freedom fighters – yada, yada – save it for the think tank- or university-circle sponsored seminars, studies and white papers. There is still black and white in today’s complex environment and our efforts in South Asia should most certainly fall within that category.
If there was ever a grouping of individuals and supporters that deserved complete annihilation … the Taliban and their support structure would and should be up front and center.
Quick take:
Learning about the enemy is great. However, it’s not a job for amateurs, and this not particularly helpful ramble through Afghanistan, roadtrip/clip job, is clearly the work of one. Too bad they didn’t send P.J. O’Rourke, who always managed to be entertaining, moral and considerably more informative while not accomplishing much. Good luck with the cancer, by the way, P.J.
In fact, “How We lost The War We Won: A Journey Into Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan” is misleading from the start. Contrary to his claim, Rosen never actually manages to embed with the Taliban. He just hangs out with some guys who say they are commanders … though other Taliban don’t seem to have much respect for their standing … and say they’ll get him in, but never quite manage to do more than link him up with some heavily armed layabouts. Lucky for him. Had he actually been with any fighting elements of the Taliban, he’d probably be dead now, which is what usually happens to the Taliban in large numbers when they directly engage the hated Crusaders. 10 to 1, 20 to 1, 100 to 1 … when they manage to kill combatants at all. He probably would have been OK if he was just with a … you know … demolitions unit. Unless it was a suicide demolitions unit and they decided to give the dumb American the full embedded experience.
A couple of points. I don’t know what Rolling Stone’s ethical standards are, but this sounds like a potential problem:
To travel with the Taliban and see firsthand how they operate, I contacted a well-connected Afghan friend in Kabul and asked him to make the introductions. He knew many groups of fighters in Afghanistan, but said he would only trust my security if those I accompanied knew that they and their families would be killed if anything happened to me.
Then there’s this:
my friend’s office in Kabul on a hot, sunny afternoon. Midlevel Taliban leaders like Ibrahim move freely about the capital, like any other Afghan: U.S. forces lack the intelligence and manpower to identify enemy commanders, let alone apprehend them. (To protect Ibrahim’s identity, I agreed to change his name.)
Why would you want to? Which side are you on, dude? Here’s an allusion to the kind of people he is dealing with. Unfortunately, amid all the thrills of going native with a real third-world liberation movement, Rosen’s attention to this kind of detail is a little scant:
As the Taliban have attempted to counter the Americans by adopting the tactics of Iraqi insurgents, they have become far more brutal than they were when they ruled Afghanistan. To sow insecurity, they routinely enter villages and bypass traditional tribal mechanisms, waging a harsh campaign of social terror.
Back to the headline. “How We Lost The War We Won.” Very clever. One problem. We haven’t lost yet. Nir Rosen and Rolling Stone better hope we don’t. The day we lose to radical Islam is going to be a very bad day for them.
One thing it does have in common with good articles is it leaves you wanting more. A lot more. I wouldn’t have minded seeing an encounter with that judge he mentions. That would have been some serious embedding.
Here’s some background on Rosen citing someone who claims to know him.
Topics: Afghanistan, media
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 8:37 pm on Saturday, October 18, 2008
3 Responses to “Embedded With The Taliban”
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October 19th, 2008 at 10:59 am
“How We Lost The War We Won”
Wishful thinking.
October 19th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
An American citizen playing at journalist who chooses to serve within the ranks of the enemy is only one of two things:
1. An active propagandist for the cause of the enemy. In such a case, the citizen is subject by the laws and customs of land warfare to be arrested and tried for treason upon returning to the US.
2. A spy for the US. In such a case, the citizen is subject to arrest and execution by the enemy, again, under the laws and customs regarding war.
October 20th, 2008 at 11:57 am
The Taliban have no credibility with the Afghans. Afghans support them due to total fear. Taliban are butchers and murderers who have done NOTHING for Afghanistan an its people. Name one hospital, road, or school that they have opened. Name one accomplishment of the Taliban? All they bring is chaos and death. America’s mistake is 2 fold. Trusting in the NATO (especially the British) to accomplish anything. Due to their mangled chain of command each of the NATO nations do their own thing…except fight. Second mistake is that Americans do not have enough troops on the battlefield especially in the South in Kandahar. however, we will next year and this war will end quickly. We will bring in enough troops and enablers to not only decisively defeat them on the a battlefield but also build up the areas of governance and rule of law. Taliban have your fun now, but soon you and your allies in Pakistan will be dead.