Interview with a "new Afghan incarnation" of the Taliban.

An interesting piece on a Taliban group operating 10 miles from Kandahar - interviewing them on their actions and motivations.  Interestingly, and going against the given motivations and attitude from the Taliban highlighted in the Canadian "Talking to the Taliban" series of interviews that I highlighted in the blog, these "Taliban" were apparently tolerant  of drinking alcohol, listening to music and gambling. 

Never have inverted commas been more necessary...

The intriguing bit for me - which was highlighted briefly and then dismissed by the Journeyman team - was the appearance of an individual described as a "former Pakistan soldier".  He was engaged in giving live fire small arms instructions to a group of Taliban fighters inside a compound.  I should add that "former soldiers" and "retired officers" are a standard modus operandi - ALLEGEDLY! - for the Pakistani intelligence services, the ISI, for giving support of all kinds to militant groups such as the Taliban...

Motivations for these fighters don't appear purely "Taliban" - the article stressed there was no mention per se of Osama Bin Laden or Mullah Omar, more a selection of resentments - frustration with the Afghan government and resentment at the "occupation" of international military forces.  The whole programme seems more suggestive of Pushtun tribal rejection of outsider influence than a specifically Taliban agenda.  This is perhaps more worrying - I also highlighted in the blog the report of "Tajik" Taliban groups.  This suggested that other ethnic groups might be starting to find common ground with aspects of the Taliban cause as a direct protest against the Afghan government.