NationStates Jolt Archive

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, June 18 -- Taliban guerrillas said Saturday that they had seized 30 policemen and a local official at a district headquarters building and planned to put them on trial for supporting the U.S.-backed government.

A senior police officer in Kandahar province confirmed that the main government building in Mian Nishin, capital of the district of the same name, was under Taliban control after attacks on Thursday and Friday nights.

Mullah Rahim, a Taliban commander who led the attacks, telephoned the Reuters news agency and handed the phone to the district police chief, Nanai Khan, the officer being held.

"They are going to put me on trial," Khan said nervously. Khan had spoken to Reuters in the past.

Asked if any of the group had been killed, Khan initially replied: "Yes." But after a few seconds of silence, he said: "No, no."

Rahim said none of the prisoners had been killed and that their fates would be decided by the group's religious leaders.

"We haven't killed anyone yet, and we won't kill anyone until the mullahs issue a fatwa ," or edict, he said.

Rahim said the men were accused of working for the government. "We have told people many times not to work with the government," he said.

The senior police officer in Kandahar, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said 13 people were captured by the guerrillas in the district Thursday and 18 more on Friday.

The district was the scene of joint operations by Afghan and U.S.-led forces this week. Officials said nine guerrillas were killed.

Why not?
The US has already demonstrated that normal rules of war and the Geneva Convention don't count, so they oughta just declare them "unlawful combattants" and lock them up in a cave for 200 or so years.

Why not?
The US has already demonstrated that normal rules of war and the Geneva Convention don't count, so they oughta just declare them "unlawful combattants" and lock them up in a cave for 200 or so years.

But how do you really feel?


What are the rules of war for fighting freedom fighters/terrorists/whatever?

If you start preying on the populace, you loose support for your cause.

But how do you really feel?
I feel they shouldn't really have gone there in the first place. There was no actual real hope of capturing Osama there anyway.
The UN said yes, so I agreed with the war, grudgingly, although it was a simple revenge attack in order not to look like Bush doesn't know where to go from here.
Then they tried their new strategies, and left most of the country to marauding bands of warlords, who are just as bad as the Taliban.
Then they installed an ex-advisor for an oil company as president, and started building that pipeline that Bush had been talking to the Taliban about earlier in Texas.
The whole thing is fucked, I reckon they should let Pakistan march in and take charge. Currently all we have there is anarchy.


What are the rules of war for fighting freedom fighters/terrorists/whatever?
The exact same rules as for fighting any soldier. You fight, you kill if necessary, but you treat them with respect, dignity and fairness at all times.


If you start preying on the populace, you loose support for your cause.
Indeed. Not that Afghani policemen are the populace. I like to compare the attacks by insurgents on Afghani and Iraqi police to the French resistance, who attacked German patrols as well as Collaborateurs whenever they could.
I'm not saying the Americans are Nazis, but you must accept that those insurgents can very well see it that way.

Where is the US army over there? What do the Generals on the ground think about this? Don't we need more troops on the ground if the Taliban is making a counter-offensive?

Dammit. I lost my inside connection to the Afgan front a few months ago when they got shifted to Iraq. I'm f*cking clueless as to what's going on over there and its starting to annoy me. There are major shifts in the power dynamic in Afganistan right now, I can feel it!

The exact same rules as for fighting any soldier. You fight, you kill if necessary, but you treat them with respect, dignity and fairness at all times.so tell me then, How would you distinquish the Suicide bomber who will kill you, the plain clothed Insurgent who will kill you, and the civilian who has to walk past your post to get to work?

IF they want respect, then they should fight us with respect. not use Holy sites as battlezones, not use civilians as sheilds, Wear uniforms so that civilians won't be targetted. then when we capture you, you will then be placed in a secure area where you will be fed, clothed and live in modest comfort, while you are interrogated.


Indeed. Not that Afghani policemen are the populace. I like to compare the attacks by insurgents on Afghani and Iraqi police to the French resistance, who attacked German patrols as well as Collaborateurs whenever they could.
I'm not saying the Americans are Nazis, but you must accept that those insurgents can very well see it that way.Using your comparasions tho, The resistance generally left the Police alone because they knew that the police held order in the city. They won't attack civilians because that's who they were fighting for.

In Iraq, they would bomb a cafe fill of people to kill 1 American or blow up an American Check point that is crowded with civilans going to their jobs. biig difference.

Using your comparasions tho, The resistance generally left the Police alone because they knew that the police held order in the city. They won't attack civilians because that's who they were fighting for.


Sorry mate, but thats crap. All resistance/guerrilla movements target the police- they are a symbol of the govt and as such are considered patsy's of them and are legit targets. ETA, IRA, American Colonists, FLN, Maquis etc etc.

Its unconventional warfare, asking them to wear uniforms negates the whole concept of an underground resistance movement.

so tell me then, How would you distinguish the Suicide bomber who will kill you, the plain clothed Insurgent who will kill you, and the civilian who has to walk past your post to get to work?
Training the military properly in peacekeeping is always one way. Otherwise, be on your guard, but not trigger happy. In the end, I don't know how to, I'm not a soldier. It's their responsibility to behave like humans, not like action heroes, afterall, they're also supposed to represent their people in another country.

so tell me then, How would you distinquish the Suicide bomber who will kill you, the plain clothed Insurgent who will kill you, and the civilian who has to walk past your post to get to work?

IF they want respect, then they should fight us with respect. not use Holy sites as battlezones, not use civilians as sheilds, Wear uniforms so that civilians won't be targetted. then when we capture you, you will then be placed in a secure area where you will be fed, clothed and live in modest comfort, while you are interrogated.


Using your comparasions tho, The resistance generally left the Police alone because they knew that the police held order in the city. They won't attack civilians because that's who they were fighting for.

In Iraq, they would bomb a cafe fill of people to kill 1 American or blow up an American Check point that is crowded with civilans going to their jobs. biig difference.

Well just one thing if one side (the American) can drop bombs from 30000 feet send missiles from ships in the indian oceans send in a battalion of abraham tanks and in genrelly have the latest technical stuffs. You expect the other side taking on there best uniforms go out onto a field and face the americans and have the priviliege of having 10 percent of the forces killed with in firerange to the american and the rest killed by bombs and missile before getting into firerange? Well it would be very practically for the American but I don't think any third world country would think it would be a good idea to figt the worst powerfull country in a traditional war.

You can't win a war on terror.

Terror, like farts, is part of every human being.

You can always eliminate beans and the iraqi resistance, you'll still have different farts and terrorists all around.

You can't win a war on terror.

Terror, like farts, is part of every human being.

You can always eliminate beans and the iraqi resistance, you'll still have different farts and terrorists all around.
That is the best post on the war on terror yet!
Excellent Job!