Hi MJ,
The Taliban were the creation of Pak army with Saudi money. Infact, several pathan origin concripts from Pak army, originally sent to the taliban for training etc, were denied entry to Pak and/or killed as well when the present conflict began.
Untill 9/11, they were fed, clothed, flown to saudi arabia for ummrah, business, everytyhing you could think of. Infact, in 1998 they were invited to the US, to Bush's state, where they discussed a pipeline from central asia through to gavadar. This was then linked to the selling of coastal land in Balochistan to US corporations by Bhutto govt. in 1990-91. From 95, the Taliban were essentially Pak army's best friends in Afghanistan and they did major things for the Pak army. For example, keeping India out of Afghan politics, and so on. Its not as if there was no one to resist them. There were Afghan leaders (Ahmad Shah Masood) etc. who could resist them. But the status quo, i.e. US's proxy poodle, i.e. Pak army, never paid them any heed. Infact, they took an opposing stance.
There is not much wrong with your statement above and neither did I argue against it. But what I said and what you wrote aren't exactly related. You're talking about the Taliban coming to power, whereas I'm giving reason for their long stay in power afterwards.
The reason for Taliban coming to power was American money and Pakistani training. But the reason for their stay in power for so long in Afghanistan was lack of any substantial resistence from the moderates and liberals within the Afghan society.
After the Soviets were defeated, America lost all interest in Afghanistan. That is something not only the Pakistani establishment but also many Afghans themselves complain to America about to this day. You can blame USA for praising the Taliban when it needed them to pass that pipeline contract. But that doesn't mean that USA supported Taliban rule and was spending money and effort to keep them there. It just means that USA is a selfish country who'd make a dog its dad when it needed something from it. They saw in the map that the pipeline had to go through Afghanistan, they found out who ruled there, and they started praising them to get what they wanted.
Yes, Pakistan supported Taliban rule, and yes they wanted 'strategic depth' via them. But by claiming that Pakistan are responsible for such long rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan, you are doing two things which are wrong.
First, you are giving way too much credit to Pakistan. Afghanistan is not exactly Pakistan's property to do as it likes, no matter how much some people would like to believe this. There is a limit to Pakistan's hold on the Taliban and they did defy Pakstan's wishes on more than one occasion while in power.
Second, and it's an extension of the first, you are underestimating the Afghans themselves. They're no one's b******, pardon my French. There are quite a few former empires who'd testify to this effect.
When Taliban came to power, they had large support because they ended a very long and disastrous civil war. People wanted peace. So they thanked god for the Taliban, just like we do when we want change of civilian government by the military, or military government by the civilians. But after a while, when they realized that Taliban rule isn't exactly all peaches and roses, the Afghanis started to se them for what they are. Again, just like we do.
The difference was that by that time, most of Afghanistan's liberals and moderates had fled the country in fear of persecution. Hence, those who were against the Taliban were either powerless, or political enemies. The masses stayed quiet and bore them.
The condition in Pakistan is still different because a large number of Pakistan's moderates are still sitting here. I doubt they'll leave
en masse like the Afghans, but if their silence continues, that time isn't really an impossibility.
I visited some relatives today. What I found there was disturbing. I noticed that those who supported the blasphemy laws and this Qadri guy's actions were quite loud and their conversations took center stage. While the few who opposed it whispered to each other in the corners.
This is pretty much the condition of the country right now. And if those moderates and liberals don't leave those corners and speak out, the extremists WILL take center stage.
due to his role in the CJ episode.
