Taliban+Today


 * __Taliban Today__**
 * Today the Taliban operate in Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan and their headquarters is in or near Quetta, Pakistan. “...the Taliban would like to show that the United States could not defeat them militarily in the past nine years and from other side want to introduce themselves as an acceptable political force, too.” -Ghulam Jelani Zwak
 * The Taliban are in alliance with Al-Qaeda, and the Haqqani Network (Afghan insurgent group) which are both among the biggest threats to the U.S. as well.
 * The Taliban receive valuable training, supplies, and arms from the Pakistani government.
 * [|Taliban Suicide Bombers]
 * [|Taliban Bank]
 * [|Marines Bracing for Taliban Attack]
 * __ How is the Taliban funded? __**
 * The Taliban's number one source of funding is foreign donations
 * Opium poppies are grown in Afghanistan and are traded
 * Timber is cut down and used to sell in Pakistani markets
 * The Taliban have an agreement with the Emerald mining laborers and 1/3 of all output is given to the Taliban



= ﻿Will the Taliban bounce back =


 * In a report found on CNN World:
 * Interviewed by CNN Pentagon producer Larry Shaughnessy
 * David Rodriguez is American commander in Afghanistan Rodriguez's warning of Taliban attack
 * After being crushed in 2010, they may try new tactics to regain coalition military gains
 * Taliban back to offense this coming spring
 * IED (improvised explosive devices)
 * Taliban are expected to attack civilians leaders who taken over areas once ran by Taliban
 * Who were on a lower scale supporting the government
 * Taliban killing their own, "least committed"
 * Almost 7 months no attack in 2010 in Kabul
 * Although 500 U.S. soldiers were killed in 2010, and 25 in January
 * Taliban tactics of turning on their own come from coalition success in Kabul
 * The last 12 weeks they found 1,250 cahces vs. last year at same time they found 163

__ US BEGINS TALKS __

"The [|Obama Administration] has entered into direct, secret talks with senior Afghan Taliban leaders, several people briefed about the talks told me last week. The discussions are continuing; they are of an exploratory nature and do not yet amount to a peace negotiation"

-"We do not learn which Taliban figures are taking part, though Mullah Omar is apparently not involved. Nor is it clear whether the contacts are being orchestrated on the US side by the state department or the White House".

-"Barack Obama has told his national security staff that 2011 should be the year in which the political track towards a resolution takes precedence over the military approach".

-Taking place early next month will be a meeting in Jeddah will be a meeting of the international contact group which will be hosted by the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

-"Such meetings are generally too large and unwieldy to yield concrete results, but the OIC's role this time will be widely seen as a blessing from the Islamic world for the search for a negotiated solution, important in turn for drawing in major Taliban figures." Members of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

MOST RECENTLY:




 * On Saturday, February 21, 2011, a group of several Taliban suicide bombers stormed a bank in the eastern city Jalalabad, killing up to 40 people
 * Most bombings and attacks acted out by the Taliban are car bombs, and suicide bombers.
 * The motivation behind the attacks come from the anger of the Taliban, because they want the power.
 * = At least 994 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan, and other surrounding countries as a result of Taliban attacks, since the beginning of the war in 2001. =

Mrs. Overly added: Demonstration of US Casualties

= Taliban on the Rise = = Afghanistan = Kabul = *A sign of fear that the Taliban may be gaining strength more than six years. The U.S. led forces to invade to drive the Islamist militant from power = = =
 * = Taliban is back in power =
 * = The west has sided =
 * = The Taliban are close to being in charge of government positions =
 * = If in government, they can receive aid by international organizations such as the Organization of the Islamic Conference (NOT GOOD!!) =
 * = The Islamic Conference embraces sharia laws that fights againgst terrorism involvement in government: Awe Sh$#! =
 * Are yor for the Taliban or Anti-Taliban?
 * = Taliban targeted Afganistan's intelligence services in January 2011 =
 * = 4 people were murdered and more than 30 people were injured by two individual attacks performed by the Taliban =
 * ** Also, the Taliban believe in fighting and dying for power as there has been commited bombing suicides by fellow Talibans **
 * = ARCHIEVES: The road to the Taliban's front door is told to be at Tora Bora =
 * = The Taliban's aweful attack on Kabul's five star Serena Hotel in February has worried Afghans and Westerns =
 * = The Serena Hotel is one of the city's best protected landmarks: =


 * = "Taliban is taking over again! OMG!!!!" =
 * = The Talibans has taken back control over vast rurtal areas during the past year and now has a foothold just outside Kabul =
 * = Taliban although are still on the run in many parts of Afghanistan =
 * = There is a town just in the southern providence of Helmands called Musa Qala that is where the Talibans are receiving much of its income from illegal opium trade =
 * = The Taliban's rise to power has led to much finger-pointing between supposed allies =
 * = "Its Pakistan fault the Talibans are rising for not wiping out Taliban santuaries across the border" states Afghanistan =
 * = The Afghanistan president, Hamid Karzai had blamed the British for the efforts saying that "their assistance in southern Afghanistan's lawless Helmand province had made thing worse that they are" =
 * = Issa Nooria, a principal of a girls' school in Wardak province on thre outskirts of Kabul had to close the school and send its 300 students home a year and a half ago when police could do nothing to protect them against Taliban threats =
 * = The Taliban has threartened to continue attacking foreigners in the places they go to relax, raising fears that Kabul will become another Baghdad =

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