Just Answer the Question!
The 21st century’s quisling, or perhaps we should call him "Helmand David? David Loyn allegedly of BBC reports on his experience as an embed with the Taleban. "BBC NEWS | Have Your Say | David Loyn answers your questions on the Taleban.
This guy has gone Patty Hearst on the news industry and nobody at BBC has noticed! His non-answer to the first (key) question should be a clear indicator to all readers where his loytalties lie:
Q: In the UK, the Taleban are depicted as a harsh oppressive regime which ruled by fear. You associate closely with them. What are your feelings about them? Raymond Mcalpine, Gravesend, UK
I am not sure about the word ‘associate’, which seems to imply approval, but if it means that I have spent a fair amount of time with them, then yes that is true, both in the late 90s and since. As far as their regime was concerned, it is worth remembering that it was popular in many parts of the country - particularly the Pashtun rural areas in the south, although deeply resented in the north, the west and urban areas everywhere. It was popular because it was seen as not corrupt, and brought law and order so it was possible for Afghans to travel safely around the country in ways that have not been possible before or since. Their new leadership do admit that some mistakes were made in terms of the harshness of their rule, but they have not changed their profoundly conservative religious austerity, nor their desire to impose severe restrictions on women.
This puff piece makes these guys sound like the party that lost the election. "Their new leadership do admit that some mistakes were made in terms of the harshness of their rule,…" doesn’t quite present the case very accurately. Some mistakes - perhaps like those of killing large numbers of people, oppressing the women and children of the country into a servitude that would equate to slavery under any other regime, religious intolerance (not the destruction of the buddhas, the stoning or murder of Christians!). But at least they made sure the trains ran on time - oh, wait, they don’t want Crusader things in their country.
(h/t Dr. Sanity)
