Either Taliban force is bigger than imagined — or too many innocents dying

[bigtree]

Afghans question NATO's Taliban casualty counts

'If they kill that many, the Taliban must have thousands of fighters on that front'

Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan — NATO's estimate of Taliban killed this month has created skepticism and worry in Afghanistan, with local officials saying that either the militant force has grown bigger than imagined — or too many innocent Afghans are being killed.

NATO says its forces, backed by the Afghan army, have killed more than 500 Taliban militants near Afghanistan's main southern city of Kandahar in Operation Medusa, a sweep launched Sept. 2.

"If they kill that many, the Taliban must have thousands of fighters on that front," said Mohammed Arbil, a former Northern Alliance commander. In the recent past, Taliban units have been described in terms of dozens or hundreds at most.

In the capital Kabul, there's disbelief that so many guerrillas could be killed and citizens escape unscathed. In Kandahar city, closer to the battle, there's dismay over the intensity of the fighting, and calls for peace talks.

"Who are these Taliban? They are Afghans," said Mira Jan, a displaced 42-year-old grape farmer from Panjwayi.


http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/news/ci_4349243



Bush and Learning Lessons (9-8-2006)

[OwnedByFerrets]

1. Its like the numbers of

Iraqi's killed since our invasion. The number of innocents killed by Amerika boggles the mind. We have probably killed more innocent people in Iraq than Saddam has. Are ya happy now monkeyboy? :grr:

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

2. Could not both be true?

Taliban force is bigger than imagined — AND too many innocents dying

of course, ANY Innocents dying, is too many

Peace

[bigtree]

3. "Who are these Taliban?

They are Afghans"

[havocmom]

4. And they are NOT al Qaida

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/09/13/there_is_no_war_on_terror.php

V. The Taliban is not al-Qaida.

In 2001, the Taliban and al-Qaida may have had a marriage of convenience. But, as in many marriages, it was not a happy one. Mullah Omar and the Taliban leadership were suspicious and resentful of al-Qaida, and some Taliban leaders were openly hostile to bin Laden. Today, the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan is a sad reminder that Bush bungled Afghanistan, too—but the Taliban fighters are Afghan Islamists, like the mujahideen that the CIA supported in the 1980s. They are not Arabs or foreign fighters, and they are not al-Qaida. If the Taliban pose a threat to U.S. interests, it is not a terrorist one.

edited to add:
Good thread on the lie of "the war on terror"