The Taliban are an Islamic nationalist and militarist group who desire to establish power in Afghanistan as well as in Pakistan by overthrowing the current governments. Their goals seem to be to run both Pakistan and Afghanistan under Islamic law with Taliban in Afghanistan being particularly radically in their interpretation and enforcement of Islam. There also seems to be a strong desire to get rid of all foreign intervention, which comes as no surprise considering the colonial history.
The podcast illuminated the functioning of the Taliban in Pakistan. For one they are accepted and tolerated by Pakistani army and people for the sake of security. The Taliban have also set up functional mini-state in Pakistan contrary to what might be assumed. They have created paved roads within their mini-state, along with schools, thriving markets and healthcare facilities. The Haqqanis are a military group operating in Pakistan but part of the bigger Taliban operating in Afghanistan. Guantanamo Bay, where the America military keeps prisoners in relation to war crimes is a genuinely resented and feared by the Taliban. This is obvious in the number of times Bergdahl brings it up in accounts of when he was being tortured by the Taliban. Cultural details families operated in the keeping of kidnapped people and was very intense process
The cultural details unravelled in this podcast all seem to be linked to religious interpretation. Taliban forces have an ideology that is very radical, with an interpretation of the Islam which creates an othering of people that makes them unredeemable and thus having little human value. Both Bergdahl and David faced ill-treatment because they were Americans and non- believers. In David’s account, he was seen as too impure so he was not allowed to wash their dishes or eat near them. This, however, is contrasted by a tale of an older man David encountered who told the younger Taliban men to treat David humanely. The podcast mentions how hated Afghans were who were living under the Afghan and Pakistan government. Any people from the region who did not associate with the Taliban are resented. They were seen as traitors and were said to be even more than despised than Americans. This shows how religious interpretation is at the heart of the conflict of the Taliban’s relations to not only foreigners but also nationals within the region.
This podcast made me think about the history of the War on Terror and the forces that are often ignored but that allow groups like the Taliban to keep their foothold in the region. According to the podcast the Haqqanis had millions of dollars worth of weapons originally given by America to fight Russian forces in Afghanistan. This then makes America at least partially responsible for the Taliban’s emergence in the region and raises the question of just how effective their intervention is in the region considering this history. The Haqqanis are able to operate freely in Pakistan freely and even have their headquarters there because Pakistan allows it. This contradicts my previous understanding of Afghanistan’s infiltration of Pakistan. The Haqqanis are useful in keeping Afghanistan’s turmoil manageable and preventing India from getting a foothold in South Asia. These internal fears are legitimate to Pakistani people and allow for a continued strong Taliban presence in the region. There seems to be a big desire for vengeance against American intervention in Afghanistan and the torture of Afghan men in Guantanamo Bay. The operations of Guantanamo Bay is brought into question in regards to the lack of trail and torture faced by prisoners once in the facilities. This podcast made me think more about the complexity of the Taliban and just how much goes unsaid in news.
