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Afghanistan
Pashtuns huffy over arrival of Tadjik reinforcements
2002-03-10
  • As the offensive ground on, with coalition forces conducting supply, search and attack missions through the snow, a new feud between America's Afghan allies emerged and threatened to explode into violence. The trouble began when the interim administration of Hamid Karzai dispatched convoys of new Afghan fighters into the battle area. The troops were ethnic Tajiks from the north, however, and their presence exacerbated ethnic tensions in the largely Pashtun area around Gardez. Many Pashtuns see the Tajiks as interlopers on their land, and widely suspect that Tajiks in the Defense Ministry simply want to use the offensive to move their fighters into Paktia. "We don't need them," front-line commander Abdul Matin Hasankhiel said. "We can fight the al-Qaida ourselves. I don't know why they came. It's between them and the Defense Ministry."

    "We propose to Mr. Hamid Karzai to instruct the new coming troops to go back to their places of origin," local Commander Mohammad Ismail told a news conference. "I can assure you we obey and support the interim administration. The point is if the issue of Shahi Kot is resolved, (Northern Commander) Gul Haider's troops might claim it, which is what we oppose. We take this opportunity that the issue of Paktia be purely left to the people of Paktia."
    Now, I ain't sayin' we should pack it up and go home, but these hemorrhoids lend new meaning to the word "ally." If they'd been doing the best of all possible jobs in controlling the International Thug Brigades, and just needed a little help for the US and allies to put them over the top, they might have a point. But they weren't, so they don't. They're no friends of Karzai, nor of the US.
    The cunning verbal evasion of the local Commander Mohammed Ismail can be better understood if one substitutes "Taliban" for "Paktia".
    Posted by Anonymous 3/10/2002 2:43:03 PM
    • Posted by:Fred Pruitt

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