Tales of targeted killings mount, fueling Afghan fears of Taliban

[Chris]

Tales of targeted killings mount, fueling Afghan fears of Taliban
Rights group says Islamist insurgents have killed 9 members of Hazara minority, a Shiite group that in recent years has made major gains in education, social status
By Agencies
20 August 2021

KABUL, Afghanistan — Reports of targeted killings in areas overrun by the Taliban mounted on Friday, fueling fears that they will return Afghanistan to the repressive rule they imposed when they were last in power, even as they urged imams to push a message of unity at Friday’s prayers. Terrified that the new de facto rulers would commit such abuses and despairing for their country’s future, thousands have raced to Kabul’s airport and border crossings following the Taliban’s stunning blitz through Afghanistan. Others have taken to the streets to protest the takeover — acts of defiance that Taliban fighters have violently suppressed.

The Taliban say that they have become more moderate since they last ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s, and have pledged to restore security and forgive those who fought them in the 20 years since a United States-led invasion. Ahead of Friday prayers, leaders urged imams to use sermons to appeal for unity and urge people not to flee the country. But many Afghans are skeptical, fearing that the Taliban will erase the gains, especially for women, achieved in the past two decades. An Amnesty International report provided more evidence on Friday that undercut the Taliban’s claims they have changed.

more............ https://www.timesofisrael.com/tales-of-targeted-killings-mount-fueling-afghan-fears-of-taliban/

 

[mattfivefour]

I have been in touch with a member here on Rapture Forums who was a special forces soldier and then spent the time since leaving the military working as a security operative in Afghanistan and the Middle East up until nine or ten months ago.. I usually do not share his information so as not to put him at risk, but he is safely back home so I feel comfortable sharing a bit of what he wrote to me a couple days ago:

"Since deploying to Afghanistan in 2001 after 9/11, and then working there as a contractor for a further 15 years it's terribly sad to see what's unfolding. The Taliban as we know have not changed, I'm already receiving images and videos of their so-called justice. I agree we couldn't stay there forever, it's just hard to watch it unfold, it's a total and utter debacle."​

Other countries removed their citizens and supporters, removed or destroyed their military equipment and then began withdrawing their military forces. The Biden administration removed their military forces first, leaving all of their major equipment and a lot of weaponry behind and then began trying to remove their citizens and supporters. They could not have messed this up worse than if they had tried to do it wrong. Too bad the Chiefs of Staff and General Milley are more concerned with implementing DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) in our military and seem to have no clue about actually running a military force. What a betrayal of every serviceman and servicewoman who served in Afghanistan, many of whom came home damaged, and of every American family who lost a loved one there. If there is an international military hall of shame, this bunch should be the headline exhibit.

 

[daygo]

So sad, the entire situation.

 

[caligal]

This didn't need to happen.Even I could have done this better.