The Taliban's Tentacles Reach the U.S.

By: Daniel Brumberg

February 20, 2009

The Taliban: Coming to a Phone Near You?

To understand the escalating threat posed by the Taliban to Afghanistan, Pakistan and even Queens, New York, take a look at the Feb. 17 edition of the New York Times.

Story Number 1 is "Taliban Commander's Death Ends An Embarrassment for Afghanistan." In this piece, we learn that Maulavi Ghulam Dastagir—a Taliban commander who organized the November 2008 ambush of an Afghan Army convoy—was recently killed in an air attack organized by the American military.

The thing is, Dastagir had been freed after the intervention of President Hamid Karzai, apparently because "tribal elders" had "vouched" for Dastagir's "future conduct." Following the November ambush, Dastagir repaid his president's benevolence by declaring that "I am a Jihadist, I will continue my Jihad."

The story speaks for itself. While the Taliban is hardly a monolithic movement, and while many of its foot soldiers are not as ideologically committed as their superiors, the latter are very much "True Believers." Their future conduct can be predicted. Karzai is not unaware of this basic fact, and thus one wonders what he thought would be achieved in allowing Dastagir's release.

Story Number 2 is "Pakistan Makes a Taliban Truce, Creating a Haven by Imposing Islamic Law" in Swat Valley. Perhaps the regime felt it had no choice, since its 12,000 troops had been roundly defeated by some 3,000 Taliban fighters. But make no mistake about it, this concession will only further fragment the already shrinking Pakistani state.

Having failed to protect the 300 or so tribal leaders murdered by the Taliban in Swat, the Pakistani state is cutting off a leg to support the rest of a disintegrating body. If this continues, it will be like that amazing scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. "Merely a flesh wound," cries the stump of a man begging to do battle with his victorious and bemused opponent, "merely a flesh wound."

Story Number 3 is "From Pakistan Valley, Taliban Threats are Heard in New York." Here we learn that Iqbal Ali Khan, general secretary of the American chapter of the secular Awami National Party, has received threatening calls, ordering him to bring $1 million to Pakistan. He's been told that if he doesn't comply, his family will be killed. This is no idle threat. Last week, Khan received a desperate call from his brother, who along with their 97-year-old father, is "hiding in a forest" outside Swat's largest city. His voice "choking up," the younger Khan cried out in words that reminded me of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness: "Tragedy, Tragedy."

Yes indeed, a tragedy for Afghanistan, a tragedy for Pakistan, and a tragedy that has made its way to New York City, where our fellow Americans are being terrorized over the phone. Small, individualized 9/11's intrude into our lives, giving the lie to any notion that we are safe.

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