Mullen’s Inadvertent Afghanistan Admission
One more thing from Adm. Mullen’s Joint Forces Quarterly piece. There’s a brief discussion about how the Taliban optimizes the unity of communications and
Jul 31, 2020185.6K Shares2.4M Views
One more thing from Adm. Mullen’s Joint Forces Quarterly piece. There’s a brief discussion about how the Taliban optimizes the unity of communications and actions:
“„Got a governance problem? The Taliban is getting pretty effective at it. They’ve set up functional courts in some locations, assess and collect taxes, and even allow people to file formal complaints against local Talib leaders. Part of the Taliban plan to win over the people in Swat was to help the poor or displaced own land. Their utter brutality has not waned, nor has their disregard for human life. But with each such transaction, they chip away at the legitimacy of the Afghan government, saying in effect: “We can give you the stability the government cannot.”
Now, that’s something that the Obama administration and its allies often discuss as a problem to be solved. But rarely have I observed discussions about why it isthat the Taliban govern relatively effectively, compared with the Afghan government, outside of generic statements that the U.S.-led coalition hasn’t sufficiently challenged the Taliban in select areas. But can that really be the whole story? The Taliban had a reputation for incorruptibility in the 1990s that helped them come to power; and as much as the Taliban remain unpopular in opinion surveys, the incapacity and corruption on the part of the Afghan government probably reinforces that reputation.
Paolo Reyna
Reviewer
Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most.
In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
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