Is Mullah Omar a Taliban moderate?

I’d bet an eye on it!

lets listen in;

I cannot believe my ears!At least with President Bush,we
were safe from the Taliban,and now the new President,that
Hopey guy wants to talk to the Taliban,I simply cannot be
lieve this,it almost feels that America is turning its back
on us,

talking to the Taliban means more of us will die,the only
language the Taliban understands,are drones,hell-fires,and
J-Dams,

if Obama hopes their are ‘Moderate ‘Talibans’,he’s a fool
and we will all die,

I just can’t beleive my ears,so I’ll take my family into
hiding untill,

America comes to its sense’s,

and re-elects,a Republican President!!!!(Snark).

Four days prior to 9/11, the Ahmed Shah Massoud, the leader of the Northern Alliance, was assassinated by Bin Laden operatives either as the price paid for sanctuary from the coming storm, or a gift to his hosts, the Taliban.

Omar wrongly concluded that the death of his enemies greatest leader, Islamic resolve, and the fortress of the Hindu Kush, would keep him in power even at war with the USA. Now that things have turned out differently than it did with the Soviets for them, he wants Peace? This guy, and everyone that was complicit in 9/11, needs a dirt nap. Then we can talk peace.

H

Is Mullah Omar a Taliban moderate?

Compared to Obama?

We made deals with Islamic extremists in Iraq why can’t we do the same with the Taliban?

nice343 on March 16, 2009 at 10:25 AM

Not so much. The “Islamic extremists” to which you refer, were by and large killed, driven out of the country or underground. For example in Anbar, the tipping point was reached in large part because the Sunnis there rejected living under Sharia law. For instance, the 1920′s Brigade did cooperate with AQI up to a point, but they were and are much more a nationalist group than an Islamist one and threw in with the us when they realized what a bad deal they would get from AQI. Same thing in Diyala province. When the Sons of Iraq were formed, members had to take an oath to the country of Iraq as opposed to say, OBL.

Yes, in Iraq we did make deals with people that we had previously fought, but that’s what a counterinsurgency operation is – peeling off the “reconcilables”. Given Mullah Omar’s past, it remains to be seen whether he’s a ” reconcilable ” or not.

Seriously, as far as I knew nobody had heard word one from this guy in seven years. I kind of assumed he caught one of the 10,000 missiles we launched at Osama, or something.

Live and learn, I guess.

Ed, this is not a civil war, this is a drain on western treasure and resolve in exchange for ….nothing.

I’m not talking about average Muslims who lack religious authority. The “ulema” is the entire body of Islamic scholars: ayatollahs, mullahs, sheikhs, and muftis. Moderate Muslims have no influence on Islamic thinking as a whole. Everything in Islam is haram or halal, permitted, mandatory, or forbidden. The ulema, supported by the local imams, decides. That’s why they have “Ask the Imam”. Nobody cares what the moderate Muslim thinks, except western pollsters.

Until we get the top-down, authoritarian nature of Islam, we’re always going to try to graft our opinion dynamics on their culture. Not accurate or useful.

Notice how they’ll claim 1.whatever billion Muslims are angry about something? Islam is rigid and unchanging when they want it to be. But if you claim the same thing you’re Islamophobic.

Beagle on March 16, 2009 at 11:16 AM

You do need to understand one thing. There are Muslim moderates. I have met and befriended Afghans and Iraqis who as much said the Islamic world will be better when they recognize the faith of the Christians and the Jews. And Jews.

Did you know that 3 percent of the Iraqi population was Christian at one time and is building again as they move back?

Beagle on March 16, 2009 at 11:16 AM

Eye’m slipping Beagle. It wasn’t even sarcasm. It was eye puns. Don’t you see?

I wasn’t serious. I know he’s not a moderate. As a matter of fact, he and I don’t see eye to eye on anything.

hawkdriver on March 16, 2009 at 10:50 AM

I was hoping for sarcasm, but it’s hard to read on screen.

But there is a point to be made that their strength is from a lack of diversity. Anyone who deviates significantly towards modern enlightenment views is shut down immediately. The Afghan government (courts) we support just upheld a twenty year conviction for blasphemy. But it’s too gentle for Mullah Omar.

Islamic thought ends with Muhammed’s life, what he said, and the Quran (which is of course what Muhammed said as much as the canonical ahadith). Innovation or bida is viewed as a major transgression, up there with shirk or fitna. Ijtihad (you can’t spell it without jihad) or reinterpretation, ended a thousand years ago, Irshad Manji notwithstanding.

Killing anyone who disagrees from orthodoxy does not create a curious, intellectually healthy, and productive society, but it does make for a tough culture which hangs around, producing warriors willing to die in droves. That’s Islam.

Gosh, I hope bambi knows to negotiate from a position of strength. does hillary know this?

kelley in virginia on March 16, 2009 at 10:45 AM

You mean like telling Russia we WON’T build a missile shield up front b4 they even give US anything if they help us w/Iran? That kind of muscle-flexing?

Thanks friend of America!