is anyone considering this is a changed world? we don't have any choice other than learning to live with each other.the western people learned the hard way by two world wars. when we are going to learn?

In an apocalyptic religious cult criminality has no separate existence as all means of warfare are justifiable in the eyes of fanatics.

A “conditional amnesty” follows the rudiments of defeat of the Taliban in the field of battle and cannot be a precursor of that defeat “that should be traded with the Taliban promise to re-group as a non-violent, unarmed political party in Afghanistan”. This follows the logic of the Irish experience, as Dr. Ettefagh points out, with the realization “of Irish militants that they could not win and had to settle for a deal”.

Hence, “a changing Taliban front” must not be based on the misunderstanding that NATO and the Americans should start negotiating with the Taliban before the ”umbilical cord” of the latter is cut from Pakistan. And this cut can only be accomplished by the incursion of NATO and American troops of Pakistan’s borders and the destruction of Taliban and al Qaeda sanctuaries and supplies.

Mr.TT-- It is not probably,but sure I am an Afghan and wonder how I am out of touch with all the afghan and allied forces are here roaming.I think you are not aware that these Talibans are not the product of Afghanistan but,imported after the brain washing in Pakistani religion madrasas by the bounty hunters.It is your problem that you do not remember any progress in Amanulla Khan, Nadir Khan and Zahir Shah era when Afghanistan was the region's only state with self-reliance in food product and the roads streched to each and every location within the state,and this fact was very obvious to everyone whether you accept it or deny.The present situation of Afghanistan is created by the Iranians and Pakistanis which are not in favour of a stable and secure Afghanistan as the Afghans are the braved and liberal minded people of the region and are now targetted as avenge by the Persian and Indian origin of Pakistanis for the invasion and occupation of Iran and India by MAHMOUD GHAZNAVI and MAHMOUD AFGHAN of AFGHANISTAN. Presenting you my best regards Mr.TT,You can find my location from every web sites or news sites and I will be so eager to provide you of my address, as 16 Wazir Akbar khan RN 12 KABUL, AFGHANISTAN.

Well, looks like Dr. Ettefagh knows a lot about Pakistani influence in Afghanistan. The article below from The New York Times covers the topic, worth reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/world/asia/26afghan.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

DR. KAHOOR--

You are probably an Afghan and definitely out of touch. For the last 30 years, Afghanistan has been one giant disaster zone. Your biggest achievement is that you set up a war against the soviets, just to ruin your country. There has not been a road built in your country for as long as one remembers.

Afghanistan as a liberal country? The same one that its own people (The Taliban) refused to let females go to school? The one that destroyed the Buddhas in Bamyan? The counry that exports construction workers to the Persian Gulf region and Iran and drugs to the rest of the world?

Come on....try another joke! Even during the Great Game of 19th century land grab of the Russian and British empires, neither wanted Afghanistan......

The pseudo Afghan nationalism in comments below is laughable, as if they had a modern, prosperous and democratic nation that is now ruined.

Wake up....in all of history, Afghanistan has remained the backward danger zone that it is today. Moverover, personal attacks on the writer and the "Shiite, emeny of Sunni" in comment below exposes the absurd intolerant mindset of Afghans.

I am a neutral reader from Argentina, but I read in UNHCR reports that Iran hosts more than 2 million Afghan refugees, who have escaped the mess.

Mr.Rooster,I think you should study the history of Afghanistan before forwarding any comments for that, as Afghanistan is/was not a danger point to any of its neighboring states. Afghanistan is a liberal and afghans are broad minded people,when you read of General Nadir Khan,Yahquoob Khan and King Zahir Shah but,unfortunately,the sources which have been behind the conspiracy against the liberal Afghanistan are generated and generating from the fundamentalism of Tehran and the Bounty hunters of Islamabad.The two million refugees which Iran is hosting belongs to the shiite faith of which the Clerics in Tehran have the vague plans to use them as the hundreds thousand of Lebaness Shiite in Iran which are serving in Tehran's army and police by the name of" MERSAD" which does mean in english as" TARGET HUNTERS". If the Iranians had such kind of Generosity for the non-Persians,they would have been feeding their own citizens which are suffering from the starvation with the per capita of each not exceeding more than two dollars daily and the scope of illiteracy to 95% per cent.

Mr.Ali's point of view is based on ethnic rather than facts as,he belongs to shiite faith and regards the Sunnis as the criminals,and his knowledge about Taliban,Afghanistan and the insurgency is not more than 01%per cent. Those he call them as a groupe of criminals are the ones who defeated the Sovie Union and now subjecting the allied forces at the corners of the vaste battle fields in Afghanistan.Although I am not a Taliban lover but,the facts shoud be revealed as your blame of them for poppy smugglars are totally baseless for they were the Talibans era when all the poppy fields in that country had been destroyed and cultivation of poppy had been declared a punishable subject.The war in Afghanistan is based on nationalism and the Pakistani participation in this struggle is very obvious,that Islamabad's intention is to prolong this American and allied war till the total annihilation of the Pushtoon nation as the Pushtoons of Pakistan are striving to join the Mother land of Afghanistan

I'm afraid that seeing Afghans from Iran's point of view is inherently flawed. When the western world lead by US, UK trying to impose their will on West Asia, started from Afghanistan, then Iraq and now threatening Iran on the a false flag operation (9/11, when 3000 of their own citizens were killed) is doomed.

No amount of money, promises and socalled aid etc can buy the will and determination of a true heroic nation.

You wrote "They started as a group of extremists with intolerant and violent practice of Sunni Wahhabism, which eventually served as a cover for criminal deeds" - May I asked under NATO or under the Taliban the drug trade is more prosperous ? That's just for a start.

Hey Afgun, I thought the majority of "Taliban footsoldiers" were Pakistani. So... how does this fit with your interpretation?

You are correct.
Also you have to remember that the U.S. president is living in dreams of post WWII and he has no mind for thinking about solutions other than aimless fights.

This Ali guy doesn't understand more than two or three things about Afghanistan, and he must be trippin if he thinks the insurgency in Afghanistan is NOT a nationalist one.
The fact of the matter is that the insurgency has been becoming more and more about the national pride of Afg every year since the war was launched there. Today, it's almost completely a battle for a free and independent Holy Afghanistan. All you gotta do is research some of the recent interviews of ordinary "Taliban" foot soldiers and commanders, and you'll see what it's all about.

It is GUARANTEED that many people will jump up and down for many years, but it will ultimately be the AFGHANS to take down and defeat US/NATO. Just watch!!!!

Dr. Ettefagh,

Well written article. Concerning the Taliban's origin however, it has always been understood by this commenter that the movement was started in the south of Afghanistan (albeit, with a great deal of help from Pakistan), not in the north of Pakistan. Perhaps you could elaborate on the group's beginnings in another article in order to shed more light on this.

John

Afghanistan, is unfortunatly caught in a quandry. They rely on drug production for their national income (GDP), which is what the Taliban buy to fund their life style.
If the drugs were to be removed from the equation, they wouldn't have a reason to fight.
The "West" has the same problem on a smaller scale, but just as deadly. Their cities, towns, and villages, become infested by drug dealers, but are destroyed quickly.
If Afghanistan wants to be a free and independent country, it will have to depend on it's own people to
stop the drug trade.