Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Report: Talks between U.S. and Taliban falter as Taliban refuses cease-fire

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One bit of good news in this is that the U.S. actually demanded substantive action from the Taliban and not just words, as prior reports implied. An update on this story. “US, Taliban talks on prisoner swap falter,” by Mustaf Yusufzai for NBC News January 29: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Talks between the Afghan Taliban and […]

Boldly going forward to the 7th century: Pakistani Taliban group torches TV sets, mobile phones

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Time travel: You’re doing it wrong. “Taliban militants torch TV sets, mobile phones,” from the Press Trust of India, January 14 (thanks to The Religion of Peace): Islamabad: The Pakistani Taliban confiscated computers, television sets and mobile phones from residents of the largest town of the restive South Waziristan tribal region and set them on […]

Child suicide bombers: “They told us the bombs would not kill us, only the Americans would die and you can come back to us”

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The intrepid mujahedin, showing how manly they are by outsourcing suicide bombings to children. “Afghan boy suicide bombers tell how they are brainwashed into believing they will survive,” by Ben Farmer for the Telegraph, January 13: The mission was as simple as touching two wires together, the little boy was promised. The resulting blast would […]

Afghan Taliban says peace talks ‘don’t signal end to Jihad’

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The only ones who might be surprised by this are in Washington, and they won’t listen anyway. “Afghan Taliban says peace talks ‘don’t signal end to Jihad,’” from ANI, January 12 (thanks to Twostellas): Islamabad, Jan 12 : Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgents have said that their support for peace talks does not mean a surrender from […]

Taliban wants U.S. to release prisoners to Qatar; Karzai wants them in Afghanistan

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The Taliban wants them sent to Qatar so they are not detained in Afghanistan. Of course, they’ll all just take up shuffleboard wherever they’re released. No security issues there. The U.S. has “agreed in principle” to release high-ranking Taliban prisoners from Guantánamo Bay in what has appeared so far to be an exchange of concrete […]

U.S. “agrees in principle” to release top Taliban prisoners, possibly to third country

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Earlier reports suggested they would be transferred to Afghan custody. This report also speculates about a possible prisoner exchange for the abducted U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl, but notes there is no clear indication that this arrangement is under discussion. Instead, “the releases would be to reciprocate for Tuesday’s announcement from the Taliban that they are […]

What could go wrong? Taliban strikes deal to open “political office” in Qatar

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The U.S. agreed to the idea earlier last year. The third-country presence carries the risk of giving the Taliban an undeserved veneer of legitimacy, giving it the opportunity to buy time on the battlefield by going through the motions, and engage in blackmail over quitting negotiations. It also threatens the evolution of a Hizballah-like Taliban […]

U.S. considers handing over prominent, “high-risk” Taliban member in “confidence building” measure for peace negotiations

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The earlier report we posted on “confidence building measures” noted that the U.S. “has asked representatives of the Taliban to match that confidence-building measure with some of their own. Those could include a denunciation of international terrorism and a public willingness to enter formal political talks with the government headed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.” […]

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