@TheTaliban

[JBeukema]

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You Can Follow the Taliban on Twitter - Global - The Atlantic Wire

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - dey know Obama means business now an' he'll chuck em inna ocean if dey don't...

Surge in Taliban giving up their arms
May 21, 2011 - THE flow of Taliban defectors has reached the point at which demand for the official Afghan reintegration program is outstripping resources available to protect them and provide them with jobs.

The number of Taliban fighters who had joined the program stood at 1740, but an additional 2000 had applied, Major-General Phil Jones, the British director of NATO's reintegration cell in Kabul, said yesterday. The combined figure represents about 15 per cent of the total 20,000-25,000 Taliban fighters estimated by NATO to be operating in Afghanistan. General Jones said the number of Taliban fighters coming forward had accelerated since the death of Osama bin Laden. "Interest among low-level Taliban has picked up in recent weeks," he said.

Speaking from Kabul by video link, General Jones said that although the reintegration program had been running for only 10 months, demand from the Taliban to rejoin society had outpaced resources. However, there was enough "to make a start". A trust fund of $US141 million ($132m) had been set up, with the US providing $US58m, Japan $US52m, Germany $US13.6m and Britain nearly $US9m. His admission was echoed by officials in Kabul. They told The Washington Post interest among Taliban fighters in quitting was at an "all-time high" but the Afghan government had been unable to provide enough safe houses, job-training courses and other services to help them. Some fighters had been told to wait before offering to lay down arms.

US military officials and diplomats said they were concerned that the shortage of training programs could undermine President Barack Obama's overall objective of matching low-level reintegration with high-level reconciliation with the top Taliban commanders. Defecting Taliban are supposed to be put into safe houses for 90 days while they undergo screening that involves iris recognition and fingerprinting, as well as checks to vouch for their "life-changing" decision. They are also supposed to be paid a monthly stipend from $US100 to $US500 and given classes in job skills and literacy.

General Jones said several hundred Taliban fighters had rejoined their communities on an "informal" basis. One of the reasons, he said, was that, psychologically, it was difficult for them to join the official program. "In Helmand province, there's still a sense that this smacks too much of surrender," General Jones said. He acknowledged that the Taliban had a "predatory reach" in places such as Helmand and neighbouring Kandahar province. However, he said there had been little evidence of "recidivism" - although three militants who had been "biometrically registered" took part in the attack on the UN building in Afghanistan last month in which seven UN workers died.

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