
Once in Guantánamo, Afghan Now Leads War Against Taliban and ISIS - pma
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/28/world/asia/once-inguantanamo-afghan-now-leads-war-against-taliban-and-isis.html
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joe_the_user
_More slowly, he recounted the long list of relatives he lost over these
decades of calamity, from a brother who died in the war against the Soviets in
the 1980s to his 70-year-old brother-in-law, who was beheaded this month. The
Taliban killed more than 19 relatives in all._

Indeed, it seems very likely that on the other side there are numerous
individuals who have suffered similar losses and fight for similar reasons.
And moreover, it seems likely that both sides will continue to inflict further
deaths that will continue the process. And here, the idea that the tactic of
using drone strike to kill Taliban leaders and "incidentally" many bystanders,
could help put an end to the situation seems both absurd and grotesque.

Moreover, for as long as the war on drugs and geopolitical maneuvers pumps
significant funds into underdeveloped, lawless areas, conflicts in those areas
seem fated to continue in their present fashion - you'll always have machine
guns and people with considerable motive to use them against people in the
next village. The brutal views of ISIS and similar groups just seems a logical
generalization of such a situation.

I guess it's not common knowledge that the ruling Shia-dominated government
operated death-squads on a large scale in Iraq, targeting Sunni-ethnicity
tribe people group now supporting ISIS/ISIL/daesh/etc.

"Not only counter-insurgency units such as the Wolf Brigade, the Scorpions and
the Tigers, but the commandos and even the highway patrol police have been
accused of acting as death squads."[1]

One more instance of after X many family members members have been killed, how
much effort do you think someone is going to take to get revenge? And how many
family members of someone else will they kill in that process?

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badr_Organization](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badr_Organization)

~~~
andreyf
There is an interesting reframing of "us versus them" here [1]:

 _It 's the side of tribalism -- the primitive instinct that says your "group"
has to win at all costs, and I honestly don't care how you define your group
(race, religion, country, way of life) because ultimately I think there are
the only two sides:

A. Those who think their tribe has to dominate Earth; B. Those who think
tribes can coexist._

It's especially interesting to see that even when offered revenge on the
people who took the life of his family immediately, Hajji chose the longer and
more abstract fight against the entire organization whose flag he believes
they were operating under.

1\. [http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-ways-to-keep-terrorists-
from-r...](http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-ways-to-keep-terrorists-from-ruining-
world/)

~~~
mikeash
I find it ironic hat the author is dividing all of humanity into two tribes (A
and B) and then stating that they cannot coexist.

~~~
nickbauman
Except that A by definition has a mandate of non-coexistence.

~~~
mikeash
I'm sure plenty of "it's us or them" people justify it on the basis that the
other group thinks "it's us or them."

In any case, I'm not criticizing the author. This sort of thing is a
fundamental paradox of tolerance. It's hard to tolerate those who would not
tolerate you.

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pvaldes
I hope that this is not another textbook case of abused gets abuser, and
"fiercely effective fighter". To put traumatized people at charge, is a good
new for the innocent civilians trapped in the villages currently controlled by
terrorists?. I doubt so.

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yourepowerless
How sweet, wonderful propaganda, mean while other innocents at Guantanamo
experience the joys of anal rehydration and the Kafka esque life of indefinite
imprisonment without trial.

But yeah, I'm glad the NY times can share such heart warming news.

~~~
icebraining
Well, to me, "the US government is keeping innocents in Guantanamo that could
be fighting the Taliban and ISIS" doesn't sound like pro-government
propaganda.

~~~
brbsix
It is a much better story than: Former prison camp detainees join ISIS with
renewed vigor (certainly the most likely scenario)

~~~
jacquesm
And unfortunately with a much better reason.

