Meeting with a police who claimed to have fought at the forefront with militants told me an interesting story. He said that during training, they are told to avoid killing militants, instead do their best to arrest them alive. Because militants were also Afghans, their brothers who on various accounts were forced to hold arm and fight against the government, so dude, no reason to kill them.
This story turns more than a year old, but poked to my mind tonight (Jan. 05), when I read that a Taliban local commander was arrested by joint Afghan-NATO forces in Ghazni province. The commander was said to have had hands in different terroristic activities, including slaughtering three civilians on the highway between Kabul and Ghazni.
Definitely, such reports are not new. Every now and then, local news agencies write in bold letters that this and that commander was arrested, wounded, killed, and recently, “released”. Murder and killings of an individual or few have become so normal and people usually turn deaf ear. The issue which sends fear down to the spine is elapsing back to what they previously experienced during pre-2001.
People cannot easily ignore such reports and one of those reports is the policy of government towards militants. The worrying as well as the problematic issue is that those security forces are appreciated who indeed do not mess up with militants. They are told to take all necessary steps not to harm militants unless for defending themselves. Certainly, those who bravely fight and eliminate militants, who do not accept the government and struggle to counter militants, are discouraged because they killed their dissent brothers or fellow Afghans.
On other hand, Taliban and its al-Qaeda ally members are trained in a way that killing a member of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) would certainly pave their way towards promised Paradise in Holy Quran. They will be entitled to a distinct position in Paradise. Those who are trained for suicide bombings receive a key from their leaders by which, they are told, will directly open the door of paradise without interrogations. Some clips released on Webs clearly show devotees of Al-Qaeda, Taliban and other terroristic organization trained.
In one of those clips, a possible suicide bomber puts the question if he commits suicide bombing, along with foreign nationals, many Muslims will also die? Their religious trainer responds, “Do not worry; do not you want to take some Muslims with yourselves to paradise?
They will also go with you to paradise”. In other words, no matter how many innocent Muslims will be killed as a result of the likely suicide attacks, they will also go directly towards paradise. In such case, the bomber will not only commit sin by killing innocent people, instead receives reward from Allah Almighty for his deeds.
Now compare the above last two situations. On One hand, there are Afghan security forces who are discouraged to fight and kill their enemies. Commanded, they should take all necessary steps to avoid ‘murdering’ militants, because militants are their Afghan fellows and dissent brothers.
On the other hand are militants who deem fighting with ANSF as Jihad in which on either case they will be the ultimate winners as they believe that if they got killed, they would earn the position of martyrdom which guarantees them going to paradise and if they kill, again Allah Almighty would give them the reward for accomplishing their religious obligations!
Based on some reports, many Afghan soldiers are not really sure whether fighting militants is aligned to Shariah or not?
On occasions, they have put this question with religious scholars, “Wouldn’t Allah almighty punish them if they kill or get killed fighting insurgency?” In another words, they fear punishment in the resurrection day about going into war against militants.
So, on the basis of this calculation, those who believe that fighting insurgents is the right thing and Allah will reward them for defending their country and protecting people, I cannot say with certainty, but seems too less. In addition, government policies and approach fuels further such obsessions and detachments.
As mentioned, ANSF only are encouraged to shoot if they come under certain death threat. Consider, if they take necessary steps to avoid killing militants, so, they have to try to arrest them because it is the only way to weaken the frontline of enemies.
Presently, they are psychologically discouraged to do so as it is clear that detainees will be released without persecution. As hundreds of Bagram prisoners who were arrested by NATO forces and deemed highly dangerous, were released and many more are on the line to be released within coming days. Moreover, Kabul is deeply engaged in diplomatic bargaining with Islamabad to release Taliban leaders who fled after US-led military intervention.
Now consider, there are soldiers out there who put their very life on the line and capture militants who have possibly killed tens of civilians and soldiers, but merely on the account to show armed
opposition who constantly reject to negotiate seriousness, release them without any assurance they wouldn’t rejoin and once again slaughter people and ANSF. Will anyone embark to such an act while he is certain all his devotion remains unrecognized and efforts go waste?
Along with Security Forces, such policies and approach have detrimental effect on civilians too. Total number of ANSF is about to reach 350,000 and many nations have announced their full commitment in not allowing the country to once again turn to headquarter of international terrorism, again all layers of people, taken from entrepreneur, to business guys, government cheapjack, to intellectuals and to common people.
Millions of dollars have been transferred out of the country; Students who go for higher education, part of them never return; numbers of diplomats after completion of their mission avoid to return and etc.
These are signs of widespread concern about possible breakout of insecurity and instability. Why? Cannot 350,000 stand against maximum 35,000 militants who other than secretive support of regional organizations have no one? The answer lies in problem explained above.