Taliban Manual Says Mulla Omar Rules

Mulla Omar has released a pocket book outlining the rules of conduct for Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The unimaginatively titled manual "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Rules for Mujahideen" can be seen as an attempt to reign in rougue criminal bands acting in the Taliban's name, and restore central control in the hands of Mulla Omar. It strictly forbids the exchange of hostages for money and says a regional religious authority should always decide the fate of individual captives.
The Manual condemns excessive suicide attacks, saying it should be reserved for "High value targets", and urges fighters to make sure civilians are not hurt in operations. The part about civilians is almost identical to US General McChrystal's announcements about the necessity to win the hearts of the afghan population.
Interestingly the manual also stresses regulating fighters under one command. It says that when mujahedin fighters meet or hear of fighters that don't answer to any of Mulla Omar's religious representatives, they should be made to submit to the chain of command or be disarmed.
This may be the beginning of new infighting, turning Mulla Omar controlled Taliban against criminal bands previously operating under the Taliban umbrella. But it might be premature to suppose, like al Jazeera, that this would make the Taliban weaker, as poor afghans join the ranks of the groups that pay the best, ie. those financed with kidnapping and drugs.
After all, the Taliban's first violent actions were as a vigilante group metering out on the spot justice for roving bands of fighters committing rape, robbery and theft in the nineties. A return to crimefighting and a strong central command might actually benefit the Taliban's image as they try to woe political figures and ordinary people scared of the random criminal acts of both the unreliable afghan police and the Taliban.

Mogadishu's Last Stand

Mansur the American


Street fighting in Mogadishu


Today ends the ultimatum given by the southern somali Mujahedin Youth movement, al Shabab, issued to the transitional government in Mogadishu. They have (through the means of a cassette tape delivered to the government) called for the government to lay down their arms and give up the capital or face being driven out by force.
The government refuses and relies on fresh weapons from the US funneled via Ugandan AU troops. The street battles are only hardening by the day. But there are also signs that the tension in the capital is becoming too great, with not only ordinary civilians among the over 200.000 refugees, but parliament members seeking refuge in autonomous Somaliland, which is generally unfriendly to the TFG.
At the same time comes a salafist recorded tape response to president Obamas trip to Africa tomorrow. In the tape the young, slim man known as Mansur the American engages in bombastic language. According to the FBI Mansur was born in the US and speaks perfectly good english, but has lived for a long time in Somalia and speaks arabic with an american accent. He commands a group of other salafist international tourist fighters for the Youth.
He now lashes out against the US, President Obama, moderate clerics, the somali President and transitional government, and makes a request of biblical proportions: he demands in a lengthy argument that the entire muslim population in the US must emigrate to a muslim country or burn in hell.
But few somalis are convinced of Mansur and his friends' hardline interpretation of Islam. They may go far with their guns, but if they really manage to capture Mogadishu the Youth movement may well find that their reign only lasts as long as the fear they can create with their weapons. They will only be more hated for every beheading they make, and there will be outrage, and there will be resistance.