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.
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