Afghanistan - Taliban Behind the Masks

[Levanaye Zalmaye]

Levane Musafira gave me this link more than two weeks ago. It has a 9 minute report about the same video, I believe.

[شمله ور خراساني]

[Catya Sher]

Good, I'm glad I didn't waste time with all that downloading file stuff.
THANKS!

Very well done video: it has drama, adventure, magnanimity - I loved how Davran forgave the traitor, very exemplary behavior, and how he narrated the story, very realistic - and tragedy.

One wonders why, if this band had been attacking from the same area for some time, did US special forces go after them RIGHT when the Norweigian journalist was there and soon afterwards too?

Some of us from journalism backgrounds also may become curious why this guy was allowed to film their mountain hideout. I guess it's because as a Norweigian, he is perceived as more objective or neutral politically in this war. Norway may not have troops there, too, though I don't know.

I'm not surprised that the Omar shown in the picture right before the announcement that the journalist was being held turned out to be not so nice. He DID look shifty.
Not just journalists, but everyone, must depend only on a spiritual instinct. It never works to make decisions based on logic and practicality, such as : "Oh I can get a good story if I just take this little risk...."

TV watching impedes the development of a reliable sixth sense....he he !

It IS really tragic about those children. Maybe Westerners watching will do soul-searching to ask really why the war, purportedly to fend off the Taliban, has any basis in reality.

Curious if Dawran was a commander whose name was generally known previous to the documentary? Now he will be famous!

[Nick]

How Sad, and heart breaking.
I feel for his children, his young boy and his beautiful young daughter. She was like red rose.
May these innocent rest in Peace and may Allah accepts Darwan's Sacrifices.

[Catya Sher]

Well that seems to be a great upshot of the film.

Few outside the region would ever have any idea of the forgiveness side of the equation.
The Badal side is the only one that gets widely circulated in the West.

I thought the whole film put a much more human face on the resistance - in every respect. It was very effective.

Paul R. should be returned over there to make some further documentaries on various groups, so more truth can get out.

Notice this was aired in Australia apparently.
But will it appear even on PBS here in the U.S.? I imagine not likely.

[Catya Sher]

OF COURSE, PBS must be! I don't watch them, so I completely forgot that side. It's why I don't watch them, I'm sure!

That 2006 Frontline program on the Taliban, including coverage of Jelaluddin, was so propagandistic that this explains it!

The interviewer's eyes still send chills down my spine....

[Gulalai]

Khyberkhan it says the video wont work in USA :/

[IamDZJ]

i was raised to believe that all political leaders are selfish and greedy. they are not to be trusted with anything they say. whatever they claim to be representing is best to be seen as trash.
in your spare time you may question them and their movements but only after you understand the above. for a human being with an educated mind there is nothing as worst at being used like an object that is exactly what they do to their advocates.

[Mayana]

Have you ever met Taliban commanders Catya Sher? They are humble Pashtuns that just want to see Afghanistan free from infidels.

Humble?
Infidelity?

I was a 10 year old girl when I went to Afghanistan during the Taliban regime. It was my dad, the taxi driver and me in the taxi. They wouldn't let me drive in the same taxi as my dad, they said that I have to travel in a separate taxi, away from my father. So much for Pashtunwali au Ghairat.

Na ye chandani da Pashtunwali Khoand sta, na chandani humble di au na chandani da Afghanistan pa Qissa ki di.

[Mayana]

There was insecurity but honestly compared to this current govt, as a hindu I miss them.

Our land has now been stolen and no one wants to help.

Zma sa gunah da?

Well I'm not really in favor of the current situation either. But never do I want to see my country under the rule of Taliban again. Ever.

I know it's a very powerful statement for a Hindu to make to wish for the Taliban back. But it's not like our land is going to keep it's beauty under a Taliban regime either, I mean we all remember what they did in Bamiyaan.

Sta kho hits Gunaah nada wrora, magar da Afghanistan Khait pa Talibano ki naday, we have to realize that.

[Mayana]

Yes, for two months.. Does that count?

[Mayana]

No that does not count. I lived there my whole life. This is the problem. Western Afghans passing judgements about our lives.

How am I passing a judgment, wrora?

I have not even begun judging yet, I was merely sharing my experiences, what I saw with my own eyes, what I experienced there in person. Notice how I don't even tell those stories, "People say that Taliban did...." "My uncle's neighbor's gardener's dog's friend's owner's mother-in-law said....", "I heard that.....".
I'm not even going there, what I shared was a personal experience I made under the Taliban regime and that experience would not have been any different had I lived there 20 years, 2 months or 2 days.

[Mayana]

It was at a checkpoint right outside Kandahar.. I just remember loong lanes of cars and a few Taliban checking the cars entering Kandahar..

Khair di wee.

[Mayana]

I agree with you, oosanai Halat bekhi bad day.

Magar Khoday di daghasi wraz narawali chi mujh bayad da oosani Halato au da taliban pa mainz ki 'chose' wako. Tora au speena Duniya naday, par Mabaniz ki ba hatman yao Laar wee chi na da Talibano ghoondi "extremist" wee au na da oosani government ghoondi reshwatkhor wee.

[Mayana]

Bekhey sahey khabara da. za na wayam che moz bayad da terrorist sara las warko magar moz bayad agree so ch bazey shaan da Taliban der sha wa oh zmoz pa ghatta wa.

Khabara ba pa de ki wee, grana wrora, chi Gatta mu deera wa ka Tawaan.. =/