Question about Kunar

[afghancoolguy]

Is Qunduz92 a girl or boy?

[Catya Sher]

^a girl.

I didn't follow this entire thread; some parts of it.
I saw something about the Pashaye language and Nuristan and reasons for
a curiosity about that area.

I want to remind any readers that last year's killing of the Christian missionaries was done by a group speaking mostly Pashaye.

This is what their Afghan translator, who was spared due to having shouted out the Kalima when the others were shot, told interviewers and debriefers after he got back to Kabul.

Quite a miserable man he was, he said, under threats from that group to not talk and not work for any foreigners in Afghanistan anymore.

Adding that in during this intermission ![/COLOR][/I][/B]

[qunduz92]

Catya janeh,

thanks so much for that story!

[qunduz92]

nearly all nuristanis and related peoples strictly oppose the war and a very significant amount are physically involved against coalition forces.

nuristan/kunar are provinces which undergo and underwent some of the heaviest fighting in afghanistan and its people are among the most resilient anti-coalition forces.

[Catya Sher]

You're welcome, sister Qunduz!
I didn't know the Nuristanis were STILL so independent - minded.
Remember they were only converted to Islam in the
1890s!
They held to their own isolated life and religion all the way til then, imagine that!

But in the Soviet war they didn't really have a reputation for resisting militarily.
Some were in the mujahideen parties, of course.
But as a scene of major activity against the Red Army, I don't believe so.

Therefore: it's all the more remarkable that the province took action this time around in repelling invaders !
It's a difficult one probably for Americans to get involved in due to lack of local dialects and supporters, from what you say.

Good to know - in the West one doesn't even hear about Nuristan.
Not in the context you mentioned anyway!!

[qunduz92]

You're welcome, sister Qunduz!
I didn't know the Nuristanis were STILL so independent - minded.
Remember they were only converted to Islam in the
1890s!
They held to their own isolated life and religion all the way til then, imagine that!

But in the Soviet war they didn't really have a reputation for resisting militarily.
Some were in the mujahideen parties, of course.
But as a scene of major activity against the Red Army, I don't believe so.

Therefore: it's all the more remarkable that the province took action this time around in repelling invaders !
It's a difficult one probably for Americans to get involved in due to lack of local dialects and supporters, from what you say.

Good to know - in the West one doesn't even hear about Nuristan.
Not in the context you mentioned anyway!!

In the case of Korengal in Kunar for example, dominated by an apparently pashai speaking people the conflict arose due to personal threats from government officials to punish them, wipe them out, etc. due to dispute regarding the timber trade conducted from their region..

[qunduz92]

I am not sure about their involvement against the Soviets so I can not comment but I know they became active against the British several times and sided with the Pakhtuns against them whereas the other ethnicities largely, if at all , didnt give a care.

[Catya Sher]

WOW. That is so illuminating to get a real story
not the sanitized version always generated by official media outlets.

So the govt was trying to get as much timber as they could without paying
an appropriate price for it ?
What are they [Kabul regime] wanting the timber for : resale at a profit, or as a building material ?
I would imagine so much new construction during this era is done in concrete now, right?
Hmm

[Catya Sher]

I met a few Nuristanis who were more in the publishing side of jihad activities than actual fighting.
I don't know if they were typical or not.

It seems, though, that the Soviets didn't do real offensives in Nuristan the way they did elsewhere.
Couldn't be the terrain as a reason, because Paktia/Paktika have mountains with trees too.

[qunduz92]

WOW. That is so illuminating to get a real story
not the sanitized version always generated by official media outlets.

So the govt was trying to get as much timber as they could without paying
an appropriate price for it ?
What are they [Kabul regime] wanting the timber for : resale at a profit, or as a building material ?
I would imagine so much new construction during this era is done in concrete now, right?
Hmm

i am not quite sure, but its most likely that they want to tax the locals, and benefit from it financially as well.

but i am not so sure if this was the entire issue seeing as how now the taliban are reaping benefits from the timber trade as well and they seem to have no problem with that.

i think its mainly an idealogical struggle to be honest.

[Catya Sher]

Yes, the anti-Soviet mujahideen also had to rely somewhat on the timber trade, though this was never really mentioned at the time.
Maybe later studies have brought this out.
I seem to remember seeing those logs strapped to camels who ferried them over the mountains to Pakistan, and unloading at the border area = though not the OFFICIAL posts, of course.

Now that my curiosity has been piqued about this topic, if you learn any more, maybe you can post.
Maybe eventually more details will show up.
I really like to attempt to understand the whole picture, complex as it is.