Winning hearts and minds with bombs

[Roger Baker]

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58791-2001Nov7.html

=09
By Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, November 8, 2001; Page A01


QUETTA, Pakistan, Nov. 7 -- Afghans who have entered Pakistan in recent=20=

days say that a month of U.S. airstrikes has failed to diminish popular=20=

support in central and southern Afghanistan for the ruling Taliban=20
militia, which they say continues to exert a firm grip over the civilian=20=

population despite a heavy loss of military equipment.

The arriving Afghans, interviewed in Quetta, near the Afghan border,=20
said sympathies toward the Taliban remain strong in part because of=20
perceptions among many Afghans that the U.S. bombing campaign has hurt=20=

civilians as well as military and terrorist targets. Those views appear=20=

to have been stoked by U.S. bombing errors, compounded by an aggressive=20=

Taliban propaganda campaign casting the conflict as an American attack=20=

on Islam.

"The Americans said they would only target Osama bin Laden's bases,"=20
said Abdul Mohammed, a shop owner who lives in the southern city of=20
Kandahar, the Taliban's stronghold. "But now they are killing ordinary=20=

Afghan people, so people think that the Afghan people are America's=20
enemy, not just the Taliban and bin Laden."

U.S. military strategists had hoped the air attacks and the resulting=20
destruction would generate public anger at the Taliban, forcing its=20
leaders to surrender bin Laden and members of his al Qaeda network. But=20=

Afghan refugees said just the opposite has occurred...

Although the Northern Alliance has been buoyed by U.S. airstrikes on=20
front-line Taliban troops north of Kabul, Mohammed said he and his=20
Pashtun brethren in central and southern Afghanistan face an=20
increasingly difficult quest in generating opposition to the Taliban --=20=

precisely because of the military assault. "The bombing has not weakened=20=

the Taliban where we are," he said. "It has made them stronger."...

"Every day we hear stories of more innocent people, more women and=20
children, getting killed by the American bombs," said Abdul Qadir, who=20=

owns a small restaurant in the town of Spin Boldak, a few miles from the=20=

Pakistani border...

U.S. officials contend the strikes have hobbled the Taliban, destroying=20=

military facilities, severing communications systems, scattering=20
fighters and disrupting government services. Earlier this week, Defense=20=

Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld proclaimed the Taliban was "not really=20
functioning as a government."...

"We thought that America was our friend because they supported us in our=20=

war against the Russians," said Mohammed, the Kandahar shopkeeper. "But=20=

now people have lost that soft corner in their hearts for Americans.=20
Their hearts are with the Taliban."

=A9 2001 The Washington Post Company

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=09

By Rajiv Chandrasekaran

Washington Post Foreign Service

Thursday, November 8, 2001; Page A01=20



QUETTA, Pakistan, Nov. 7 -- Afghans who have entered Pakistan in
recent days say that a month of U.S. airstrikes has failed to diminish
popular support in central and southern Afghanistan for the ruling
Taliban militia, which they say continues to exert a firm grip over
the civilian population despite a heavy loss of military equipment.


The arriving Afghans, interviewed in Quetta, near the Afghan border,
said sympathies toward the Taliban remain strong in part because of
perceptions among many Afghans that the U.S. bombing campaign has hurt
civilians as well as military and terrorist targets. Those views
appear to have been stoked by U.S. bombing errors, compounded by an
aggressive Taliban propaganda campaign casting the conflict as an
American attack on Islam.


"The Americans said they would only target Osama bin Laden's bases,"
said Abdul Mohammed, a shop owner who lives in the southern city of
Kandahar, the Taliban's stronghold. "But now they are killing ordinary
Afghan people, so people think that the Afghan people are America's
enemy, not just the Taliban and bin Laden."


U.S. military strategists had hoped the air attacks and the resulting
destruction would generate public anger at the Taliban, forcing its
leaders to surrender bin Laden and members of his al Qaeda network.
But Afghan refugees said just the opposite has occurred...


Although the Northern Alliance has been buoyed by U.S. airstrikes on
front-line Taliban troops north of Kabul, Mohammed said he and his
Pashtun brethren in central and southern Afghanistan face an
increasingly difficult quest in generating opposition to the Taliban
-- precisely because of the military assault. "The bombing has not
weakened the Taliban where we are," he said. "It has made them
stronger."...


"Every day we hear stories of more innocent people, more women and
children, getting killed by the American bombs," said Abdul Qadir, who
owns a small restaurant in the town of Spin Boldak, a few miles from
the Pakistani border...


U.S. officials contend the strikes have hobbled the Taliban,
destroying military facilities, severing communications systems,
scattering fighters and disrupting government services. Earlier this
week, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld proclaimed the Taliban was
"not really functioning as a government."...


"We thought that America was our friend because they supported us in
our war against the Russians," said Mohammed, the Kandahar shopkeeper.
"But now people have lost that soft corner in their hearts for
Americans. Their hearts are with the Taliban."


=A9 2001 The Washington Post Company</fontfamily>=

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