# France24: Embedded with the Taliban (Special Report)



## Crusader74 (Sep 17, 2008)

France 24 is a French TV news Station in English.


http://www.france24.com/en/20080912-...-demonstration

Text from France24 page:

Wardak province in Afghanistan houses a road that connects the capital Kabul to the city of Kandahar. The road links the main US bases in the country, and is therefore a strategic target for Islamic militants. 
In the heart of the province, our reporters met Taliban commander Abu Tayeb, who was preparing his contingent of warriors for combat.

 The militants here are called “fedayeen,” meaning they are ready for suicidal combat, if necessary.

“All these fedayeen are heading out to fight the Holy War. Americans run away when they see them. If you ask them, they’ll put on a belt and blow themselves up,” Commander Tayeb told FRANCE 24.

Our reporters filmed a 20-minute weapons demonstration session near a hill located 100km away from the nearest US base. Judging from the jokes and camaraderie during the demonstration, it was obvious that the militants felt safe in the area. Haji Mullah, a Taliban militant, explained that this was due to the massive support of the local population.

“The population here supports the Taliban because they’re not cruel with them. They can stand up for their rights, in terms of landownership for instance. They don’t go through the government to seek justice, they go directly to the Taliban,” said Mullah. Other sources agree that the Taliban appears to be gaining support in the area.

The openness of Abu Tayeb and his men to foreign journalists might have a reason: that the group wants to make its position and its claims known. Abu Tayeb has a message for the French troops in Afghanistan, 10 of whom were killed in an ambush last month carried out by another Taliban group in the neighbouring province.

“I want to say something to the French soldiers. If they listen to the government and keep being American puppets, we will increase our attacks on them. They must change their politics,” said Tayeb. “This year and next year, we will do our best to enter Kabul and target the Americans and their allies.”

 A Taliban attack – lessons in survival

FRANCE 24’s reporters filmed the Taliban group as they conducted weapons drills in preparation for an attack on an Afghan police checkpoint. Then, after a solemn prayer, the fighters headed out for the operation. A tense and heavy silence weighed on the group as they neared the checkpoint.

Our reporters moved away as the attack began, to try to find shelter in the open plains. The attack was apparently a success for the Taliban group: no one on the Taliban side was killed or injured.

The following day, the militants accompanied our reporters to inspect the damage caused. The police checkpoint was destroyed in several places. According to the governor of Wardak province, three police officers were killed and two wounded in the operation led by Abu Tayeb’s group.


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## surgicalcric (Sep 17, 2008)

They deserve nothing less than the same fate that befell the ANP that terrible evening.

Reporters piss me the fuck off.  They protect the plans of the enemy while reporting on ours...

I would love to stomp a mudhole in their asses...and walk out dry.

Crip


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## Ranger Psych (Sep 17, 2008)

lol.. carpetbomb everything that's 100km away from US bases in that province.


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## racing_kitty (Sep 18, 2008)

I'd love nothing more than for them to be able to transcribe an accurate reporting from a FAE bomb dropped upon the tops of their heads.  Damn them to Hell for not being able to acknowledge neutral reporting from the propaganda that tries to vault their cause above ours.

If they were willing to be the pawn of the propaganda game (a necessary strategy in the game of War), then they *the media* would be more cognizant of the information that they put out in this day and age.

This just leaves me to wonder who's side are they really on.....


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