Taliban realities

Further to this post, it's odd these stories about the Talibs are so "fair and balanced" when compared to stories about what the international forces are doing:

1) Attackers gouge out Afghan man's eyes (h/t to Celestial Junk)

Armed assailants attacked a man and gouged out his eyes in front of his family during a gruesome assault in southern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday...

...Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi denied that Taliban fighters were involved.

"Whenever we carry out an attack we claim responsibility," Ahmadi said. "We didn't gouge out this man's eyes."

Ghulam, whose head is almost completely wrapped in a large white bandage, said his attackers were wearing black turbans on their head like many Taliban fighters, but said he didn't know who carried out the attack.

Taliban militants sometimes carry out harsh punishments for people they accuse of being thieves or "spies" for the Afghan government. Such punishments include having hands cut off or being tarred and paraded publicly, but there have been few recent reports of people having their eyes gouged out [emphasis added].

2) Parallel Taliban administration finds some favour among Afghans

...
The three farmers, interviewed this weekend by a Canwest News Service translator, painted a rare and fascinating picture of life under the unofficial Taliban administrations. And while they voiced dismay at the continuing conflict and some of the insurgents' policies, they say not everyone is displeased with the situation...

Their accounts raise difficult questions about the progress being made by Canadian troops in almost three years of hard fighting and reconstruction efforts in the province...

The men spoke of deep frustration at having to choose between insurgents they say are often too harsh, government officials who are crooked and ineffective and NATO forces who bring them little more than warfare.

"If the Taliban knew that I am giving information to you, they would skin me alive, but my heart and mind are full of words," said another Maiwand resident...

The same man said education is simply not an option in areas controlled by the insurgents. "They are burning the schools, killing the teachers and the students," he said...

Yousuf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, confirmed the insurgents have set up such shadow administrations and that it has barred any kind of non-religious teaching in areas under its sway, but blamed NATO for endangering schools with their bombing.

"We let boys study in the mosques, we are not against modern education or against schools, but this time is not suitable for schools to be set up or remain open," he said. "We are in the phase of serious fighting."..

Excuse me my revulsion, but I can just imagine the staff of today's Globe and Mail headlining a 1942 story thus:

German govenment says Jewish ghettos only temporary

I do sympathize with Gen. McKiernan:

NATO General: Negative Afghan Headlines Overblown

He's not talking about headlines about the Taliban.