Who's the Bad Guy in the "Bribing the Tribes" Story?

We're seeing a bit of a common theme in some denials of allegations that Canada paying protection money to the Taliban to keep the peace.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay, speaking in St. John’s, described the allegations as likely little more than “Taliban propaganda.”

Retired Canadian major-general Lewis MacKenzie suggested the notion of bribes to the Taliban “smells of a really intelligent piece of propaganda.”

Are the stories making some NATO allies (Italy, Canada, Germany, by name) look bad?

Perhaps even bicker among themselves?

Yes.

But let's not forget the key sources cited in the stories:

The clandestine payments, whose existence was hidden from the incoming French forces, were disclosed by Western military officials. (The Times, 15 Oct 09)

One Western military source told of payments made by Canadian soldiers stationed in the violent southern province of Kandahar, while another officer spoke of similar practices by the German army in northern Kunduz. “I can tell you that lots of countries under the NATO umbrella operating out in rural parts of Afghanistan do pay the militants for not attacking them,” the senior Afghan official said. (Agence France-Presse, 16 Oct 09)

Hmmmm.... A bit more here.