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July 27, 2006
Taliban Goes For Cash
Financial Times (UK) / July 26, 2006
The Taliban has found a way to recruit fighters that is less about winning hearts and minds and more about the enduring appeal of cold hard cash.
They are paying fighters up to $12 (£6.50) a day to fight the fledgling Afghan National Army, which pays only $4 a day to its soldiers in the field, according to military officials.
"The Taliban are supported by Pakistan and they get money from the drugs trade, so they get more pay than our soldiers," said Colonel Myuddin Ghouri of the national army's 205 Corp.
While the ANA has the advantage of superior equipment and the same medical treatment as UK troops, its soldiers often have to risk their lives far from home.
"If you were a lad in the hills and you were offered $12 to stay local or you could take $4 and fight miles away from home, which would you do?" said Lieutenant Colonel David Hammond, an officer with 7 Para who is training Afghan officers in the southern province of Helmand as part of a mentoring scheme.
The pay difference is making it harder to recruit soldiers to the 38,000-strong ANA, which has faced a much better equipped and funded insurgency sinceJanuary.
Western officials have estimated that the Taliban's forces have risen from 2,000 last year to 6,000 this year. The Taliban claims to have 12,000 men.
Afghan defence ministry officials believe funds for the insurgency are flowing over the border from Pakistan and possibly from Arab countries.
The multi-ethnic Afghan National Army has been one of the success stories of the post-September 11 era and is hugely popular with most Afghans.
However, Afghan officials in Kabul say the pay of Afghan soldiers will remain a problem.
"Basic pay of $70 a month was a lot of money three years ago, but it's harder to recruit people to fight in a bitter insurgency now," said one Afghan official.
Posted by Wild Thing at July 27, 2006 02:27 PM
Comments
This amplifies the central problem of primitive societies like Afghanistan. Conditions are so dire that ideas of nationhood and belief in future possibilities don't exist. Regular armies need convictions, as well as a paycheck.
On the other hand, when untrained locals take the mercenary route, they lack the ingredients of a good soldier, and can't be relied upon. The first Daisy Cutter will be real persuader.
Posted by: Rhod at July 27, 2006 03:17 PM
Rhod your right about all you said. Thank you.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 27, 2006 05:20 PM
They may not be so willing to die now as they want to be around to spend that money at the nearest goat house. The Taliban probably won't get their moneys worth.
Posted by: TomR at July 27, 2006 06:39 PM
Off the subject, but when Al-Jazeera released the recent tape of Pig Boy Zawahiri, who called Muslims to a world-wide war against America, he was standing in front a picture of the burning Twin Towers. There also appears to be a picture of Mohammad Pig Boy Atta. I thought Bush, Rove and the Jews blew up the Towers...
Posted by: Rhod at July 27, 2006 06:55 PM
If I read this right, the poppy fields are
funding the war against our troops,now if
this be the case and the fact most of the
product will end up here I think its time
to bring back "AGENT ORANGE" ,no poppys not
so much money for ol talz ban T F B...
Posted by: Tincan Sailor at July 27, 2006 07:25 PM
Tom, OMG.....LMAO
"they want to be around to spend that money at the nearest goat house."
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 28, 2006 01:19 AM
Rhod well that is something, they keep telling us that. hahahaha Good one!
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 28, 2006 01:20 AM
Tincan Sailor....I thought we did something to stop the poppy fields, but sure could be wrong. I was wondering about that, thanks Tincan Sailor.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 28, 2006 01:23 AM
