Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Funding Taliban Would Mean Burning One’s Own Finger

Taliban governed Afghanistan from 1996-2001. Their government is not officially recognized by any country other than Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. That was because they did not cooperate or communicate with the world deeming their government as a sole Islamic state where shariah is employed with its full essence. No doubt, their narrow-mindedness had caused them to think they can take over the world one day.

This was indicated by their warm hospitability and solid affiliation to al-Qaida that was famous for its anti-US operations around the word. Even Taliban denied allowing US to capture Osama bin Laden charged for engineering the 9/11 attacks, although they knew this step would cost them losing power in Afghanistan. The reason was Taliban's financial dependence on al-Qaida who extracted funds from Arab countries. It is believed that al-Qaida continued to fund Taliban even after their government was toppled in Afghanistan so that they can continue struggle against Afghan government and its international backers.

Now, more than a year after Osama's death, it seems like the Taliban are running out of funds to support the growing needs of their fighters on the ground. After Hamid Karzai's demand from US to specify the amount cash in the long term US-Afghanistan strategic deal, Taliban have called upon the Muslim world to donate them funds for keeping their operations smooth in Afghanistan. On Wednesday, they posted their call on a website requesting donation from Muslims around the world.

In the past month, there has been a series of suicide bombings across Afghanistan indicating beginning of Taliban's spring offensive. As 2014 – a year set for complete withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan – nears, the Taliban are expected to further intensify their assaults on Afghan and international forces. For this, they would need more fund. The fund they are squeezing from drug trafficking must have fallen insufficient.

But who will donate funds to Taliban? Giving financial support to Taliban would mean opposing a peaceful Afghanistan and until and unless this country is stable, no one can see regional and global security with optimism. Any country that gives a positive respond to the call of Taliban would burn its own finger.