In a little-reported story, it seems troops from the United Arab Emirates are doing some full-scale combat missions in Afghanistan. The reason for this?
“People are not afraid that Emiratis will harm their religion, or disrespect the mosque or burn the mosque, things of this nature,” [Khost] Governor Patan says.
“People are very friendly with them. Everybody will drag them in for lunch or for dinner.”
These are hearts-and-minds operations at their most effective – drinking tea with Afghans, discussing what help can be provided.
The Emirati approach is to meet their fellow Muslims’ religious needs first, then build schools and clinics later.
Of course, the very salient fact that UAE was one of the only countries to have recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, and to have funded many of their brutal campaigns throughout the 90s, is left unsaid.
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There’s also irony in the fact that the UAE lifestyle would probably be seen as very sinful by Taliban ideologues, what with its excessive consumerism and permissive attitude to Western vices like alcohol.
It’s all Politics. The question is similar to why Pakistan would start fighting its own creation i.e. the Taliban inside its own territory. When the Taliban are in power, send money, Toyota Datsons, jehadis and more. When the Americans are there, send troops, do some combat missions and secure loads of business deals under the banner of War on terror. Perhaps, that is what the UAE is doing. And the questions is, Who is real terrorist?
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