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Reply 40
"Taliban" is a term that is used to explain all of the fighters in Afghanistan. There are loads of different groups that are fighting. The taliban that was in power until 2001 is funded by Pakistan and Saud Arabia. The groups that were fighting for the northern alliance are funded by Iran. Also, Opium production has actually increased since the invasion and they make a lot of their money from that.
Reply 41
pasargad, you're right the opium production is still significant but it is not the only source of funding. the protection racketeering of development agencies and Western reconstruction firms (give us money or we blow your sh!t up) is probably the most important source for the Taliban.

BTW that ex-Northern Alliance group is wound up in the Afghan government now. The Taliban group is the one that was funded by Pakistan.
Reply 42
Democracy
Islamofascism.


I don't like this word since last year we had a lecture studying whether it is a valid ideology and almost everyone concluded it certainly wasn't. Studying the Koren and studying fascist texts show the two to be completely incompatible, the Taliban is either one or the other.


On the original topic, I have no idea, certainly not American, probably independent businessmen rather than states. Pakistan and Iran never got on with the Taliban and had many skirmishes during their time in power.
Reply 43
twl
pasargad, you're right the opium production is still significant but it is not the only source of funding. the protection racketeering of development agencies and Western reconstruction firms (give us money or we blow your sh!t up) is probably the most important source for the Taliban.

BTW that ex-Northern Alliance group is wound up in the Afghan government now. The Taliban group is the one that was funded by Pakistan.



I know it is not the only source of funding, hence why i said they recieve their funding from Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Not all of the NA are in the government, there are still some off shoots of it that fight the west, and these people are likely to be the target of Iranian funding. Iran would never fund the Taliban. Iran has been having major border wars with them for decades. Iran has lost ~4000 soldiers fighting them since 1979.
Reply 44
I don't like this word since last year we had a lecture studying whether it is a valid ideology and almost everyone concluded it certainly wasn't. Studying the Koren and studying fascist texts show the two to be completely incompatible, the Taliban is either one or the other.


The lecturer confused you. Obviously Islam and Nazism are two different things. Whoever said they were or could be the same thing? Any seminar on the discussion is inevitably going to conclude they are different.

The term "Islamofascism" does not mean Facism is Islam or Islam is Fascism. It refers to the way in which some Islamic groups have adopted behaviour and fashions of the Nazis. This includes teaching anti-semitism to children, spreading Jewish blood-libel, and encouraging a militaristic form of society.

For example, this image of Hamas supporters doing the Nazi salute.



Hitler's Mein Kampf was until recently (it may still be) the highest selling book in Egypt and Gaza. Islamofascism might not be the perfect phrase to use to describe this, but it's not that far off either.
Reply 45
Iran would never fund the Taliban. Iran has been having major border wars with them for decades. Iran has lost ~4000 soldiers fighting them since 1979.

The Taliban did not exist before 1993. What are you talking about?

hence why i said they recieve their funding from Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.


Well no they don't. The Taliban are comprised almost entirely of Pashtuns.

Pakistan isn't funding them. The Pashtuns currently endanger Pakistan's nation security because Pakistan keeps its nuclear weapons in the disputed Pashtun regions.

Iran is unlikely to be funding the Taliban since the Taliban is Sunni Muslim and the Iranians are Shia.

Saudis are unlikely to be funding the Pashtuns either since the Pashtuns aren't friends with the Saudis.
twl

Iran is unlikely to be funding the Taliban since the Taliban is Sunni Muslim and the Iranians are Shia.


pasargad
Iran would never fund the Taliban. Iran has been having major border wars with them for decades. Iran has lost ~4000 soldiers fighting them since 1979.


Don't any of you read the thread before posting?

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showpost.php?p=20660756&postcount=11

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/0..._n_253358.html
http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1079394.html
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/12/sau...-refugees.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...UK-troops.html
Reply 47



There have been many artices claiming that Iran funds the Taliban, but like i said these news sources call all of the fighters by the same name.

Iran is fighting the Taliban and it does not make sense that they woud fund them. If Iranian weapons are found in the hands of the Taliban it does not mean Iran is funding them. Iran openly funded and armed the NA and there is no reason why those arms couln't have been sold or given to the Taliban since 2001.
Reply 48
twl
The Taliban did not exist before 1993. What are you talking about?



A name change does not mean that they did not exist.


Well no they don't. The Taliban are comprised almost entirely of Pashtuns.

Pakistan isn't funding them. The Pashtuns currently endanger Pakistan's nation security because Pakistan keeps its nuclear weapons in the disputed Pashtun regions.

Iran is unlikely to be funding the Taliban since the Taliban is Sunni Muslim and the Iranians are Shia.

Saudis are unlikely to be funding the Pashtuns either since the Pashtuns aren't friends with the Saudis.



You cannot make such claims without providing me with proof.
Reply 49
Iran probably does fund some groups in Afghanistan, however they are not the Taliban.
pasargad
There have been many artices claiming that Iran funds the Taliban, but like i said these news sources call all of the fighters by the same name.

Iran is fighting the Taliban and it does not make sense that they woud fund them. If Iranian weapons are found in the hands of the Taliban it does not mean Iran is funding them. Iran openly funded and armed the NA and there is no reason why those arms couln't have been sold or given to the Taliban since 2001.


Are you aware of the phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"? Very often in politics nationstates will employ that mindset to further their own ends. Iran may despise the Taliban but it despises the US and the War on Terror even more.
Reply 51
Democracy
Are you aware of the phrase "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"? Very often in politics nationstates will employ that mindset to further their own ends. Iran may despise the Taliban but it despises the US and the War on Terror even more.

Of course i have heard of that phrase, however the Taiban are not the only group in Afghanistan that are fighting Nato. The Taliban are fighting Iran and Nato at the same time.
Reply 52
pasargad
Iran probably does fund some groups in Afghanistan, however they are not the Taliban.




This is true, although the Iranian regime does it indirectly through different entities,but the groups are not there to undermine Karzai's Government. Rather to help Irans aims to fracture the relationship between Karzai and the US which seems to have been working, as seen recently when Karzai backed and supported the re-election of Ahmedinejad. Not to mention Iran increasing it's influence in Afghanistan over the last few years through economic investments by Iranian firms.

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