Afghan villagers attack Taliban

Wall Street Journal:

Villagers attacked the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan, a rare instance of locals turning on insurgents after being promised aid money and security by the government.

Friday's confrontation was welcome news for Afghan and U.S. authorities, in what is shaping up to be one of the bloodiest months for the U.S-led coalition since the start of the war.

Tribesmen in Nangarhar, a province in the east, broke ties with the Taliban after being promised development money and security at a pair of meetings with Afghan officials in recent months, said tribal elders and a spokesman for the provincial government, Ahmad Zia Abdulzai.

While Mr. Abdulzai said the effort that led to Friday's clash was purely the work of the provincial government, U.S. civilian and military officials have been working with Afghan authorities to try the same strategy in other parts of the country. Those efforts, however, have met with limited success.

The fighting in Nangarhar, which was reported over the weekend, began after Taliban fighters attempted to kidnap an Afghan army officer in the Achin district, witnesses said. The officer escaped and took refuge among villagers, who refused to turn him over to insurgents.

The Taliban then attacked, prompting a firefight with the villagers, who killed three insurgents and captured 11, said Mr. Abdulzai, the provincial spokesman. Nearly a half-dozen villagers who witnessed the fighting confirmed his account.

The villagers handed over 10 prisoners to authorities and kept one in hopes of exchanging him for a tribesman being held by the Taliban, Mr. Abdulzai said.

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I think that few would voluntarily live under the despotic rule of Taliban religious bigots. Why would anyone want live under such control freaks. In the war of ideas, freedom should be a better alternative.