During the past few days, I’ve been concerned on several levels while reading news about NATO war planes that struck stolen tanker trucks in Afghanistan, unintentionally killing civilian Afghans who were siphoning fuel from the vehicles…
CONCERN #1: News reports suggest this was an attack on a non-military target. 
However, let’s be clear – the attack was on Taliban-seized assets (fuel trucks the Taliban stole for one purpose – to support their actions against NATO forces). As soon as the Taliban seized the trucks, those vehicles became military targets. If NATO had allowed the trucks to reach Taliban territory, the fuel would’ve been used in Taliban military operations. Destroying the trucks prevented this.
I spent a year in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban. They’re hypocrites – advocating religious purity, yet violating the very religion they advocate. The Quran clearly prohibits theft, especially from a fellow Muslim. Yet the Taliban took these trucks from Afghan civilians at gunpoint, intending to use them for their own military operations.
I’m familiar with the history of Islam. It’s true that, in the past, Muslims raided caravans to support expansion of the faith. Yet the Prophet never raided Muslims – this was against the Quran, itself. In contrast, the Taliban stole this week’s fuel from Muslim Afghans who were transporting it.
CONCERN #2: News reports seem to portray the Taliban as some sort of Robin Hood, freely giving fuel to the poor.
Afghans indeed are among the poorest people on the planet. I’ve seen widespread poverty in the region. Most Afghans live in very primitive conditions – in houses made of mud, without electricity or running water, cooking over wood fires. They need all the assistance we can give them.
But the Taliban did not take the trucks with the intention of giving them to poor Afghans! In fact, usually, the Taliban are bent on TAKING AWAY what little these people have. I’ve seen this first-hand. I’ve talked with many poor Afghan villagers who’ve told me that Taliban have come into their village, demanding tribute in the form of food and money. They take what little these poor people have, and they require obedience – all in the name of their brand of Islam. This is not just wrong. It’s evil.
CONCERN #3: News reports largely seem to overlook the real reason why Afghan civilians were in the line of fire.
Fuel is a type of currency in Afghanistan. People use it to barter for food and money. It’s understandable that poor Afghans would rush to take away whatever they can if it’s available.
But it’s incorrect to assume the Taliban did this out of the kindness of their hearts – they have no such compassion. They offered the fuel out of necessity – the fuel trucks were stuck, and the Taliban was lightening the load in order to move the truck. Had Afghan civilians not been in the vicinity, the Taliban would’ve simply dumped the fuel on the ground.
By contrast, NATO forces freely give food and clothing to poor Afghan villagers. I’ve been on humanitarian missions, both with U.S. and Polish Army forces (our NATO allies). On many of these occasions, we handed out large bags of corn, wheat, beans, rice, sweaters, gloves, scarves, hats, boots, and even toys. (Toys are so rare in Afghanistan that the Pashtun language doesn’t have a word for it!)
I feel sorry for the poor Afghans who lost their lives trying to get fuel to barter for other living necessities. But to assume the Taliban grieve as much as we do would be wrong. The Taliban no doubt see this as justified, because the civilian Afghan victims weren’t part of the Taliban, and thus (in their view) deserved to die anyway.
Make no mistake. The Taliban do not care about those who are not Taliban. They grieve only for their own.
Jeff
(For more insights about the Afghan people and the Taliban, check out my book, “Afghan Journal: A Soldier’s Year in Afghanistan.” Learn more at the Afghan Journal website. Or order it at Amazon.com.)
