Analysing the new Taliban Code of Conduct (Layeha): an assessment of changing perspectives and strategies of the Afghan Taliban

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02634937.2012.647844Periodically, Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership formally issues Layeha or ‘codes of conduct’ for their fighters and supporters. Layeha offer important insights into the Afghan Taliban’s objectives, strategies and the psyche/perspective of Taliban leadership. This article presents an analysis of the Taliban’s code of conduct and examines what Layeha tell us about Taliban objectives, strategy and organization. Such information would seem particularly important as the United States as well as its coalition allies assess their Afghan operational strategy as well as exit strategy from Afghanistan. This analysis of the Layeha suggests that the Taliban remain most concerned with: chain of command principles preventing the fragmentation of the various Taliban networks; obtaining and maintaining public support by winning ‘hearts and minds’ of local residents; ensuring enough fighters remain engaged in combat; and galvanizing the perception that the Taliban represent a capable, desirable and fair alternative to the current Afghan political establishment

Transition to Nowhere: The Limits of 'Afghanization'

The AfPak Channel, ForeignPolicy.com, March 22, 2011The strategy of having the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) take over the security burden from the U.S. and NATO forces is now a centerpiece of President Obama's Afghanistan policy. But as decision makers continue to push hard for a speedy "Afghanization" of the conflict, serious thought should be given to the current policy paradox of trying to rapidly expand an already unmanageable indigenous military force structure while aggressively pursuing information security organs, namely static militias and various community defense forces

Operation Nusrat (Victory) Understanding the Taliban Threat to Kunduz Province

This article was published in Culture and Conflict Review (Fall 2009), v.3 no.3This "report substantiates that a most deplorable act of crime and atrocity has taken place in Kunduz province in which Afghan civilians have been targeted. The Charter of the United Nation, principles of the Amnesty International and the Geneva Conventions clearly oppose such crimes. If the United Nation, the Amnesty International and other human rights entities, the Islamic Conference and finally the so-called civilized world respect the value of the blood of a human being, their sincerity and commitment will be put to test following this horrendous event. If the judges sitting in the Hague tribunal do not summon the perpetrators of this event to question them, or at least do not show reaction in the shape of condemnation against this event, then what face will they have to raise the voice of prosecuting perpetrators of crimes of humanity. Ostensibly, they issue summons time and again to bring to book those who are involved in crimes of humanity. The event in Kunduz will prove that whether the world entities of human rights are sincerely working for the protections of human rights or they only raise empty slogans. To end, we express our sympathy with the people of Kunduz for this atrocious event and suffice to remind them of the following divine message in order to deliver them from the violence of colonialism 'Do not think Allah is unaware of the deed the wrongdoers do but He only postpones it until the Day when their eyes will be blurred. (True is the Word of Allah)

DEVELOPMENT IN THE AUREOLE OF THE MOOSELOOKMEGUNTIC

The porphyroblastic pelitic schists of western Maine are ideal for studying the deformation and metamorphism that accompanies pluton emplacement. A regional lowpressure, high-temperature metamorphic event affected the areally extensive Silurian sediments with the thermal peak occuning ca. 404 Ma. This metamorphism produced the widespread assemblage staurolite + andalusite + biotite +I- garnet, and occurred during the late stages of development of a northeast-trending, steeply-dipping axial-surface foliation. A period of extensive plutonism accompanied and followed this Acadian-aged deformation and metamorphism. This study focuses specifically on the contact aureole of the Mooselookmeguntic pluton emplaced ca. 370 Ma. Contact metamorphism accompanied the development of a gently northeast-dipping, crnplacement-related, foliation that varies from a crenulation cleavage in the middle and outer portions of the aureole, to an intense pervasive foliation proximal to the pluton margin. The deformation and metamorphic aureole of this pluton provides a rare opportunity to study theprogressive development of crenulation cleavage, and to evaluate porphyroblast kinematics across a clearly defined deformation gradient. Staurolite porphyroblasts in the pelitic country rocks preserve spectacula