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| Afghans See a Collapse of Tradition in a Spate of Devious Attacks | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — Abdul Latif of northern Kunduz Province vowed he would get even with the Taliban who killed his father, so he volunteered to join one of their units and spent two months trying to win their confidence. A few days ago he and a friend shot 13 of them to death, mostly while they slept, he and the police said. | KABUL, Afghanistan — Abdul Latif of northern Kunduz Province vowed he would get even with the Taliban who killed his father, so he volunteered to join one of their units and spent two months trying to win their confidence. A few days ago he and a friend shot 13 of them to death, mostly while they slept, he and the police said. |
| He was hailed as a hero by the police, who confirmed that Mr. Latif was under their protection after he had infiltrated the insurgents. | He was hailed as a hero by the police, who confirmed that Mr. Latif was under their protection after he had infiltrated the insurgents. |
| In the early morning hours Thursday, two Taliban infiltrators at the other end of the country, in the southern province of Helmand, joined the police, and were stationed with a 10-man unit. They dosed the dinner with crushed sleeping pills, then shot to death the other eight policemen in their sleep, local officials said. The Taliban boasted about the attack on their website. | In the early morning hours Thursday, two Taliban infiltrators at the other end of the country, in the southern province of Helmand, joined the police, and were stationed with a 10-man unit. They dosed the dinner with crushed sleeping pills, then shot to death the other eight policemen in their sleep, local officials said. The Taliban boasted about the attack on their website. |
| In a country that has long prided itself on “Pashtunwali,” a strict code of conduct that most famously gives guest privileges even to enemies, a lot of Afghans have begun to view the spate of such devious infiltrator attacks as yet another sign of moral decline caused by nearly four decades of war, and no real end in sight. | In a country that has long prided itself on “Pashtunwali,” a strict code of conduct that most famously gives guest privileges even to enemies, a lot of Afghans have begun to view the spate of such devious infiltrator attacks as yet another sign of moral decline caused by nearly four decades of war, and no real end in sight. |
| The attack in Helmand appeared to be the fifth insider killing of policemenin the past month, most drugged and killed in their sleep, in two cases by guests who were enjoying the policemen’s hospitality. | |
| Many Afghans find it hard to reconcile such attacks, especially in the Pashtun heartland of Helmand, with Pashtunwali, which prizes hospitality, righteousness, bravery in battle, loyalty and respect for self and others. | Many Afghans find it hard to reconcile such attacks, especially in the Pashtun heartland of Helmand, with Pashtunwali, which prizes hospitality, righteousness, bravery in battle, loyalty and respect for self and others. |
| “Decades of war have not only cost us thousands of lives, but it has spiritually damaged our people and left behind an unfortunate, hostile culture,” said Zubair Shafeeq, director of the Wesa newspaper in Kabul, reacting to reports of the latest insider attacks. “Afghans famous for respecting the core values of Pashtunwali have forgotten what our cultural and traditional ethics are.” | “Decades of war have not only cost us thousands of lives, but it has spiritually damaged our people and left behind an unfortunate, hostile culture,” said Zubair Shafeeq, director of the Wesa newspaper in Kabul, reacting to reports of the latest insider attacks. “Afghans famous for respecting the core values of Pashtunwali have forgotten what our cultural and traditional ethics are.” |
| In Kunduz, Mr. Latif said he spent two months in the company of a Taliban unit in Imam Sahib district, a Pashtun area that has long been an insurgent stronghold, but is also heavily contested. His father was among villagers who had joined an uprising to throw the Taliban out of their area and was killed for doing so, leading his 20-year-old son to plot revenge. | In Kunduz, Mr. Latif said he spent two months in the company of a Taliban unit in Imam Sahib district, a Pashtun area that has long been an insurgent stronghold, but is also heavily contested. His father was among villagers who had joined an uprising to throw the Taliban out of their area and was killed for doing so, leading his 20-year-old son to plot revenge. |
| As he traveled with the insurgents, Mr. Latif was in regular cellphone contact with Afghan police and intelligence officials, he said in a telephone interview Thursday. | As he traveled with the insurgents, Mr. Latif was in regular cellphone contact with Afghan police and intelligence officials, he said in a telephone interview Thursday. |
| His opportunity came after the Taliban unit of 16 men returned from lying in wait for two days and nights in the hopes of ambushing a government convoy. Mr. Latif said he warned the police so they could avoid the trap, and his unit members returned to their hiding place exhausted and fell heavily asleep. | His opportunity came after the Taliban unit of 16 men returned from lying in wait for two days and nights in the hopes of ambushing a government convoy. Mr. Latif said he warned the police so they could avoid the trap, and his unit members returned to their hiding place exhausted and fell heavily asleep. |
| “I was looking for a good place to do it and finally got a chance, so I called the police and said, ‘Hey, today I’m going to do it, and they gave me the green flag so I did it,’” Mr. Latif said. He had a confederate in another young man, Ghullam Hazrat, 19, who had joined straight out of religious training at a madrasa and, as Mr. Hazrat told it, was appalled at the Taliban fighters’ immoral behavior, including the practice of bacha bazi, in which young boys are forced to dress as girls, dance and engage in sex with the older men. | “I was looking for a good place to do it and finally got a chance, so I called the police and said, ‘Hey, today I’m going to do it, and they gave me the green flag so I did it,’” Mr. Latif said. He had a confederate in another young man, Ghullam Hazrat, 19, who had joined straight out of religious training at a madrasa and, as Mr. Hazrat told it, was appalled at the Taliban fighters’ immoral behavior, including the practice of bacha bazi, in which young boys are forced to dress as girls, dance and engage in sex with the older men. |
| The two infiltrators overpowered their commander, Mullah Baz Mohammad, killed him and then leveled their rifles on their sleeping comrades. Some woke up at the commotion, but most of them were shot to death in their sleep; one man escaped, Mr. Latif said. | The two infiltrators overpowered their commander, Mullah Baz Mohammad, killed him and then leveled their rifles on their sleeping comrades. Some woke up at the commotion, but most of them were shot to death in their sleep; one man escaped, Mr. Latif said. |
| Mr. Latif defended his actions: “There was no chance of bringing them in as prisoners,” he said. “The whole area was Taliban.” | Mr. Latif defended his actions: “There was no chance of bringing them in as prisoners,” he said. “The whole area was Taliban.” |
| The Kunduz provincial police chief, Gen. Mohammad Qaseem Jangalbagh, confirmed that Mr. Latif and Mr. Hazrat had killed the Taliban, and then fled to government positions, carrying 14 weapons and the unit’s supply of ammunition. “Both of them are currently under our protection,” he said. | The Kunduz provincial police chief, Gen. Mohammad Qaseem Jangalbagh, confirmed that Mr. Latif and Mr. Hazrat had killed the Taliban, and then fled to government positions, carrying 14 weapons and the unit’s supply of ammunition. “Both of them are currently under our protection,” he said. |
| The Taliban insider attack in Helmand Province took place in Garmsir District, according to Mohammad Asif, a member of the district council there. After the two infiltrators put sleeping drugs in the evening’s dinner Wednesday night, they opened the police post to Taliban in the early morning hours, helping them kill the other eight who were sleeping. They also cut off the police commander’s head, hanging it on a post, he said. | The Taliban insider attack in Helmand Province took place in Garmsir District, according to Mohammad Asif, a member of the district council there. After the two infiltrators put sleeping drugs in the evening’s dinner Wednesday night, they opened the police post to Taliban in the early morning hours, helping them kill the other eight who were sleeping. They also cut off the police commander’s head, hanging it on a post, he said. |
| “It is entirely against Pashtunwali and humanity that when you host someone with kindness they turn into a snake and bite you,” said Mr. Shafeeq, the newspaper director. | “It is entirely against Pashtunwali and humanity that when you host someone with kindness they turn into a snake and bite you,” said Mr. Shafeeq, the newspaper director. |
| Just a week earlier, also in Garmsir District, in what was apparently the fourth insider attack in Helmand Province in the past month, a police commander defected to the Taliban and killed his cook when he refused to defect with him, Mr. Asif said. | Just a week earlier, also in Garmsir District, in what was apparently the fourth insider attack in Helmand Province in the past month, a police commander defected to the Taliban and killed his cook when he refused to defect with him, Mr. Asif said. |
| “We could say the flock of sheep are being eaten by their own watchdogs,” said Hajji Abdul Ghani, the head of the security committee in Garmsir District. He attributed the insider attacks to poor morale among police officers, who suffered shortages of weapons and supplies, rampant drug abuse in the ranks, and commanders more concerned about making a corrupt income than fighting. | “We could say the flock of sheep are being eaten by their own watchdogs,” said Hajji Abdul Ghani, the head of the security committee in Garmsir District. He attributed the insider attacks to poor morale among police officers, who suffered shortages of weapons and supplies, rampant drug abuse in the ranks, and commanders more concerned about making a corrupt income than fighting. |
| “It seems like people are too weak now for Pashtunwali,” Mr. Ghani said. | “It seems like people are too weak now for Pashtunwali,” Mr. Ghani said. |
| Pashtunwali as an ethical system demands openness and fairness, said Hajji Atta Mohammad Ahmadi, the head of the peace council in Kandahar. “You have to be straight towards both friends and enemies,” he said. “By no means are you allowed to drug and kill defenseless people, or kill someone when sleeping. These things that are happening now in Afghanistan totally violate the principles of Pashtunwali.” | Pashtunwali as an ethical system demands openness and fairness, said Hajji Atta Mohammad Ahmadi, the head of the peace council in Kandahar. “You have to be straight towards both friends and enemies,” he said. “By no means are you allowed to drug and kill defenseless people, or kill someone when sleeping. These things that are happening now in Afghanistan totally violate the principles of Pashtunwali.” |