THE NATURE OF THE ENEMY – AT 9:09 A.M. ET:  There has been much talk recently about bringing the Taliban into the Afghan government.  Before we issue invitations, maybe we'd better consider who we're dealing with.  From Fox:

MARJAH, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents are increasingly using civilians as human shields as they fight allied troops trying to take the militants' southern stronghold of Marjah, an Afghan official said Wednesday as military squads resumed painstaking house-to-house searches.

About 15,000 NATO and Afghan troops are taking part in the offensive around Marjah, which has an estimated 80,000 inhabitants and was the largest town in southern Helmand province under Taliban control. NATO hopes to rush in aid and public services as soon as the town is secured to try to win the loyalty of the population.

With the assault in its fifth day, insurgents are firing at Afghan troops from inside or next to compounds where women and children appear to have been ordered to stand on a roof or in a window, said Gen. Mohiudin Ghori, the brigade commander for Afghan troops in Marjah.

COMMENT:  Let's see the reaction of "human rights" organizations.  Let's see the reaction of trendy American journalists who were so anguished over a comparatively minor scandal at an American prison in Iraq. 

And, of course, let's see the reaction of "feminist" organizations, whose interest in women's rights seems a thing of the past.

The Taliban is a very bad crew.  They gave shelter to Al Qaeda.  Can we seriously trust them with any kind of power?

February 17, 2010