It was reported today from wired.com that within the past year, only three percent of the Taliban have joined the amnesty program set up by the Afghan government.
Most of the country is still run by small tribes that have relations with the Taliban. But most Afghans are fearful and do not know who to trust. Why go to the government when there are so many reports of corruption?
While it is impossible to win this war with the military alone, the programs that are implemented need to be done properly. Real investments need to be made so the countries citizens can see for themselves that they do not have to rely on the Taliban.
Out of the 800 Afghans who were given amnesty, the majority of them were in the south and western parts of the counrty, not the north where the Taliban are strongest.
The article points out that the small number of people that have been given amnesty are only foot soldiers, not leaders, who may have information relating to how the Taliban are carrying out their operations.
The Taliban knows that if people see the Karzai government working, it is a hinderance to them. It is more important for them to make sure programs like this are failing.
After years of war, insurgents are just looking to see if the government can offer them "honor and dignity," with protection from the Taliban being a minimal requirement. If that doesn’t happen, then the government’s promises of jobs, education, and rebuilding for areas that make peace with Karzai won’t mean anything.
It was also said that those Afghans who do choose amnesty are looked upon as defectors and are being assasinated. The message being that they (the Taliban)is better equipped to protect the people then their government.
When I first heard about the amnesty program I thought it was a good idea, and still do. There would be no point to keep fighting if there was an entity that allowed people to live a better life for themselves and families. That entity needs to be the government, but clearly, a lot more work needs to be done.