Kabul clerics rally behind Taliban

Urge worshippers to `pick up a gun' against government

Death toll from surge in violence surpasses 190 over 5 days

KABUL—Clerics in Kabul mosques are urging worshippers to join the Taliban's fight against the Afghan government and international troops.

Insurgency has spread recently, with many provinces falling under control of Islamists intent on driving out foreign forces. Encouraged by this growing militancy, some imams here believe the time is right to call for holy war.

"The only thing (people) can do is fight against the government and I am telling them they can do that. They can pick up a gun and fight against the government," said Abdullah, a 52-year-old imam wary of giving his full name for fear of reprisals.

Support for the militant Islamist Taliban traditionally comes from the conservative, Pashtun-dominated south and east. Attacks against security forces are common in provinces near the Pakistan border but had been rare elsewhere.

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You know... what did everyone THINK was gonna happen? That this whole part of the world, after THOUSANDS of years running the way it has, would...actually.... CHANGE??? OVERNIGHT? (when you compare 4 years to thousands)

So, do we chalk up another denial of Civil War?
Or just ignore it?

Let's see what happens...ummm, Tony? What's up with Afghanistan?

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They ALSO lost over 13,000 troops, and had at some periods close to 100,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Don't think Afghans didn't prepare for the NEXT invasion,

which this is

and I believe we have less than 20,000 troops there

just enough for target practice for the Afghans

certainly not enough to "beat them into submission" which seems to be our intent

feckadee - we should be spending our dollars to fix our problems on THIS continent

THEN - go help others - and that's a maybe -

gotta have another faction to support - not just create one for our own purposes

and its politics

off. He told 'em. He tried to warn the arrogant bastards in Washington.