US and Nato commander David Petraeus' belief that the Taliban were regrouping to plan a full-scale resumption of hostilities during the spring coincided with the deaths of two more Nato soldiers, bringing to 10 the number who have died this month.
In short, fighting hasn't ceased. Petraeus' added evaluation that the Taliban were losing ground and trying to regain momentum isn't necessarily accurate either. Nato's top man needs to do a reality check. He should also view YouTube in his spare time to see the many Sharia courts that have been set up in remote towns and villages and controlled by the Taliban.
The forms of justice depicted in the clips are extreme: death by stoning for adultery; amputation for petty theft; barbaric torture followed by bullets being pumped into the head for spying is just part of a random selection. These are all recorded in the presence of hundreds of curious onlookers and they all mock Petraeus' theory that the enemy is beating a hasty retreat.
The question is: if the Taliban are actually on the back foot then who are the people in these videos? How are they still controlling the lives of innocents?
Petraeus needs to find out the hard way by regrouping his thoughts and engaging the enemy.
