February 26, 2008: The Taliban in Afghanistan have been notable for their desire to stop foreign aid from reaching Afghans. There are actually a number of reasons for this practice. One of the more obvious ones was demonstrated recently when Italian soldiers delivered food, fuel and blankets to a mountain village that had been cut off by brutal Winter weather. The grateful villagers told the Italians where three weapons caches could be found, and the Italians seized dozens of mortar shells and thousands of rounds of rifle ammo.

The Taliban also attacks infrastructure program (roads, bridges, dams, power), because this would make people grateful to the government. It's not that lack of these amenities would make people grateful to the Taliban. No, the Islamic radicals believe that it is God's Will for the Taliban to rule the country, and these infidel (non-Moslem) aid projects are interfering with the Divine Will. Or something like that. Basically, the Taliban don't like the competition, and note that, in other parts of the country, when electricity, roads and education came in, affection for old school Islam, which the Taliban backs, declines a great deal.