In Afghanistan, “The Clinton administration…knew full well what to expect, because the Taliban themselves informed the U.S. government of their plans. Maulavi Abul Abbas, the mayor of Kandahar, told visiting U.S. diplomats in February 1995 that the Taliban intended to take Kabul, disarm all the commanders, and install one government across Afghanistan that would institute sharia. ‘Anyone who gets in our way will be crushed,’ he warned. He refused to identify the Taliban leaders or even say how many members were in the ruling shura. He left an ‘overall impression’ of ‘disingenuity and a degree of deception.’ “ [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– Roy Gutman, How We Missed the Story, Page 71