Afghan police in the eastern
province of Laghman recently arrested seven Taliban militants, two of whom were
wearing women’s clothing.
“These individuals were involved in conducting terrorist actions, as well as
planting roadside mines,” said Gen. Abdul Rahman Sarjang, the provincial police
chief.
Afghan security forces received tips about the militants’ whereabouts, found
their hideout and raided it in a joint operation of police and national security
forces, Sarjang told Central Asia Online. They were arrested in Qarghayi
District.
“Two of these individuals, who were planning to hide themselves among the ladies
by wearing women’s dresses, were identified and arrested,” he said. “The
interrogation process has been started, in order to identify and arrest any
other members of this group,” he said.
Disrespectful toward women
When the Taliban put on female garb, the Afghan people consider it an insult to
women.
"This act is disrespectful toward women and women's clothing,” said Ahmadullah,
a resident of Laghman Province. “These individuals should be punished severely
and become a lesson for others.”
The ruse of dressing as women likely appeals to militants because women
generally endure fewer bodily searches than men do, given the respect for
women’s privacy rights. However, frequent militant use of this trick could end
that relatively privileged situation for women, analysts warn.
The Taliban have no respect for Afghan culture and traditions and hesitate at
nothing to achieve their goals, Afghan analysts argue.
"Our opponents have made a mockery out of everything we have,” said Gardizi.
They don’t even attempt to win heart and minds, he said.
The Taliban also have besmirched the tradition of wearing turbans by using the
headdress to hide bombs.
Last July a suicide bomber detonated explosives hidden under a turban at a
mosque in Kandahar as mourners paid tribute to Ahmad Wali Karzai, the
half-brother of President Hamid Karzai who was assassinated by his own security
guard.
Kandahar Mayor Ghulam Haider Hameedi fell victim July 27 to a suicide bomber who
hid explosives under his turban.
Afghan High Peace Council Chairman and former Afghan president Burhanuddin
Rabbani was killed by a vistor with a bomb hidden in a turban.
Exploitation of women’s dress
Exploiting women’s dress to hide from authorities is a relatively new Taliban
tactic the militants use in targeting Afghan and international forces, though
this is not the first case. In December, Balkh police arrested a Taliban
commander who was disguised as a pregnant woman.
Taliban militants also use local police and army uniforms to carry out their
missions.
The militants have lost the military capability needed in order to continue
fighting face to face, leading them to use disguises, Afghan military officers
and coalition forces have said. Among them is Abdul Ghaffar Gardizi, a military
analyst and former Afghan military officer, who said the Taliban have been
reduced to guerrilla tactics.
Taliban mentors teach recruits to use these tactics against Afghan and
international security forces in order to create challenges for them, he added.