EXCLUSIVE: Embedded with the Taliban

Friday 12 September 2008

FRANCE 24 reporters accompanied a group of Taliban fighters on an attack against Afghan troops. The group’s leader has a warning for French troops after last month’s deadly ambush: leave now or face more.

Special Report FRANCE 24 Special reports

Friday 12 September 2008

Click here to read Claire Billet's 'Behind the scenes'

Wardak province in Afghanistan houses a road that connects the capital Kabul to the city of Kandahar. The road links the main US bases in the country, and is therefore a strategic target for Islamic militants.

In the heart of the province, our reporters met Taliban commander Abu Tayeb, who was preparing his contingent of warriors for combat.

The militants here are called “fedayeen,” meaning they are ready for suicidal combat, if necessary.

“All these fedayeen are heading out to fight the Holy War. Americans run away when they see them. If you ask them, they’ll put on a belt and blow themselves up,” Commander Tayeb told FRANCE 24.

Our reporters filmed a 20-minute weapons demonstration session near a hill located 100km away from the nearest US base. Judging from the jokes and camaraderie during the demonstration, it was obvious that the militants felt safe in the area. Haji Mullah, a Taliban militant, explained that this was due to the massive support of the local population.

“The population here supports the Taliban because they’re not cruel with them. They can stand up for their rights, in terms of landownership for instance. They don’t go through the government to seek justice, they go directly to the Taliban,” said Mullah. Other sources agree that the Taliban appears to be gaining support in the area.

The openness of Abu Tayeb and his men to foreign journalists might have a reason: that the group wants to make its position and its claims known. Abu Tayeb has a message for the French troops in Afghanistan, 10 of whom were killed in an ambush last month carried out by another Taliban group in the neighbouring province.

“I want to say something to the French soldiers. If they listen to the government and keep being American puppets, we will increase our attacks on them. They must change their politics,” said Tayeb. “This year and next year, we will do our best to enter Kabul and target the Americans and their allies.”

A Taliban attack – lessons in survival

FRANCE 24’s reporters filmed the Taliban group as they conducted weapons drills in preparation for an attack on an Afghan police checkpoint. Then, after a solemn prayer, the fighters headed out for the operation. A tense and heavy silence weighed on the group as they neared the checkpoint.

Our reporters moved away as the attack began, to try to find shelter in the open plains. The attack was apparently a success for the Taliban group: no one on the Taliban side was killed or injured.

The following day, the militants accompanied our reporters to inspect the damage caused. The police checkpoint was destroyed in several places. According to the governor of Wardak province, three police officers were killed and two wounded in the operation led by Abu Tayeb’s group.

Watch Claire Billet’s 26-minute report by clicking on the video at the top of the page, or watch it in 4 parts by clicking on the video links on the right.

Then watch Billet’s previous reports on Abu Tayeb and his men:

03/09/08: The enemy is also French, says Taliban commander

16/11/07: Meeting Abu Tayeb

[17] reactions :

03/10/2008 23:12:50 Alert a moderator

Riveting film of plucky rebel movement!

By Anonyme - Canada

One can only hope and pray (to Allah of course) that the Taliban take back Afghanistan and get their version of society up and running again. With the addendum that the female reporter who filmed this bit of war-glorification has to live in said "society" as a regular Afghani female would, for the rest of her life.
22/09/2008 13:59:52 Alert a moderator

Taliban is Avganistan!

By Jordan Stefanov - Alexandria

Please Taliban, don't kill the French Jack-booted Tugs yet. They're ill equipped and underarmed.
22/09/2008 11:24:20 Alert a moderator

great report

By Anonyme - USA

this report is great, i have never seen such close encounter with the talibans. the reporter was very brave.
19/09/2008 01:43:40 Alert a moderator

I hate Taliban

By abu ezoom - uae

Laden destroy two towers and bcuz of that two counties fall down !! 4 wut ? 2 free Islamic world . There r no one hateful more then laden but Bush !
http://howarabsthink.blogspot.com/
18/09/2008 14:31:35 Alert a moderator

Who is Taliban?

By Afghan - Afghanistan

Taliban is a bunch of brain washed, extremist fighters who are produced by the Pakistani Intelegence Service in religious schools to use for political motives. they were invented by ISI to have control over Afghanistan.
These afghans who are amoung them are mostly uneducated & refugees who went to Pakistan and that is as a result of our thirty years war in Afghanistan.
One of the things they are thought in the relegious school is that if you kill a non muslim guy & die you will be given fourty versian girls in the other world & that is what they beleive
18/09/2008 13:55:57 Alert a moderator

Short Descrption of the war in Afghanistan

By Anonyme - Afghanistan

The Actual war is between Arabs & America over oil. Poor Afghans die for no reason because all of these fighters are brain washed in Pakistani relgious schools & think that this is a holy war against Christians & Joes. The only Country which benefits the most is Pakistan with the money from US , Arabs & Usama. First Pak never want a strong country as his nighbour Second it used the money from US to build up his own military against india Enjoys with the money from US, Arabs & Usama. this war will never end as long as Pakistan wants. because Afg has border of 1500 KM with Pakistan & alll these fighters cross from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
18/09/2008 09:54:25 Alert a moderator

RE canada

By Anonyme - USA

the difference is that the taliban help plan and support an attack on cilivians of a soveriegn country. That is why we are there. Granted they want foriegn people out, and I would also if America was invaded. But we did not blow up two office towers in another country. They have shown that they don't deserve their land if they plan cowardly attacks unprovoked. What you are saying applies more to Iraq than Afghanistan. Iraq was a mistake and Afghanistan needs to be stabalized.
18/09/2008 01:36:00 Alert a moderator

Thank you Claire Billet for such an enlightening experience

By Anonyme - Canada

The very fact that your reporting was open-ended and without prejudice, is something to be thankful for. We need more reporters to give us a true picture of what is really happening in Afghanistan. All we have to go on is the American viewpoint which is basically propaganda being churned out by the Pentagon daily.

It is up to those reporters that are honest and forthright to give the facts and not the spin. What are doing Claire, is opening the eyes of the world, which seeks only the truth. Thus you have been a valuable asset to those of us who cannot get the truth from U.S. networks. There is no replacement for the truth, unless we accept cheap propaganda as reality. To those of us who cannot reach Afghanistan, I say a million thanks to you Claire Billet. Merci beaucoup!
17/09/2008 14:47:03 Alert a moderator

re news

By Anonyme joseph walker - sherborne dorset uk

Kathleen ,just remember ,humans are the lowest form of species on the planet,then everything is explainable,but unfortunetly we have to defend our way of life ,no matter how disturbed our inhabitants are.unfortunetly somebody told the white man he is a superior race,the only thing i find superior is his ignorance incidently,which they quite proud off.i hope this answers your question of your red indians demise.
16/09/2008 16:02:20 Alert a moderator

Special Report Taliban

By Kathleen - Wisconsin USA

I was very scared watching this. I understand where these people are coming from. Wanting to protect your own country from foreigners is very important. My people, the Native Americans, not the Americans you think of but the Original People in the US before the Europeans came over. My people, the Chippewa Indians, were destroyed, forced to assimulate and refused to speak our own language, forced from our parents and put into schools. The "whites" as we call them, called us savages, uneducated and beasts. We were almost extinguished as a people. Once there were over 2 million Natives living in this country and then the "white men" came and raped our women and wasted our men, drove us almost to extinction, today there are very few of us left, we have been forced onto "reservations" ,extremely small pieces of land, to which we can live and practice our traditions, etc. I do understand the desire to protect your own land. I just wish that we could have been able to protect our own lands hundreds of years ago. May the Great Spirit be with you now and forever.
16/09/2008 15:01:55 Alert a moderator

Embed with the Enemy?

By James - USA

I find it hard to understand that France24 journalist (French?) would embed themselves with the enemy in Afghanistan. Would they have don this in WWII with the Germans? Yes, then they were called collaborators. The Afghan army are our allies as the Free French and French Partisans were in WWII. Did France24 embed with the enemy during the attack on their own FRENCH soldiers last month? Al Qaeda/Taliban forces do not need any help to get their "message" out, they provide enough videos of executions and audio diatribe. Traitors would be a better description for those journalist and should be treated as such on the field of battle.
16/09/2008 13:06:06 Alert a moderator

taliban re alqueda terrorist

By Anonyme joseph walker - sherborne dorset uk

re canada annony. the west dosnt attack civilians around the world in night clubs trains and civilian places ,before afghanistan ,terrorist were systematically attacking western interest around the world,anyway an ideaology which says we are the infidels and enemies most muslims living in the west enjoy thier way of life ,which is provided by the infidels they say we are, ,deserve to be exterminated no matter where thier live they are the ones with thier distorted ideaology ,and indoctrinate thier own people with thier philosophy.
16/09/2008 03:06:08 Alert a moderator

French reporter with the Taliban in action

By Anonyme - Canada

Whats makes the Taliban in Afghanistan any more terrorists than those so-called American patriots serving under George Washington fighting the British? When a person fights against any foreign occupying forces that person is deemed a patriot, irrespective of his/her nationality. If we consider the issue in similar vein as the French Maquis that fought the occupying German army as patriots, then the Taliban or other groups fighting an occupation forces, also become patriots.

Any statement that condemns one group based on their religion or nationality as being terrorists, while overlooking similar acts by others is basically unjust and prejudiced at best. We must judge all by the same yardstick or we are discriminating.
15/09/2008 10:15:05 Alert a moderator

Creditibility

By Peace Keeper - Worldwide

To give the Taliban any credibility at all as anything other than a terrorist entity is ridiculous.
14/09/2008 02:51:57 Alert a moderator

Claire Billet Report on the Taleban

By Fadel Galal - United Kingdom

I watched the program today on France24. Excellent excellent work and tremendously courageous effort. Thanks for allowing us to have a different insight into the war in Afghanistan. Also having watched your news channel for past couple of days with variety/quality of coverage of international news I can see it being my main source of news for the foreseable future.
13/09/2008 16:34:00 Alert a moderator

deluded strategy?

By john smith -

You would nuke any village the Taliban were in? What about the civilian population? Do they deserve to die because of the Taliban? I thought the Taliban were being fought for the good of the Afghani people. It seems to do more harm than good if civilians are killed.
13/09/2008 12:08:00 Alert a moderator

fighting the taliban

By Anonyme joseph walker -

What a deluded strategy. I would have had saturated bombing or nuked any village that terrorist were in. Lucky for our media, can't imagine any previous conquerors worried about what the world thinks.