Taliban Field Manual: Behave, Be Nice, Bomb
The Taliban is mounting a public-relations campaign to try to win the hearts and minds of Afghans with their own version of a field manual that urges efforts to limit civilian casualties.
The little book with a blue cover, Rules for Mujahedeen, directs Taliban militants on how to behave while on deployment and how to deal with enemy combatants, treat prisoners of war and interact with civilians.
The manual, which has been given extensive coverage on Al Jazeera’s Arabic service, appears aimed at renewing popular support among Afghans in the face of a U.S.-led offensive against the militants.
The directive also could be an attempt by Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban leader, to reassert himself as the uncontested chief of an entire flock of Taliban subgroups.
