JOURNEYMAN PICTURES

AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN

Script – 21.09 m ins

00.00.00 Journalist talking

to Muhammed

Wakil - a Taliban

leader - off camera

Super Kandahar - Afghanistan

The man off-screen is Muhammed Wakil. He is a

Taliban, one of tens of thousands of religious

students who’ve been pouring into Afghanistan to

fight the Holy War. Unheard of just a few months

ago, now in control of a third of the country and

still TOTALLY unseen by the outside world.

“…You must first become a Muslim.”

Map Kandahar MUSIC STARTS

highlighted

01.10 Drive thru Kandahar totally destroyed

Kandahar was once one of the most graceful cities

in Central Asia.

When the Russians were defeated the area

descended into the control of an even more brutal

force - dozens of rival warlords, many of them little

more than thieves, rapists and murderers. A few

months ago, in one of the most remarkable events

in 15 years of war, bands of Taliban students,

virtually unarmed, defeated them all and delivered

a Holy Vengeance.

01.44 Anders Ronild was in Kandahar as the Taliban

advanced.

Super: Anders RoniId - UN Refugee Programme

ANDERS: As we drove out we saw 6 bodies. A

number of these bodies had playing cards stuffed

in their outstretched hands and money stuffed into

the other. This was to indicate that they were

infidels. It was pretty disgusting really.

02.29 Street shot from car window, zoom to executed tv hanging off post

The Taliban executed the worst of the previous

commanders and strung up their riddled bodies for

all to see. A similar fate awaited the city’s

television set; a fitting symbol of the Taliban’s total

prohibition on filming any living thing - human or

animal. Understandably the news coverage of the

Taliban has been limited.

 

02.57 The people of Kandahar shed few tears for the end

of the previous anarchy but now questions are

being asked, and left unanswered, about who the

Taliban are and what type of society they wish to

create. I joined with print journalist Ahmed

Rasheed in a journey to the Taliban leadership.

SET UP SHOT

Muhammed Wakil, Minister for Information

Ahmed Resheed, Print Journalist

It seems to the world that you are hiding

something. There’s no pictures, no speeches, no

announcements. What are your policies, who are

your leaders, what is your structure. People are

very suspicious! What is this Taliban?

 

04.03 Information from senior Taliban is almost non-

existent and negotiations are excruciating. It was

agreed that we could represent Muhammed Wakil

with a shot of a window and a pair of shoes. But

even this arrangement created tension amongst

other Taliban leaders.

 

04.22 Camera jostled and dialogue outside school

After trying to negotiate to film at a local school,

our camera was knocked to the ground and

smashed.

 

04.38 From car

We tracked down the last home video camera in

Kandahar to continue shooting.

 

Ahmed in car. “Yesterday we could at least film

buildings. Today we can’t film anything!... This is

the most extraordinary situation I have ever been

in as a journalist.” Mark: “What would happen if

we just started filming?”

 

Ahmed: “they would probably shoot us!”

 

05.14 Hand held walk into Taliban headquarters

By now all filming rights had been totally

withdrawn and we were forced to continue with the

camera concealed.

 

05.28 The background of this Taliban official is typical of

his fellow soldiers. Afghani, exiled into Pakistan

as a boy and, before the events of this year,

studying to become a Muslim scholar.

 

Interview Taliban official

Concealed camera

We left our study, we left our books and started

Jihad against cruel people.

Mark: Did all the students leave?

Yes, all the students leave their study. They

wanted to rescue poor people from this fire.

06.00 Road to Kandahar

Within weeks they had over run the roads of South

East Afghanistan, sweeping away dozens of

criminal gangs and local commanders. By

January, they’d captured Kandahar.

06.23 Super: Hamid Kirzai Former Minister Afghani Government

In a way the rise of the Taliban to power in

Afghanistan arose, and the reason it came so

quickly in 6 months is because the common man

was so sick of what was going on in these

provinces, especially in Kandahar. They took

Kandahar easily, there was little resistance.

Anders

Their aura and charisma of being religious

students made people reluctant to shoot them.

07.07 Young TaIib

They were running and we were running after

them. When we got to their posts, they were

hiding. And when we got there they just ran away.

We did not have anything. We didn’t have guns,

rifles or weapons. We had nothing but the power

of God.

 

07.26 Money dealers, traders, scales

They also had the power of money. The Taliban

have been collecting taxes and huge donations

from businesses, mostly in Pakistan, who are

eager to exploit the prospect of a safe and open

road into Central Asia.

 

Kirzai

Afghan businessmen support them. many

educated people support them - when they heard

that they brought some degree of stability and

security. Good causes deserve to supported!”

 

De-mining, mine sweeping

There is some reluctance amongst Humanitarian

Agencies to see the Taliban as a “good cause” but

the safety and security they have brought is

extremely welcome. Mine clearing operations

have expanded in an attempt to slow the tragedies

caused by the millions of mines which litter the

area.

 

08.45 Medical clinic

Emergency medical and food relief is starting to

flow in to help the needy but there is still a feeling

of uncertainty about the Taliban.

 

08.58 Super: Muhammed Attiqulah Foreign Affairs Minister

Mark: What do you need?

Attiq: Everything our government has destroyed for

 

20 years. We don ’t have anything.

 

Ahmed: Why don ’t you ask the world. Why don’t

 

you go to the United nations in New York and ask

 

them?

 

Attiq: Our doors are open for everyone who wants

 

to assist us but we are not asking for assistance.

 

We don’t ask anyone.

 

The Taliban ask no-one and answer to no-one - an

attitude which is making neighbouring countries

and international organisations extremely cautious.

Caution fueled by the Taliban’s adherence to a

rigid set of Islamic principles.

 

10.06 Ahmed

Many people say that your Islamic system is very

harsh. You don’t allow filming, you don ’t allow

football, you don’t allow women in the streets...

 

Super Muhammed Wakil. Minister for information

Wakil: We are implementing things that people

have fought for 14 years. We are not narrow

minded people and, in any event it is not our vision

these are the rules and laws of Islam which

should be implemented. Whatever is prohibited in

Islam we prohibit.

 

10.48 Anders: In the beginning came in and they banned

all sorts of games except for traditional games like

wrestling - there’s a lot of wrestling going on

literally in Kandahar. They banned cards, music,

football, volleyball. They actually banned women

from the streets. But that created an uproar.

 

11.34 Veiled woman descends steps and crosses courtyard

Of all the restrictions that the Taliban have

imposed it is women who have felt them most

sharply. After protests women were allowed

limited access to the streets and the bazaar but

are still totally prohibited from work and education.

 

11.54 Woman lifts veil to reveal English face

Rachel Taprell, a nurse, was reluctantly permitted

entry into Kandahar because male medical staff

were prohibited from attending to women and local

women were prohibited from working in the

medical centres.

 

Rachel Taprell M.E.R.L. I.N .

There is a need to address the problems of women

and children and because of the culture it is only

the women who can deal with those problems so

from those members of the Shariah I’ve had

support and encouragement about the presence of

a woman in Kandahar.

 

12.28 Concealed camera Taliban man

 Mark: Are boys schools and girls schools open?

Boys schools.

Mark: Do you plan to open girls schools.

Talib No, there’s no girl’s schools now. Girls study in

their own houses. Now there is no need for them

of come onto the streets and bazaars because

they are getting their knowledge in the houses.

Mark: What do they learn at home?

 

Talib They learn religion.

 

13.25 Camera points at floor

These questions came to an abrupt end when we

feared that our camera had been sighted.

 

13.31 Rachel

In spite of the constraints on women, and they’re

more flexible now, people are generally happy that

the Taliban have come. Prior to the Taliban there

was fighting on the streets, most people were

armed, people didn’t have any freedom...

 

She breaks off mid sentence when a Taliban spy appears

Can we stop please...

 

Our interview had to be postponed when a Taliban

spy, eager to inform upon Rachel’s activities,

entered her courtyard. The authority of the

Taliban hangs heavily over all who live in

Kandahar

 

14.21 Concealed camera hand-held walk into Islamic court in Kandahar

 Can you please tell them we are journalists. We

have come from Australia and from Pakistan and

we are very happy to be here. We would like to

see the Taliban. We’ve heard so much about the

Taliban system.

 

Judge

 Our judgement is made according to the Islamic

Shariah and according to the book.

 

Judge

When someone steals something with their hand,

that hand should be cut off.

Crime is much less now. 90% has gone, only 10%

remains.

 

15.14 Super Hafizullah Khan

Hafizullah Khan was a very prominent figure in

Kandahar. He assisted the Taliban with money

and food and arms when their uprising began.

Khan

I considered them good people, religious people.

We are all very religious people.

Although a devout Muslim, he now feels totally

excluded by the control of a religious clique.

 

15.50

They must let the people join in with them. They

should not prefer a Talib to a common man. They

must give the people a way in.

 

It is becoming a common fear that the political

structure in Southern Afghanistan will not

necessarily be Afghan or even Islam - it will be just

Taliban.

Kirzai - Minister in first post communist govt.

Now that there is peace they must now bring about

the other necessities of life for the common man -

freedom of expression, education, political

involvement. The Taliban have to give that.

 

16.32 Super: Muhammed Wakil. Minister for information #

The Taliban consistently refuse to address the

question of political involvement of those beyond

their own circle.

 

Wakil

There are many issues that belong to a central

government. When we capture Kabul these things

will be solved.

 

Wide shot Kabul

It is increasingly likely that these questions will

never be answered, as their ambition to take over

the central government in Kabul now appears

impossible.

 

Their attempts to capture Kabul have been

soundly re-buffed by President Rabbani and his

veteran general, Massoud.

 

17.18 Anders

Their first set back was in moving to attack the

professional army of Rabbani and Masoud. Their

religious authority doesn’t carry much weight in

these areas. They don ’t have a reluctance to pull

the trigger. That has been difficult for them.

 

Check post

In March, emboldened by their easy victories in

the South and bolstered with captured arms, the

Taliban made a bold move to capture the rest of

Afghanistan.

 

18.13 Kandahar to Kabul

They fought their way to the very edge of Kabul

and swept out towards the government controlled

areas in the West - this time destroying armies

along the way with Kaloshnikovs rather than the

Koran...

 

18.29 Archive: fighting in Kabul - bang bang

But when they reached the government line,

their forces were no match against the tank

battalions and constant air strikes which they

endured.

 

18.40 War wounded hospital & inside

 Away from the watchful eyes of their leaders these

injured soldiers had no objection to being filmed.

 

Unlike the former commanders in the south, the

government forces which they have attacked are

not criminals. They’re far from perfect... but

they’re not murderers and they’re not thieves. I

asked this man why they should be attacked.

 

19.07 Talib soldier

Although there are no robberies in their areas, they

are still committing sins - homosexuality, playing

with boys, women walking around uncovered and

everything.

 

The Taliban casualties have been horrific but their

conviction has yet to fail them.

 

Talib

We have been assisted by Allah and assisted by

Muhammed and other religious saints. We are

relying on Allah in his assistance. We were not

relying upon weapons nor upon soldiers. We are

only relying upon Allah.

 

Their ambitions for complete military victory

appear to have turned to dust. It’s likely that the

Taliban will have to be content with controlling a

third of the country in their ethnic strongholds in

the south. The current stalemate could remain for

years.

 

Child crying in Refugee Camp

The keenest observers of recent events are the

 

millions of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran

who cling to the hope of being able to return to

their homes.

 

For these refugees in Pakistan, the Taliban are no

Ionger just an advancing army, they are the

government in the South East. But little is known

about what sort of government they will be - one

that involves them or one that is controlled

exclusively by an extreme religious clique.

 

20.27 Refugee 1

Taliban say they bring Islam. Rabbani says he

brings Islam. But I don’t know...

 

Refugee 2

I’m happy about the Taliban, but I don’t have

enough information. I will stay here.

 

For many, rumours and wishful thinking are not a

sufficient basis to risk returning.

21.09 ENDS