[kodah]

In a world of infinite possibilities it is possible, but I doubt it. I spent a year in Helmand and Nimroz. In that time I watched the Taliban attack our bases with three large, at times overwhelming attacks. I watched them gather on mountain tops as we turned bases over to the ANA and proceed to slaughter them after we left. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I believe the stories of forced fighters who had their family members abducted and held hostage, were tortured, and the general sense of enslavement that the local populous felt under Taliban rule. You are right that I didn't, and nobody from HumInt or our sister unit watched these executions happen, but anyone thats served in or lived in Afghanistan for any significant period of time is familiar with the Taliban's patterns. Additionally, two EOD members are fairly inconsequential to the military and any intelligence community that would have to train, arm, and deploy said paramilitary units.

Additionally, in Latin America if memory serves me correct paramilitary units were used because the US didn't want to go there as a military presence for both optics and cost. We (the military) were already present in Afghanistan.

Lastly, as I said earlier as well, this one death and one attack among many. There was very little significance to this attack. EOD was doing civilian route clearance, trying to clear civilian roads of IEDs and bombs planted by the Taliban. We didn't use these specific roads so that the Taliban wouldn't put bombs on them, but they did anyway and used it as leverage on the local populous. These types of operations were part of "hearts and minds" operations. The real message from the US military was sent every year during Opium Interdiction operations where after the Taliban had enslaved farmers to produce poppy for them we would raid the Taliban opium production facilities.

[bo-tato]

Interesting, thanks for sharing your experience. I don't doubt the Taliban is evil, but I don't think they're stupid. That they hold family hostage to force people to fight for them I can easily believe. That they kill the family of someone that just carried out an attack for them, and hasn't betrayed them or anything, seems counterproductive for them. As far as I understand paramilitary are part of almost all armed conflicts, to do the dirty work that isn't wanted to be associated with the official military. In some of latin america like you say the US had no official military role for optics and cost. Other countries like Guatemala, Colombia, etc the US had official military advisors present, and funding and cooperation with the official military. And then paramilitary groups also operating that are really just an extension of the official military and intelligence institutions, for doing the dirtier stuff.

[kodah]

They're absolutely not stupid, but I think you underestimate the ideology that lives heavily in the Taliban. They likely believe they delivered his family to a better life.

You are right about paramilitaries, but the governor's of districts in Afghanistan ran their own militaries that are not Geneva bound. That said, in this particular part of Helmand I don't remember seeing many ANA.