The Blond Talib
BY Herschel Smith
14 years, 7 months ago
I don’t know how long this video will stay published, but for those who catch it before it is pulled, check it out at 42:21 through 42:29 (h/t to Bill Roggio, source SpyTalk).
Folks, this is no ordinary fellow just out for a leisurely stroll or walkabout to see the countryside. His presence is obviously no issue for the fighters around him. He is known by those around him, but obviously this Talib is a young, Western jihadist. The blond Talib. How did he get there? Who convinced the rank and file to trust him? Where did he come from? Why is he there in the Nuristan Province of Afghanistan?
On May 18, 2010 at 11:21 pm, ndubaz said:
The “blond Talib” is likely just a normal Nuristani kid. Blondism is relatively common trait in northeastern Afghanistan and is particularly common in the high altitudes of Nuristan Province for both genetic and altitude-induced reasons. In my many months in Afghanistan, some of which was spent in Nuristan, I have seen dozens of Afghans whom look like the kid singled out in the video. My Nuristani interpreter Jawid, when beardless, was indistinguishable from my white soldiers. I recommend Google image searching, “Nuristani,” you will see many similar looking individuals.
On May 19, 2010 at 9:51 am, Warbucks said:
Or……hold on… Or….. he is an off-world alien hybrid sent to Earth to start the well known aggressive lizard-race of reptilian humanoids. It could happen…
On May 19, 2010 at 9:58 am, Herschel Smith said:
ndubaz, I doubt your explanation. Also, altitude has nothing to do with it.
On May 19, 2010 at 1:41 pm, jbrookins said:
I’m with ndubaz. I’ve seen a few blond Afghans. If more video could be seen I’d watch more for mannerisms.
On May 19, 2010 at 2:02 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Maybe. But they don’t appear to be dressed like this person in the video, who by all standards looks like he could have come off of the streets of NYC.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/6214794/Taliban-targets-descendants-of-Alexander-the-Great.html
Also of interest:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/6226935/Pakistan-discovers-village-of-white-German-al-Qaeda-insurgents.html
On May 19, 2010 at 6:05 pm, ndubaz said:
The distinctions between him and the others come from his age. He’s dressed like most other adolescents in Afghanistan in colder seasons. Pre-adulthood, he wouldn’t wear a Pakhol (rolled hat) and is probably wearing a Shalwar kameez underneath his extremely common jacket and sweater (both probably from humanitarian aid distributions). If you shaved the facial hair and took the Pakhols and scarfs from a number of the younger bearded men in the video, they would look pretty “western” as well.
I understand why his image is compelling to those with pre-conceived notions of what “Afghans” look like, but to those with experience in that part of Afghanistan, the blond adolescent just doesn’t stand out.
On May 22, 2010 at 7:17 pm, djmck said:
ndubaz is absolutely correct. This young lad is not atypical of what you will see there. That is why nobody gave him a second look. He is not a foreign Jihadi! I have spent time in Nuristan and nearby, and can assure you that you will find a variety of hair colors and pigmentation(s) there, some of which are “whiter” than myself- I happen to be of Irish descent. Instead of obsessing about the so-called “blond Talib”, we should be focusing on the fact that this is an outstanding example of propaganda, and that it appears that the folks who took down the COP captured a bounty of ammunition and weapons. We can spin it a dozen ways, but they produced footage that presents a victory. I do not at all mean to take away from the actions of my Army brothers who fought and lived through this assault. However, there are leaders who let their men down by putting them here and not ensuring that they had the numbers and/or suitable defenses/support to withstand this size attack.. Period. Thanks.
On May 24, 2010 at 8:52 am, Herschel Smith said:
djmck,
I understand all about the children of Alexander. As for the rest of your comment, you’re apparently a newcomer here. You should educate yourself before slinging out accusations such as “obsessing.”
This post took 30 seconds to write, and 15 seconds to go find the code for embedding the video. No one is obsessing. As for your comment about numbers or suitable defenses, you are right, but still late and a newcomer. Challenge. Go and read all of my articles – ALL OF MY ARTICLES – on Kamdesh and Wanat, and see what I’ve been saying about force size, terrain, far flung outposts without adequate force protection, etc., etc. Then come back and let’s discuss it.
Until then, you’ve picked on post out of thousands in which I discuss the very topic that interests you, and then charged me with not writing on it. Bad form.