Taliban Creates Its Own YouTube Channel

Looks like the Taliban has gone 2.0. Over the weekend CNN’s Fareed Zakaria reported that the radical, religious, political group, which governed Afghanistan from 1996-2001 before being overthrown by the U.S., and is currently enjoying a resurgence of power in that country has its own YouTube channel. Apparently Sharia law, which among other things, allows for gruesome public executions, and requires women to wear burqas and remain in the home, has nothing whatsoever against the Internet!

Initially the channel had two videos posted. According to Zakaria one, which has since been taken down, showed “hideous scenes of death and destruction set to music.” The video that remains up is a series of peaceful scenes set to words and music, which we are unable to translate but is apparently “propaganda set to Pashtun-language music.”

Considering the video that does remain has only 2,850 views after being up for three weeks the channel perhaps can’t be considered a raging success. However keeping in mind that most Afghans don’t have easy access to the Internet one assumes the Taliban is perhaps planning on using it more as a recruiting tool to reach those outside the country than those already in Afghanistan. Either way, let’s hope YouTube has a experienced translator on site.

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