Taliban Open New Front

Radio Free Europe - Radio Liberty is now reporting the confirmation that the "neo-Taliban" have control of Zabul, basically quoting the same sources I did yesterday. In addition, they have announced that Muhammad Assim Muttaqi has taken command of a new northern front and will be directing attacks against warlords affiliated with the Karzai government, most notably Abd ar-Rahman Dostum. These are the people administration spokespeople like to characterize as remnants on the run. The Taliban are clearly back and confident, playing at least the nationalism card and benefitting from the Pashtuns' concerns with the former Northern Alliance and disaffection with the pace of reconstruction. This war isn't over, and at least on the surface, it looks like the people who attacked us on September 11 have the initiative.