Who are the Quetta Shura Taliban? The key to understanding Helmand, Afghanistan

Good analysis of why things are not going well for US, Brits or other outsiders in Afghanistan - the Afghans really know how to organize to defeat those who want to dominate them. As the late election shows, that talent is not applied to bringing the people of Afghanistan together. That may be understandable since for more than 1,000 years they have "survived" all the invaders by being expert at decentralized governing.

clipped from circlingthelionsden.blogspot.com Insight into the military campaign in Helmand Jeffrey A. Dressler, Securing Helmand: Understanding and responding to the enemy explains to the reader the ebbs and flows of attack and counter-attack in this critical region. Dressler says, for example, that "The enemy system in Helmand is resourced and directed by the Quetta Shura Taliban (QST). The enemy is determined, well-organized, and entrenched in the province. In recent years, the enemy has shown its ability to adapt to the evolving conflict by developing and executing coherent campaign plans." He goes through these campaigns, showing how they evolved and who was behind the decision making. This report contains much very useful information and is indispensable for anyone who wants to understand how the Taliban fights and organises in its most important battlefield.