Senior Taliban Commander on the Late Osama bin Laden

From The Times of India we have an interview with a senior Taliban commander. The interview is by Reporter Michael Semple, who, I am told, has the contacts, history, and instincts to give this some credence.  The interviewee doesn't necessarily represent the Taliban movement as a whole (which has fractured significantly the last few years under all the HVT strikes), but it probably means that a faction of Taliban think that way.  A selection: 

"At least 70% of the Taliban are angry at al-Qaida," Mawlvi is quoted as saying. "Our people consider al-Qaida to be a plague that was sent down to us by the heavens.  To tell the truth, I was relieved at the death of Osama.

Interesting.

The other interesting quote is:

"It would take some kind of divine intervention for the Taliban to win this war," the commander, who is referred to only as Mawlvi (mullah) tells Semple, according to excerpts of the interview on the magazine's website.  "The Taliban capturing Kabul is a very distant prospect."

I don't think we are about to become best buddies with the Taliban.  They want to be back in control.  But, still, something might be worked out.

Regards  —  Cliff