Taliban-style security welcomed by some, feared by others

Kabul, Afghanistan (AP) – instead of 7 in the morning. However, and already a line outside the gate of the long police station, with men carrying their complaints and demanding justice for the new Taliban rulers of Afghanistan.

Something new, they soon discovered: Taliban fighters who are now police do not demand bribes such as police officers who are under the rule of U.d-backed for the past 20 years.

“Previously, everyone stole our money,” said Haji Ahmad Khan, who was among those who queued at the District Police Station in the last day. “Everywhere in our village and in government offices, everyone comes out,” he said.

Many Afghans are afraid of the harsh ways of the Taliban, their hardline ideology or restrictions on their severe women’s freedom. But the movement brought a reputation because it was not corrupt, very contrasting to the government being overthrown, which is famous for its bribes, embezzlement and grafts.

Even residents who shuddered on the potential for return on punishment – such as cutting the thief’s hand – say some security had returned to Kabul since the Taliban swept on August 15. Under the previous government, the gang of thieves has driven most people. Walk with darkness. Some roads between towns are once again open and have even been given a green light to travel with several international aid organizations.

Still, there is a danger. On Sunday, a bomb outside the Eid Mosque Gah Kabul killed several civilians and targeted Taliban members attending a warning service. No one is responsible for the bombing but groups of Islamic countries rivals have increased attacks on the Taliban in a fortress in East Afghanistan.

During their last time in power in the late 1990s, the Taliban offered an exchange: they carried Afghan stability with desperately trying hard and eliminating corruption, but they also imposed their hard interpretation of Islamic law. It includes punishment such as hand amputation, killer execution with one bullet to the head, most often by relatives of murder victims and all done in public. Religious police beaten men to cut their beards or because they did not attend prayers.

In the past week, the Taliban arrested 85 alleged criminals, several accused of committing small crimes, and others about murder, abduction and robbery, said Noor Ahmad Rabbani from the Taliban anti-crime department.

Taliban said they would bring their previous punishment. The only question is whether they will take them out in public, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, former Minister of Justice and Officials currently responsible for prison, told the Associated Press.

Some sentences have reappeared. The body of four men was hung from a crane in the middle of Herat, after being killed by the Taliban while allegedly trying to kidnap. At least two occasions in Kabul, trigger thieves were paraded on the streets to embarrass them, handcuffed, with their faces painted or with stale bread in their mouths.

Taliban Gun-Tiff has taken a position at the checkpoint across Kabul and has gradually been made to wear a uniform – the beginning of the new national security forces, officials said. For many residents of Kabul – especially young people who grow in horror stories about the previous period of the Taliban government – the view of the fighters is scary when they roam the streets freely, with their typical long hair, traditional dresses and Kalashnikov’s rifles hang by their side.

But so far, they seem to have brought assistance from corruption. Before the Taliban takeover in August, people had to pay bribes just to resolve the utility bill. The rampant fraud in the military is one of the reasons to collapse so fast before the advanced Taliban. Apart from open graft, the US and Europe pour billions of dollars to the government with little supervision.

As in the past, the Taliban had turned to the tribal elders to resolve disputes. Last week, a group of elders gathered

The sixty-year-old Khan came from East Khost Province to seek the relief of the Taliban in collecting extraordinary loans. He said he supported the Taliban punishment such as amputation, even though it wasn’t for a small thief.

He said they brought security “because they treat criminals under Islamic law.”

A principal, who did not want to give His name who was afraid of its impact, had come to the police station to complain about the months behind the school fees.

He said he wanted to give a chance to the Taliban. Under the previous government, he was charged with bribing every time he went to the police to complain about naughty payments.

“America invests a lot of money in Afghanistan, but it is a mafia who runs the country,” he said.

Other complainants, who give His name only as Dr. Sharif, has returned recently from Saudi Arabia where he worked for several years. He did not object to the Taliban-style punishment but was debated hard against placing Taliban leaders and religious scholars responsible for the government department.

“We need professional people … We need economic specialists, not Maulvi who don’t know about business,” he said, using words for Muslim scholars.

However, he welcomed having his complaint sounded without a request for bribes from the Taliban police. Previously, the police demanded bribes just to enter the station.

“Error from the government of the past,” he said, “is they put all the money into their pockets.”

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Associated Press Writer Samya Kullab in Kabul contributed to this report. Follow Gannon on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kathygannon.