Dear Lepus,

Thanks for those links. Just checking - The cult of martyrdom is characteristic of the Shi'ite branch of Islam (as in Lebanese Shi'ite Militia trained by Iran who blew up 241 American servicemen and 58 French paratroopers in simultaneous attacks in Beirut), whilst Islam condemns sucide as the way to hell and damnation but amongst Islamic scholars the argument has been won by radicals who see it as a legitimate form of Jihad - replacing the term 2Suicide bomber" with Martyrdom operation"

As regards the Taliban (Sunni? Ok?) - I do believe the evidence of my own eyes (filmed summary public executions - women being shot in the back of the head, innocent villagers of different ethnic background to Taliban with their faces cut off, emaciated women begging on the streets, the daily risk of death by women teaching girls (which is forbidden) on and on ad nauseum - as presented by an intrepid expatriate Afghani (with no axe to grind either way) risking her life to find out the truth of what's going on in her homeland. Sorry, I would love to believe it's bullshit and edited film - but so much of it so obviously wasn't. (And I am huge cynic generally of these documentaries)

Regards, Hille