Those Taliban sure know how to get their own way…do what we want or we’ll blow it up!! The Taliban recently told Afghan mobile phone operators that if they didn’t shut down their services during the hours of night they will target mobile phone towers, and it seems the Afghan operators have capitulated to their demands.
A BBC report states ten mobile towers have recently been targeted over the last couple of weeks by the Taliban; six of the ten towers are now completely out of service. This explosive move by the Taliban is an attempt to halt military chatter over mobile networks. The problem is mobile communication on wireless networks is the only form of communication available to the Afghan people.
The Afghan government is urging mobile network operators not to give into the Taliban’s demands because shutting down during night hours would cut off most of the populace as landline infrastructure is virtually non-existent in the country.
Abdul Hadi, spokesperson for Afghan’s Telecommunications Ministry said: “We are concerned because the mobile phone companies had promised us that they would not bow before the Taleban demand.”
So well done Taliban, you get your way and get the mobile network shut off during night hours, but what then about the Afghan people who just might need urgent emergency services during those hours? But never mind them or anyone else as long at those bad military people can’t communicate, which I’m sure they will continue to do no matter how long the mobile networks are closed. Oh hang on; maybe they’ll use satellite phone or even the old fashioned walkie-talkie system.
Source — tech.co.uk