Taliban Leader 'shocked' By Malala Attack.

[sandyRoe]

Should we read this as an attempt at damage limitation?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23347425

[Sharingan]

You could take this two ways and it's probably some of both. Firstly you could assume it's purely a damage limitation exercise since she got so much coverage with her pretty excellent speech. Secondly you could say that this man might be making an attempt to push himself forward as a more 'progressive' ( if such a thing exists) face of the Taliban that foreign powers might be willing to get behind. Either way he's put himself in a position where we can use him to our advantage, and we should.

[naomi24]

//He also claims the shooting was not in response to Malala's campaign for girls' education, but because she ran an anti-Taliban "smear campaign".//

Oh, well that's alright then. He's all heart! I wouldn't trust him an inch.

[jim360]

Of course! It's completely OK to shoot your political enemies, even if they are 14-year-old schoolgirls. I for one wholeheartedly welcome this letter.

/sarcasm.