March 27, 2010
Fighting the Taliban, one text message at a time
More on the US government's investment in new communication technologies to fight extremism in Afghanistan. By CNN/Afghanistan Crossroads.
In Afghanistan, Vikram Singh, a senior communications advisor to Richard Holbrooke, said there is a direct link between communications infrastructure and development.
As cell phones spring up in various areas that either didn't have them before or where they were destroyed by the Taliban, he said, commerce has increased and people are using mobile phone messaging to move around the country and spread information about the movement of the insurgents. Currently, between 10 million and 12 million afghans have cell phones, he said.
"Farmers are using cell phones to see what prices are in the market before making the trip into town. People are building confidence with local security forces. Cell phones really do transform areas.
The United States has also created a mobile banking project to pay Afghan police via cell phones.
Read full article.
Related:
-- Cell Carriers Bow to Taliban Threat
-- Mobile Phones combat Taliban's Afghans "Information Wastelands"
-- Radio, cell phones to help US in Afghanistan?
-- Once media-shy Taliban go hi-tech in propaganda war
-- British Intelligence bomb Taliban with SMS in psychological warfare
More on the Taliban and cell phones
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