After almost 27 years of bitter struggle against opposing forces in Afghanistan, leaders of the Taliban have said they are ready to call it a day, throw in the towel, and return to their former lives as shepherds, or whatever.
The Taliban - sometimes spelt The Taleban - have wreaked havoc throughout the country since being founded in Pakistan in 1994, on its dusty plains, and in its scenic mountain ranges, all to little avail.
Their unkempt foot soldiers, clad in filthy rags, with putrid-smelling flip-flop-shod feet, and, often, no underpants, spend their lives taking sniper potshots at small groups of Allied Forces personnel.
Having actually governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), as it calls itself, has been classed as an insurgency since 2002.
Its current leader, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, is now preparing to wind down operations in favor of a more relaxing lifestyle. He said:
"Well, it's true, you know? You do something for a while, and then you just lose interest, don't you? I mean, firing bullets aimlessly into the sky, or even at isolated patrols, gets a bit tiresome after a while, and I, personally, am looking for a new direction in my life."
His soldiers felt the same. One said:
"I've laid hundreds of roadside bombs, but does it pay the bills? I'm in my thirties - I think - and have no wife, children, friends, or underwear. What kind of a life is that?"
Another lamented:
"It's all very well having a fringe religious ideology, but where has that got us? We live in caves, under trees, or in bushes - it plays havoc with my bad back."
Others claimed to be bored with their semi-nomad lifestyle, and said they didn't understand the need for a never-ending religious struggle in remote areas, which usually meant they couldn't get a reliable internet connection.
