Bonus Friday Photo: Mixed messages

Taliban fighters lay down their weapons as they surrender to the government of Herat Province on October 14, 2009 in Western Afghanistan. More than 40 insurgents handed in their weapons in the wake of an ongoing government security operation which killed the Taliban commander in the Gazara district, Ghulam Yahya Akbari days ago. (Photo by ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
579015_091016_taliban2.jpg
579015_091016_taliban2.jpg
HERAT, AFGHANISTAN - OCTOBER 14: Taliban fighters lay down their weapons as they surrender to the government of Herat Province on October 14, 2009 in Western Afghanistan. More than 40 insurgents handed in their weapons in the wake of an ongoing government security operation which killed the Taliban commander in the Gazara district, Ghulam Yahya Akbari days ago. (Photo by Majid/Getty Images)

Taliban fighters lay down their weapons as they surrender to the government of Herat Province on October 14, 2009 in Western Afghanistan. More than 40 insurgents handed in their weapons in the wake of an ongoing government security operation which killed the Taliban commander in the Gazara district, Ghulam Yahya Akbari days ago.

(Photo by Majid/Getty Images)

Joshua Keating is a former associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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