This sounds strange-—even for the Taliban. Why wouldn’t they just go after the old man?
“chilling echoes of western-style mafia violence...”
Yeah, I get it, we’re just as bad as those Muzzies...no bias here.
Because they want to send a message to the people that they will kill anyone, even children, that get in their way.
Same message they were sending by executing women in a soccer stadium not that long ago.