and so at this stage i think trying to cultivate the taliban with investments is the least worst option. reporter: the taliban for its part has not spoken out publicly against china s crackdown on its uighur population, a silence replicated by many other muslim majority countries such as iran and saudi arabia. the chinese government defending its policy trying to stamp out terrorism. after several attacks which it blamed on a group called the etim, a tiny fringe group that began to dissolve when its leader was killed by the pakistani mill 245er in 2003. sean roberts, author of the war on the weerg uighurs said it ue war on terror to justify its target. i think that it shielded china from a lot of criticism for some of the draconian