How the Taliban came to power after the Mujaheddin commanders were unable to form a common government when the Russians withdrew... Jim
"The Rise of the Taliban
In 1994, a group of students (talibs) from the Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa (religious school), in Akora Khattak in Pakistan's North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) led by a one -eyed religious teacher, Mullah Omar, made an appearance on to the scene and successfully battled a local Mujaheddin commander. They initially echoed principles of Islam and its legal code Sharia, stating that they wanted to end oppression and brutality by the warlords. The Taliban could be considered second generation Mujaheddin being different from their predecessors in several aspects. First they are children of the war, largely made up of the refugees who fled Soviet occupation. Second, since they had not grown up in Afghanistan and are not aware of its history, culture or tribal ancestry. Third, they are ethnically Durrani Pashtun from southern Afghanistan. Fourth, they were too young to fight at the time of the Afghanistani resistance against the Soviet Union.
Their military campaign had rapid initial successes and in their first three months they had captured 12 out of the 36 regions of Afghanistan. These successes were in the Pashtu belt, their ethnic base, and in numerous cases involved bribery rather than armed combat. After establishing control over most of the poppy fields located in Southern Afghanistan, they started to expand westward toward Herat and northward toward Kabul. In the conquered area they imposed strict laws and disarmed the population. By imposing strict Pashtun standards on other ethnic communities, the Taliban had begun to commit the same errors as the communists. In 1996, they captured Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan and attracted international attention. Upon capturing the city, they promptly imposed their version of Sharia law and tortured and publicly hanged former President Najibullah who was living in the UN compound.
Almost as immediate as their initial successes, they suffered a reversal of fortune. The Mujaheddin commanders now united and with support from Iran, Russia, Central Asian countries and India attacked them and forced them to retreat. The retreat had a far-reaching impact; it not only was expensive in terms of manpower and equipment but also threatened their legitimacy in a religious sense as being commanded by God. The retreats were largely reversed with the help of Pakistan's madrassas (their ideological comrades), that would close down so that the students would take part in helping the Taliban. The Taliban continued to rely on Pakistani students and have been unable to recruit people in their land because their strict laws have disenchanted the population and created resentment. The Taliban are continuing the "Rentier" state status of Afghanistan, albeit with different benefactors. They are largely dependent on Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries for aid.
Infused with this new support and supplies from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the Taliban moved north towards Mazar-e-Sharif. They had hoped to get a foothold into northern Afghanistan and gain recognition form the Central Asian Republics that they hoped to soon border. Upon capturing the of Mazar-e-Sharif, they characteristically imposed their harsh order and this time the population revolted and pushed them back with heavy casualties. As previously, more students from the Pakistani madrassas ran to join them. The Taliban made another move towards Mazar-e-Sharif, this time were successful. Besides imposing strict laws, they engaged in massacres of Shias. The Taliban brutality continued to rise as time passed, in 1998 during their siege around Bamiyan in central Afghanistan, they used hunger as a weapon against civilians. These events further embittered ties between the predominantly Sunni Pashtuns and Shias.
Organization & Finance
Mullah Omar is the religious leader of the Taliban and has the titles of Commander in Chief and Amir e Momineen (Commander of the Faithful). He acquired the titled of Amir e Momineen upon wrapping himself in a cloak that originally belonged to the Prophet Mohammed, in an attempt to legitimize his role and raise the morale of the Taliban as they were facing their initial defeats. Mullah Omar is a Pashtun from southern Afghanistan near Kandahar. He has never traveled to any other region of Afghanistan and traveled to Kabul only once to legitimize his rule. Initially, he ruled by a jirga or shura (committee) where people would voice their opinions and he would make the final decision. This has changed and Mullah Omar now makes decisions with a few trustworthy mullahs. Neither he nor any of his confidants have experience in running a government; they started their careers as clerics in Pakistani Army. Many of the appointed ministers by Mullah Omar are also battlefield commanders, and replaced when they lose his favor or gain popularity. The ministries are unable to function when the minister is on the battlefront. Further adding to frustrations is the problem of two capitals. Kabul is the administrative capital while Kandahar is the spiritual one. Agreements that are worked out with the Kabul shura often are rejected because Mullah Omar did not agree with the decisions of those in Kabul.
The Taliban's ruling style had angered many in the country from ordinary citizens to the minority groups. The only functioning ministry in an otherwise dysfunctional government is the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, essentially a religious police. This religious police are involved in disseminating and enforcing the edicts of Mullah Omar such as appropriate attire and the length of beards. The edicts are broadcast on Radio Shariat. The Sharia imposed by the Taliban is in reality a mixture of Sharia with the traditional Pashtoonwali, code of the Pashtun tribes. The imposition of a code that contains a tribal philosophy on other communities of Afghanistan has caused discontent. It is here that the Taliban are replaying the mistakes committed by the leftist governments and the Soviets, which ultimately led to uprisings. Another factor that angered the minority ethnic groups is their lack of representation, upon the capture of a city; the appointed governing members are Pashtuns and exclude other ethnic groups and the conquered population.
The Taliban government has a war chest of about $100 million. Most of their revenues are generated from smuggling trade with Pakistan via the Afghan Trade Transit (ATT). Another significant source of income is the revenue from the poppy crop, generating a minimum of $20 million. The Taliban have provided Islamic sanction for opium growth, it is estimated that Afghanistan produced $3 billion worth of heroin or about 50% of the world supply (it is estimated that in the future Afghanistan may account for as much as 75% of the world's opium). Opium is exported across Afghanistan’s borders to its neighbors especially Pakistan and then exported to Europe and the U.S. Their final major source of income is direct and indirect aid from Pakistan. In actuality, Pakistan is the Taliban’s major financier, providing an overwhelming support to the regime which depends on Pakistan for the ATT, transiting of drugs as well as direct / indirect aid." jammu-kashmir-facts.com
Comment: Its easy to see how a wealthy Arab, Bin Laden, found a willing audience and raw recruits for his ambition and unholy war. |
