Page 377 - Encyclopedia Of Terrorism

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358———Taliban

The Taliban was largely dominated by the Pushtuns, and RUNNING AFGHANISTAN
it was exclusively Sunni, to the detriment of
Afghanistan’s Shiite Muslim minority. The Deobandi The Taliban’s successful conquest of much of
influence was expressed by the Taliban’s strident empha- Afghanistan was initially greeted with equanimity by
the United States. It was hoped that the Taliban would
sis on the observance of religious customs, whether or
restore stability to the country and close down the ter-
not that observance was sincere or even voluntary.
rorist training camps that had been established in
Following his decision to restore order to
Afghanistan during the war against the Soviets. The
Afghanistan, Omar gathered 30 comrades, took up
Taliban’s strict religiosity was initially seen in a posi-
arms, and attacked a mujahideen bandit. In October
tive light as well. Some observers believed that
1994, he and his growing group of comrades seized a
the Taliban would stamp out Afghanistan’s thriving
village and an arms depot. A month later, the Taliban—
opium-poppy industry, and the Taliban leadership’s
now with almost 3,000 fighters—routed an attack on a
hostility toward Shiite-dominated Iran dovetailed
Pakistani convoy, then swept into the provincial capital
neatly with the United States’ poor relations with that
of Kandahar and seized the city.
country.
While supporters of the Taliban tended to credit the
But the poppy trade for the most part continued.
group’s remarkable success to divine favor, popular
The Taliban’s hostility toward Iran escalated, leading
discontent with the mujahideen, and the genius of
to the murder of several Iranian diplomats in 1998.
Omar, critics noted the contribution of other factors.
The Taliban routinely persecuted and periodically
Almost from its inception, the Taliban received aid
massacred Shiites, especially those of the Hazara
from Pakistan and from mujahideen warlords—
ethnic group.
including ones the Taliban would later overthrow—
In urban areas where the Taliban’s grip on power
who apparently believed that the Taliban would serve
was especially strong, the Taliban outlawed a variety
to weaken rivals.
of activities considered un-Islamic, including music,
As a result, Taliban fighters were almost always
television, movies, kite-flying, and chess. Men were
better trained than their foes and had enough money
required to wear long beards; those whose beards
on hand to purchase support from key warlords.
were of insufficient length could be jailed until their
Success created more success; seizing Kandahar
beards grew out. Such rules were enforced by the reli-
gave the Taliban access to heavy weaponry, includ-
gious police, part of the Taliban’s Department for the
ing airplanes, helicopters, and tanks, once owned by
Promotion of Virtue and Suppression of Vice.
the warlords who held the city. Nonstudents soon
The Taliban’s treatment of women attracted
joined—despite the Taliban’s emphasis on Islam and
special condemnation. The Taliban forbade girls from
on destroying the mujahideen, its leadership ranks
attending school and forbade women from working.
soon included former warlords and PDPA officers.
Women’s bath houses—often used as a source of hot
By 1995, the Taliban had tens of thousands of
water in wintertime—were closed. Women were for-
fighters and the increased support of Pakistan, which
bidden from going out in public without male relatives,
was apparently both responding to pressure by its
and they were forced to wear a burqua, a garment that
Pushtun population and eager to have influence within
covered the entire body. Religious police publicly beat
Afghanistan. In March, the Taliban tried to take Kabul
women who strayed from such rules.
to the north but was defeated. Turning west, Taliban
Foreigners were not exempt from harassment and
forces took Herat in September 1995, then returned
persecution by the Taliban. Indeed, the Taliban’s will-
to Kabul, finally seizing the national capital the
ingness to target diplomats and aid workers triggered
following year.
a number of international incidents. Even Pakistan
The mujahideen withdrew to the north, eventually
soon found that it had little control over a movement
forming the Northern Alliance. The Taliban attacked
it had helped build.
the north repeatedly—in 1997 coming so close to
success that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United
Arab Emirates recognized it as the government of THE TALIBAN AND BIN LADEN
Afghanistan—but were never able to eradicate the
mujahideen, a fact that would come back to haunt the A significant reason for this was that the Taliban had
Taliban. found another source of funds—the wealthy Saudi