The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War and the Future of the Region (Travelpack Periplus)

This book describes the turbulent political history of Afghanistan from the communist upheaval of the 1970s through to the aftermath of the events of 11 September 2001. It reviews the importance of the region to external powers and explains why warfare and instability have been endemic. The author analyses in detail the birth of the Taliban and the bloody rise to power of fanatic Islamists, including Osama bin Laden, in the power vacuum following the withdrawal of US aid. Looking forward, Nojumi explores the ongoing quest for a third political movement in Afghanistan - an alternative to radical communists or fanatical Islamists and suggests the support that will be neccessary from the international community in order for such a movement to survive. On September 11, 2001, The World Looked In Horror At One Of The Most Nefarious Acts Of Terrorism In History. The Attacks On The World Trade Center And The Pentagon And The Murder Of Over 6,000 People Seem To Be The Work Of Al-qaeda And Its Leader, Osama Bin Laden, Who Is Supported By The Taliban. Providing Crucial Historical And Social Background To The Turmoil That Has Long Engulfed Afghanistan And Contributed To The Rise Of This Radically Fundamentalist Group, Neamatollah Nojumi Provides A Unique Perspective On The Horror. Combining The Discerning Insights Of A Native Afghan With The Detachment Of A Scholar, He Looks At The History And Politics Of A Country Torn Apart By External Intervention And Civil War As A Way Of Understanding The Road To 9/11. Nojumi Carefully Traces How Afghanistan's Internal Divisions, Based On Ethnic, Linguistic, And Religious Differences, Have Affected Domestic Political Dynamics. He Looks At The Devastating Effects Of Foreign Involvement, Whether Through Direct Intervention Or By Supporting One Or Another Faction. He Shows How, As External Backing Reduced The Need Of Military Groups To Draw On Local Support, The Taliban Became More Radical And Authoritarian. The Resilience Of Afghanistan's Communities Was Further Undermined As Villages Were Destroyed, The Inhabitants Became Refugees, And The Traditional Politics Of Compromise Were Further Replaced By Islamic Fanaticism And A New Generation Of Leaders Cut Off From Conventional Social And Cultural Foundations. The Result Was The Rise Of The Taliban.--jacket. Chronology Of Events -- Historical Background -- The Theory Of Mass Mobilization -- Traditional Political System -- The Democratic Republic Of Afghanistan -- The Phenomena Of Civil War In Afghanistan -- Zonal Division Of Afghanistan -- The Afghan Mujahideen And Mass Mobilization -- The First Phase Of Civil War -- The Formation Of A Third Movement -- Missing The Only Chance -- The Rise Of The Taliban -- The Source Of Taliban Forces In Afghanistan -- Taliban Tactics And Strategies -- The Political Ideology Of The Taliban -- The Taliban Advance Toward Mazar-e-sharif -- The Road Into The Future -- Afghanistan In The International System -- Epilogue: The Afghan Connection To September 11. Neamatollah Nojumi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [248]-251) And Index. "On September 11, 2001, the world looked in horror at one of the most nefarious acts of terrorism in history. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the murder of over 6,000 people seem to be the work of al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, who is supported by the Taliban. Providing crucial historical and social background to the turmoil that has long engulfed Afghanistan and contributed to the rise of this radically fundamentalist group, Neamatollah Nojumi provides a unique perspective on the horror." "Combining the discerning insights of a native Afghan with the detachment of a scholar, he looks at the history and politics of a country torn apart by external intervention and civil war as a way of understanding the road to 9/11." "Nojumi carefully traces how Afghanistan's internal divisions, based on ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences, have affected domestic political dynamics. He looks at the devastating effects of foreign involvement, whether through direct intervention or by supporting one or another faction. He shows how, as external backing reduced the need of military groups to draw on local support, the Taliban became more radical and authoritarian. The resilience of Afghanistan's communities was further undermined as villages were destroyed, the inhabitants became refugees, and the traditional politics of compromise were further replaced by Islamic fanaticism and a new generation of leaders cut off from conventional social and cultural foundations. The result was the rise of the Taliban."--BOOK JACKET Front Matter....Pages i-xii Historical Background....Pages 1-10 The Theory of Mass Mobilization....Pages 11-27 Traditional Political System....Pages 28-40 The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan....Pages 41-59 The Phenomena of Civil War in Afghanistan....Pages 60-77 Zonal Division of Afghanistan....Pages 78-82 The Afghan Mujahideen and Mass Mobilization....Pages 83-94 The First Phase of Civil War....Pages 95-104 The Formation of a Third Movement....Pages 105-109 Missing the Only Chance....Pages 110-116 The Rise of the Taliban....Pages 117-124 The Source of Taliban Forces in Afghanistan....Pages 125-133 Taliban Tactics and Strategies....Pages 134-151 The Political Ideology of the Taliban....Pages 152-157 The Taliban Advance toward Mazar-e-Sharif....Pages 158-170 The Road into the Future....Pages 171-181 Afghanistan in the International System....Pages 182-205 Conclusion....Pages 206-219 Epilogue: The Afghan Connection to September 11....Pages 220-231 Back Matter....Pages 232-260 Cover 1 Title 2 Copyright 3 Contents 4 Chronology of Events 5 List of Definitions and Abbreviations 6 Introduction 10 1. Historical Background 14 2. The Theory of Mass Mobilization 24 3. Traditional Political System 41 4. The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan 54 5. The Phenomena of Civil War in Afghanistan 73 6. Zonal Division of Mghanistan 91 7. The Afghan Mujahideen and Mass Mobilization 96 8. The First Phase of Civil War 108 9. The Formation of a Third Movement 118 10. Missing the Only Chance 123 11. The Rise of the Taliban 130 12. The Source of Taliban F orces in Afghanistan 138 13. Taliban Tactics and Strategies 147 14. The Political Ideology of the Taliban 165 15. The Taliban Advance toward Mazar-e-Sharif 171 16. The Road iuto the Future 184 17. Mghanistan in the International System 195 Conclusion 219 Epilogue: The Mghan Connection to September 11 233 Notes 245 Bibliography 261 Index 265 On September 11, 2001, the world looked in horror at one of the most nefarious acts of terrorism in history. Neamatollah Nojumi explains how Afghanistan became the base for radical fundamentalism and provides critical understanding of how internal divisions and the devastating effects of foreign involvement undermined the resilience of Afghanistan's communities, led to the rise of the Taliban, and now presents a unique challenge to international efforts at nation building. As the cycle of yesterday's allies becoming today's enemies turns once again, The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan provides crucial insight into the tangled interaction of domestic, regional, and international politics that have bedeviled outsiders, plagued Afghans, and that threaten, absent judgement based on insight, to be a quagmire for the United States in the years ahead. This is essential reading in our troubled times. BECAUSE OF ITS GEOSTRATEGIC LOCATION BETWEEN THE PERSIAN Gulf, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan has become a significant player in the world.