Taliban

Tagged:

Status:	Active
AKA:	Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Taleban, Students
Formed:	1994
Areas of Operation:	Afghanistan, Pakistan
Headquarters:	Afghanistan
Ideology:	Religious (Islamist - Sunni; Nationalist - Pashto)
Group:	> 36,000 members
Leader:	Mullah Mohammed Omar, Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, Mullah Akthar Mohammed Mansour[1]
Affiliates:	Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Aden-Abyan Islamic Army (AAIA), Al-Ittihad al-Islamiyya (AIAI), Al Qaeda, Al Qaeda in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Armed Islamic Group (GIA), Chechen Rebels, Haqqani Network, Harakat ul-Jihad ul-Islami (HuJI), Harakat ul-Mujahideen (HuM), Hezb e-Islami Gulbuddin, Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Lashkar e-Tayyiba, Lashkar i-Jhanavi, Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), Millat e-Islami, Punjabi Taliban, Sipah-e-Sahaba-Pakistan (SSP), Tehrik e-Nafaz e-Shariat e-Mohammadi (TNSM), Tehrik e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Uighur Separatists
RSS:	Talks with Taliban not to affect operations in tribal areas - DAWN.com Taliban Claim Killing of Pakistani General - Wall Street Journal Attack on servicemen: Plot afoot to torpedo peace talks with Taliban: Fazl - The Express Tribune 104 terrorists, 8 troops killed in operation against Taliban - Zee News UN to release findings of Syria chemical attack inquiry - Los Angeles Times Killing of top army officers: Taliban accept responsibility - Frontier Post TTP comeback: Taliban have crept back into strategic stronghold, says ANP - The Express Tribune Scores of Taliban fighters killed in last 24 hours - eNCA

Organizational History

The Taliban, often spelled Taleban, is a militant Sunni-Islamist terrorist group that is dedicated to the implementation of a strict Deobandi form of Sharia (Islamic law) in Afghanistan. The Taliban is one of the most notorious terrorist organizations worldwide. Espousing a Sunni fundamentalist ideology, the Pashtun movement ruled most of Afghanistan from 1995 until 2001, when they were forced out of positions of power by an American offensive following the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. This volatile war has continued between the Taliban and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) coalition troops throughout 2011-2012 and continues to present a security problem. Throughout their existence the Taliban has continued to evolve, increasing their ability to function as a violent extremist organization.

The Taliban was formed in reaction to a power vacuum in Afghanistan following the defeat of the Russians in the Afghan-Soviet War, which ended in 1989. Various warlords had piecemealed portions of the country, and the Taliban aimed to liberate the Afghans from this control. Islamic religious scholars called mullahs, trained in Pakistan, operate beneath Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar. The rest of the movement was comprised of Pashtun tribesmen who trained in religious seminaries called madrassas from southern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. Pashtuns are the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan, so there continues to be a strong tie between the terrorist group and their cultural brethren. This has become apparent through the support given by Pashtuns living in the Western tribal areas of Pakistan to Taliban and members of al Qaeda throughout the ongoing conflict with ISAF forces.

The Pakistani government supported the Taliban government for one particular reason; the Pakistanis believed they could control or influence the smaller government and therefore promote their own interests within Afghanistan, and possibly demonstrate a united front against India. Taliban fighters received invaluable training and arms from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and were able to take over rule of Kabul by 1996 and set up the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. After three years of capturing key areas in the country, the Taliban instituted a strict version of Islamic law, called Sharia, and their ranks swelled tremendously; the key areas included Kandahar, Herat, and Kabul. By 2000, the group controlled 90 percent of the country, even though only three other nations validated their legitimacy; Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates.[1]

Since their inception, the Taliban is known to have provided safe haven to many known terrorist individuals and groups. Their most notorious guest was Usama bin Laden (UBL) and his al Qaeda organization following the end of the Afghan-Soviet war. According to Pashtunwali, a Pashtun code of honor or culture, all guests are treated with the utmost hospitality; they are given shelter, food, and protection as if they were a part of that community. Al Qaeda was given refuge under this administration, and Mullah Omar refused to turn Usama bin Laden in to security forces. The UN Security Council imposed sanctions against the Taliban in 1999 for its support of Usama bin Laden’s network. The Taliban’s protection of UBL led to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, where protracted warfare still occurs today. However, after a ten-year search for bin Laden in various locations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he was no longer under the protection of the Taliban; and was killed during an operation conducted by U.S. Navy SEALs on May 2, 2011 local time, in Abottabad, Pakistan. [2]

The Taliban fell in November 2001 after massive aerial bombardment and targeted physical attacks, just over a month after the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops invaded Afghanistan. Many group members retreated to Pakistan, especially into the tribal areas. Taliban refugees were able to reorganize and re-arm, establishing themselves as a viable enemy against western occupation of Afghanistan in 2006. Officials speculated whether the resurgence in activity was due to dissatisfaction with the Afghan government (or its western support network), or if it was because of extensive Taliban intimidation tactics. Increases in attacks between Taliban fighters and coalition and Afghan soldiers were apparent in 2008, and even more so in 2009. In 2009, an International Council on Security and Development group report stated that the Taliban presence in Afghanistan extended over 80 percent of the region.[3] According to the NCTC, the Taliban claim responsibility for the largest number of terrorist attacks, and the most fatalities, over 90 other groups in operation during 2009.[4]

U.S. and coalition efforts to eliminate the insurgent/terrorist threat are often hindered by Taliban elements such as the Haqqani Network, Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin, al Qaeda (AQ), and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, who continue to use the tribal areas in Pakistan as a base from which to launch attacks within Afghanistan and beyond. Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan also maintains support to militants conducting attacks in Afghanistan. They, as well as other anti-coalition, foreign fighter organizations, continue to coordinate attacks with the Taliban and provide funding, training, and personnel to facilitate violent, sub-state operations. Not only does the group present a critical threat to the Afghan government, but they continue to threaten international security and stabilization efforts, particularly in south Asia.

The Taliban continues to target security forces Afghanistan. In 2011, the Taliban shifted tactics, using explosives in place of direct fire. This change in tactics has caused an increase in the number of civilian casualties.[5] According to a United Nations report, in 2010 the Taliban was responsible for 75 percent of civilian casualties in Afghanistan; in 2011 that number increased to 80 percent. [5][6] According to the London-based International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) report in 2011, the Taliban is utilizing explosive tactics in an effort to intimidate civilians and eliminate civilian confidence in Afghan security forces. This report also showed that in September 2011 a poll was conducted showing only 33 percent of the Afghan population had confidence in the abilities of Afghan security forces; this number has from 50% in June 2010. [1]

Structure

There are a number of different factions, the most important of which are the Haqqani network, which is based in Khost and led by Jalaluddin Haqqani, and the Quetta Council. Since the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, there is little information known about the specific structure of the organization. The highest level of the Taliban structure is the ten-member leadership council known as Rahbari Shura. The group also supports a council of advisors called the Majlis-e-Shura, who provide guidance to the Rahbari Shura as needed. Their political branch is primarily used as a figurehead, though is composed of a political affairs, military, financial affairs, and cultural affairs branch. Some reports suggest the Taliban has separated the country into four regional military councils including the Quetta Military Shura, the Peshawar Military Shura, Miramshah Military Shura, and the Girdi Jangal Military Shura.[7]

Arsenal

Since 2006, the Iranian government has provided training and logistical support to Taliban members. Most of the weapons include small arms, rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and launchers such as RPG-7/Type-69, 81 mm mortars, 107 mm rockets, and plastic explosives.[8]Many of the assault rifles are Russian and Chinese-made AK series weapons, along with 12.7mm and 14.5 mm machine guns. The Taliban also uses various machine guns, both light and general-purpose, from the PK series.[9] In 2008, a weapons cache discovered by security forces found a selection of Type-69 airburst RPGs which are intended to bounce off the ground at landing and explode above the ground, releasing up to 800 steel ball bearings in a radius of 15 meters.[10] Taliban insurgents are also believed to be in possession of a few HN-5 Chinese man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). [11]

Funding

The Taliban traditionally funded their operations through the sale and trafficking of poppy/opium, however this was significantly lessened in 2000.[12] In addition to the opium market, the Taliban has used emerald mines to fund their insurgency. These criminal activities also tend to fuel corruption throughout the Afghan government, private industry, and civilian population. Currently, the trade of services between Taliban members and opium traffickers is a more significant source of funding. Taliban members offer traffickers protection in return for shelter and payment which comes in various forms such as vehicles, telephones, and money.[13] Many experts contend that the group still receives support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency. Some individual supporters also provide financial assistance to the al Qaeda/Taliban network; this includes Ameed al-Peshawari, the leader of the Ganj Madrassah in Peshawar. Large portions of money have also been confiscated from U.S. supported development projects aimed at helping villages rebuild and progress.[8] In 2011-2012, it was estimated that the Taliban earned about $100 million of the $400 million from the operations through the sale and trafficking of poppy/opium. The other $300 million has come from donations, taxing local economies and extortion from cell phone operators and aid projects. [13]

Recruitment

Historically, many jihadis join the fighting because they need to make a living, and use the funds to support themselves and their families. Others fight because of Taliban intimidation tactics, and even more are linked to the insurgency because of their frustration with the Karzai-led government. There are countless insurgency fighters from other Islamic states. There has been an extreme increase in foreign fighter migration from around the world; many of them have moved east from the recent war in Iraq.

As with many other terrorist groups, the Taliban also exploits poverty-stricken regions. In both Afghanistan and Pakistan, many poor families are forced to send their children to public madrassas for education because they are unable to afford private institutions, and the local schools are often not equipped to provide an adequate education for children. Many of these madrassas in rural, xenophobic areas are ideal for indoctrinating Muslim youth into radical beliefs and Talibanization. Afghani refugee camps in Pakistan have also become a popular place for recruiting.[14]

Tactics

Taliban tactics consist primarily of guerilla-style improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and small-arms ambushes against international and state-level security forces and interests, such as police checkpoints and military supply convoys. Their tactics, techniques, and procedures have expanded to include mass casualty attacks by suicide bombers and other suicide attacks in order to undermine the current government; in 2010 there were 140 recorded suicide attacks.[15] The types of improvised explosive devices used by group members are becoming more dangerous; the explosives components and triggering mechanisms are evolving among the Taliban. Many successful techniques used in Iraq against coalition and national security forces are migrating to Afghanistan.[16] Since 2008, the Taliban has been behind a majority of attacks that the military have dubbed “green-on-blue” attacks. These attacks occur when Afghan forces attack the other Coalition forces with side-arms. Each year the number of attacks and casualties has been increasing, with the most dramatic increase occurring over the past year and a half; in 2011, there were 14 attacks, and as of September 19, 2012, that number has increased to 35 attacks. [17]