The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan Mass Mobilization, Civil War, and the Future of the Region

by Nojumi, Neamatollah

• ISBN13: 9780312295844
• ISBN10: 0312295847
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-04
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

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.

Author Biography

Neamatollah Nojumi, who was raised in Afghanistan, was a participant in the Mujahideen fight against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. A frequent speaker on the politics of Afghanistan, he has appeared on or consulted with ABC's "Nightline" and NBC's "Dateline."

Table of Contents

Chronology of Events	iv
List of Definitions and Abbreviations	v
Introduction	ix
Historical Background	1	(10)
The Theory of Mass Mobilization	11	(17)
Traditional Political System	28	(13)
The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan	41	(19)
The Phenomena of Civil War in Afghanistan	60	(18)
Zonal Division of Afghanistan	78	(5)
The Afghan Mujahideen and Mass Mobilization	83	(12)
The First Phase of Civil War	95	(10)
The Formation of a Third Movement	105	(5)
Missing the Only Chance	110	(7)
The Rise of the Taliban	117	(8)
The Source of Taliban Forces in Afghanistan	125	(9)
Taliban Tactics and Strategies	134	(18)
The Political Ideology of the Taliban	152	(6)
The Taliban Advance toward Mazar-e-Sharif	158	(13)
The Road into the Future	171	(11)
Afghanistan in the International System	182	(24)
Conclusion	206	(14)
Epilogue: The Afghan Connection to September 11	220	(12)
Notes	232	(16)
Bibliography	248	(4)
Index	252