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We keep on hearing about Afghan Taliban here and there from our friends, social circle & especially on electronic & print media, ever wondered how they originated? The rise of the extremist outfit? still confused, we are here to build your knowledge about the bad boys of Afghanistan.
Background
Afghanistan was in a virtual state of disintegration just before Taliban emerged at the end of 1994, the country was divided into warlord fiefdoms & all the warlords had fought in a bewildering array of alliances, betrayals & bloodshed. President Burhanuddin Rabbani controlled Kabul & its environs, 3 provinces in the west centering Herat were controlled by Ismael Khan. In the east 3 Pashtun provinces were under control of the Jalalabad Shura. A small region in the South & East of Kabul was controlled by Gulbaddin Hikmetyar. In the north Uzbek warlord, General Rashid Dostum held sway over 6 provinces. Hazard controlled the province of Bamiyan in central Afghanistan.
South Afghanistan & Kandahar from where the Taliban emerged was divided up among dozens of petty ex-Mujahideen warlords & bandits who plundered the population at there will. The tribal structure & economy in tatters. The commanders abused the population at will, kidnapping young boys & girls for their sexual pleasure.
Emergence of Afghan Taliban
So a group of people met Mullah Omar in Kandahar who by the time had fought against the Najibullah regime between 1989 & 1992 chalked out an agenda – to restore peace & enforce sharia law & defend the Islamic character of Afghanistan. The name they chose was natural as most of them were full or part-time madrassah students hence the word Talib, plural ‘TALIBAN’. The name also signaled that they were a movement for cleansing society rather than trying to grab power.
Early Days of Taliban
A few months later two guys in Kandahar confronted each other in a dispute over a young boy whom both men wanted to sodomise. In the fight that followed civilians were killed. Omar’s group freed the boy and then the public appeals started coming in for the Taliban to help out in other local disputes & his prestige grew as he asked for no reward. On 12th Oct 1994, some 200 Taliban took control of small Afghan border post of Spin Boldak (White Desert) just opposite to Chaman (Balochistan).
It was held by Hikmatyar’s men. Here Afghan trucks picked up goods from Pakistani trucks & fuel was smuggled into Afghanistan from Pakistan for transport mafia, ultimately the control of the town was crucial. On 3rd Nov 1994 Taliban after days of sporadic fighting routed out all commanders & captured the city.
Next:
By Jan 1995 some 20,000 Afghan youngsters had joined Taliban to join Mullah Omar. After the conquest of Kandahar, Taliban moved north into Urozgan & Zabul provinces. In the south, they captured the Helmand province. The continued their conquest westwards reaching the boundary of the 3 provinces controlled by Ismael Khan.
On 14th Feb 1995, the Taliban captured Hikmatyar’s headquarters Charasyab but failed to take Kabul as it was still governed by the Rabbani government & his capable commander Ahmed Shah Masud. Taliban also failed to control the 3 western provinces held by Ismael Khan & suffered heavy casualties. On Aug 1995, Ismael attacked Taliban but Taliban fiercely retreated & defeated his forces & as a result, now the three provinces in the west were under Taliban’s control. The Taliban treated Herat as foreign land not inducting even a single Herati in the administration. The administration was handed over to Pashtuns who could even speak the local language.
The fall of Kabul
On 24th Sept 1996 Taliban took hold of the all-important city of Jalalabad & the three eastern provinces just 45 miles east to Kabul. The gov sitting in Kabul was stunned by the speed of the offense. Taliban swept into Kabul on the evening of 26th Sept 1996 after the commander of government’s forces ordered a general withdrawal to evacuate the city.
Within 24 hours of taking Kabul, the Taliban enforced the most strict version of Sharia. TV, Videos, Satellite dishes, Music & all games including Chess, Football, kite flying were banned. Radio Kabul was named as Radio Shariat. Taliban soldiers stood on main streets arresting men without beards.
Next:
In the years to come Afghan Taliban were to fight the Hazaras to take the Bamiyan province, Ahmed Shah Masud, General Rashid Dostum & Ismael Khan to keep their land & conquer the remaining land in the north. What happened next, is history.
