THE TALIBAN

This paper was written December 7, 2008 for my UFV Crim 410e (Terrorism) course, taught by Jesse Cale.

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INTRODUCTION

This paper will attempt to outline the history of the Taliban, from its inception to their current status and goals and tactics used to try and regain the political power it once held, and how the current recognized Afghanistan government came into power and how they address the Taliban question.

FOUNDER/LEADER

According to a CBC New article (2004), Mullah Mohammed Omar, the one-eyed leader of the Taliban, also known to be Taliban’s spiritual leader, forged a relationship with Bin Laden during the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980’s. The U.S. listed both as the world’s most wanted. Although Omar had declared that the Taliban “would fight to the death rather than submit to the U.S.-led coalition” he made an about turn and decided to surrender Kandahar with a condition that the U.S. granted “personal amnesty” and “allow him to live in dignity with immunity from prosecution.” (And what of the victims under his ruthless regime?) The Bush administration’s position was and still is to capture and bring him to justice.

After declaring himself Amir-ul-Momineen, which means leader of the faithful, Omar began introducing initiatives “to make Afghanistan the purest Islamic state in the world.” Television, radio, cinema and music were outlawed. He ordered the destruction of any non-Islamic statues and symbols. A system of “harsh punishment was established for criminal behaviour: those convicted of theft had their hands amputated, those convicted of murder were publicly executed by families of their victims” (CBC News 2004).

Also as the so-called spiritual leader he “issued edicts to establish Taliban rules on women’s behaviour. They had to cover themselves. They were discouraged from leaving home and being seen in public. They were not allowed to pursue an education, nor were they allowed to pursue employment. “Women guilty of adultery were stoned to death. Death sentences were also dispensed for anyone who converted to another religion” (CBC News 2004).

According to Shroder (2006), after establishing himself as the Taliban leader and coming into office Omar “created the Ministry for Ordering What Is Right and Forbidding What Is Wrong to impose and enforce his rules of conduct. He was the supreme leader in a strictly hierarchical system of rule. He was advised on various matters by members of special shuras (councils) composed of high-ranking Taliban leaders. Ultimately he was the only individual who could issue an official edict.” He utilized the Taliban religious police to enforce the new rules. This religious police force acted as judge and jury on the spot and without the due process that is afforded to a society that is founded on democratical rights and freedoms, would met out punishment to anyone found disobeying the Taliban law. Omar and his Taliban government showed a deep disrespect toward human rights, especially towards women and non-Islamic religions (Taliban Regime section).

After conquering Afghanistan from Soviet communist occupation, Afghans welcomed their new liberators, Omar and bin Laden, and “believed the Taliban would bring order out of chaos and end decades of war and bloodshed” (CBC News, 2004), they were very far from the truth. Omar’s only education according to CBC News (2004) “consists of training sessions at a madrassah, an Islamic school devoted to the study of the principles of Islam and the reading of the Koran.”

DEFINITION OF GROUP NAME

According to Shroder (2006), “the name Taliban, meaning ‘student,’ which refers to the movement’s origins in Islamic religious schools” and although “most members knew war all their lives they attended” these Islamic schools “only for rudimentary religious training” (Section I).

RELIGION

Islam, the Taliban’s choice of religion, according to Morey (1992), is the “second largest religion in the world” and spreading faster than Hitler’s fascism (p. 5). But it is much more than just a religion. In countries such as the UK, Canada, and the U.S., religion has no part of governance as there is a separation between church and state. This is not so in Islamic countries. The Islamic religion is a large part of both law and politics.

According to Morey (1992), Muhammad, Islam’s founder, adapted Arab culture into a religion. This is shown in Arab culture today. For example, today’s dress code required for women was what the “nomadic tribeswomen wore in the desert of seventh century.” The purpose of covering one’s body from head to toe while living in the desert was used as protection from the desert sun (p. 28).

According to the website Islam.com the word Islam means “peace; surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for the sake of God and surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God” (Introduction to Islam).

Yet the meaning of Islam is not reflected in how Islamic authorities treat women. Nor is peace reflected in the Koran the Islamic religious book. For example, the Koran in Surah 48:13-17 calls upon all Islamic believers “to fight a mighty nation unless they embrace Islam” (The Koran).

For example in all Islamic nations, maybe with the exception of Afghanistan, women are severely oppressed and have no rights, nor are there any civil rights and cruel and unusual punishment is the norm. All in the name of Islam. Surah 4:34 of the Koran states that women are inferior to men and husbands have the authority to beat their wives.

Expounding on that, Morey (1992), states that “Muslim women can be kept prisoners in their own home” (p. 30). Morey also points out that in Iran women require written permission from their husbands to even leave their homes. Also according to Morey, the Islamic laws of today are based on “seventh century Arabian culture” (p. 32).

Addressing civil rights in an Islamic country Morey (1992), points out that unlike a democratical nation such as Canada and the U.S., there are no rights and there are no freedoms. You speak out against the government, verbally or in writing, such as the press, you face severe punishment. Conversion to Christianity itself is a death sentence. However, Morey also points out that Islam is not based on a religion but on pre-Islamic Arabian culture as well as paganism (pp. 52, 53).

HISTORY OF THE TALIBAN

According to Shroder (2006), the Taliban was birthed out of the ashes of the Soviet Afghan War at the end of 1989 due to a civil war that was birthed due to a power struggle between the major mujahideen group leaders who wanted to control the Afghanistan government (Section II).

Shroder (2006) points out that once the Soviets left Afghanistan, “civil war broke out between the mujahideen factions and the central government.” It seemed that no one was willing to share the power and the greed that came along with it (Section II).

According to Shroder (2006) a number of dissatisfied mujahideen solders identifying themselves as religious students formed the Taliban. The Taliban were made up “mostly of Pashtuns intent on once again dominating the central government in Kabul” and were trained by a group in Pakistan known as “the Frontier Constabulary, a quasi-military unit which also has a significant Pashtun population” (Section II).

Shroder (2006) also points out that the Taliban targeted their recruits from refugee camps and the Islamic schools in Pakistan. Shroder also pointed out that the Taliban was promoting itself as an organization of peace and unity, and that “many war-weary Afghan people, particularly Pashtuns, supported the Taliban in hopes of respite from years of war” (Section II).

Shroder (2006) goes on to say that by early 1995 the Taliban was successful in their bid for power using force to take control of Kandahar as well as using heavy artillery to lay siege on Kabul, eventually capturing Afghanistan’s last Soviet backed leaders and hanging them for all to see (Section II).

TALIBAN TACTICS USED IN AFGHANISTAN

As do most terrorist, the Taliban utilize commando style and guerrilla style tactics at the small unit level. Commando style tactics comprise of a small group of highly trained soldiers who are capable of operating behind enemy lines inflicting maximum damage to enemy objectives with getting captured. Skills of the commando personnel include, communications, weapons, hand-to-hand combat, explosives, repelling and parachuting (Personal knowledge).

According to Klonis (1972) “Guerrilla style tactics refers to a method of warfare by which guerrilla units avoid the direct approach with the enemy. The main objective of this style of tactics is to harass the enemy with the purpose of making them withdraw from their position” (p. 5).

Small unit tactics refers to tactics used at the section level. A section comprises of five to ten personnel. Tactics refers to how the section utilizes the ground during foot patrols. Breaking down into specific tactics, terrorist organizations, such as the Taliban rely on Drive-by Shooting, Sniper Shooting, Ambushes, Kidnap-Murders, Homicide Bombers, IEDs, Everyday Crimes, and Media Propaganda. An example of drive-by shooting is when a group of terrorists assassinate political figures. The terrorists would speed up to the target, open fire, then drive off after eliminating the target. An example of sniper shooting is when a terrorist is in a concealed position and as soon as the target stops (i.e. military convey), the terrorist takes one shot to kill the target (Personal knowledge).

An example of an ambush is when a small unit (i.e. section or cell) of terrorists hide in waiting, then open fire as soon as the specific target such as a foot patrol or mobile convoy comes within range (Personal knowledge).

An example of kidnap murder is when the terrorist kidnaps an individual, either civilian or military, man, woman or child and kills them. An example of a homicide bomber is when a terrorist, armed with explosives such as C4 Plastic, and detonates it in a crowed of people with the intent of killing as many victims as the terrorist can. IED refers to Improvised Explosive Device. IED is more commonly known as road side bombs. The majority of the Canadian, as well as other coalitions troops are killed by way of IEDs. And example of an IED attack is when the terrorist conceals the bomb in a well used path, such as a main highway, conceals him/herself then sets the bomb off using a remote control as soon as the target is close enough to be damaged by the blast. Then there are everyday crimes. For the most part terrorists are involved in drug dealing/trafficking to raise funds for their operations. Terrorists also use media as a way to spread their terror. They film some of their attacks and also film the cold-blooded murder of their kidnapped victims (Personal knowledge).

THE KARZAI GOVERNMENT

According to the official Afghanistan government website Hamid Karzai graduated with a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Political Science not long after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. When civil war broke out he joined the Loya Jirga (Grand Council) believing that “only a Loya Jirga could resolve the differences of the competing parties peacefully” (Office of the President).

On June 13, 2002, according to the government website, Karzai he was “elected President of the Transitional Government” and in Afghanistan’s first presidential election on October 9, 2004 he “won the majority of votes, and was elected to a 5-year term as President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan” (Office of the President).

Also according to the government website, Karzai is “viewed as a uniting force for all Afghans” and is a human rights advocate and has also “appointed several women to his cabinet and recently appointed the first female governor in Afghanistan’s history” (Office of the President).

NATO IN AFGHANISTAN

In response to the Taliban aggression, the Karzai government requested assistance from NATO forces to assist the Afghan authorities in security and reconstruction operations. This is the first time since the 1950-53 Koran conflict that Canadian troops have been deployed in an aggressive combat role. Currently there are over 2000 Canadian troops deployed in Afghanistan (Personal knowledge).

According to a Boston.com article (October 8, 2008), NATO “will continue to work the challenges of the Afghan elections, the expansion of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams and improvements to Kabul International Airport.”

CONCLUSION

The war on terrorism is a difficult at best. Fighting an enemy that can and does blend in with the general population goes back to the Vietnam War. In the words of Sun Tzu, “Spies are a most important element in war, because upon them depends an army’s ability to move.” In other words the only way to win the war on terrorism is to win the hearts and minds of the people so that the people will have little or no fear in helping track down terrorists. In the war on Terrorism, today’s military cannot rely solely on conventional methods to win the battle. The soldier must now train in unconventional methods.

According to Savage (2005), when General George S. Patton’s 3rd Division engaged with the German death squads known as Werewolfs they put them before a firing squad on the spot. The Werewolfs comprised of Hitler youth, elite SS troops and members of the Gestapo and were trained in guerilla tactics. This group was trained to engage in ambushes, sniping attacks, sabotage, road side bombings, assassinations and arson (p. 9).

According to a recent FoxNews report, at least 50 former Guantanamo detainees that were released re-engaged the U.S. and coalition forces on the battlefield. If NATO and the allied forces re-adapted Patton’s solution in dealing with terrorists those fifty terrorists that were released would not have had the opportunity to re-engage the NATO and allied forces in the battlefield.

REFERENCES

CBC News – In-Depth: September 11 Mullah Mohammed Omar. Retrieved November 5, 2008 from http:// www.cbc.ca /news/background/sep11/mohammedomar.html.

Clavell, J. (1983). Sun Tzu’s the Art of War. New York, New York: Dell Publishing.

In Afghanistan with the ISAF. Boston.com, October, 8, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.boston.com/ bigpicture/2008/10/in_afghanistan_with _the_isaf.html

Introduction to Islam. Islam.com. Retrieved November 27, 2008 from http://islam.com.

Klonis, N. I. (1972). Guerilla Warfare, Analysis and Projections. New York, New York: Robert Speller and Sons, Publishers, Inc.

Morey, R. (1992). The Islamic Invasion: Confronting the World’s Fastest Growing Religion. Las Vegas, Nevada: Christian Scholars Press.

NATO in Afghanistan. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.nato.int/issues/afghaistan/index.html

Office of the President. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.president.gov.af/english/president_biography.mspx.

Savage, M. (2005). Liberalism is a Mental Disorder, Savage Solutions. Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson Current

Shroder, J. F. “Taliban.” Retrieved November 5, 2008 from Microsoft® Encarta® 2006

[CD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2005

The Koran (10th ed). (1999). London, England: Penguin Classics.