Seekers of Truth
‘We want to live a life like the Prophet lived 1400 years ago and jihad is our right’
Mullah Muhammad Omar, Taleban Leader
The Taleban, or ‘Seekers of Truth’, took over Afghanistan in 1996. The movement, organised on Pashtun tribal lines, follows fundamentalist Islamic teachings and draws on military experience gained over 20 years of conflict in their homeland.
Taleban fighters
Under the Taleban, Sharia Law was imposed from Kabul and women were forced to wear the burqa in public and denied access to education and jobs. Punishments for transgressions were harsh and public executions common.
Safe Haven
Taleban fighters
At first, many welcomed the Taleban’s rule as it provided relative stability after years of conflict and lawlessness. Following the withdrawal of Soviet forces the country had descended into chaos with warlords competing with each other for control of territory and the opium trade.
Although opposition to Taleban rule grew as ethnic and sectarian persecution increased the regime attracted foreign Islamist fighters, including Al Qaeda’s leader Osama bin Laden, which in turn, attracted American missiles in 1998 and 2001.
Taleban Today
The J2 [Intelligence] picture is at best incomplete and complex
Soldier First, 16 Air Assault Brigade,
UKTF Briefing Document
Today’s military call those forces opposing UK troops in Afghanistan Anti Coalition Militia (ACM). This includes Taleban, Al Qaeda fighters, local warlords, drug traffickers and press-ganged members of the local population. Infiltration of Afghan security forces by ACM is not unknown and the allegiance of the local population, where it exists, can shift from side to side for a variety of reasons.
The Taleban remain the core threat and their activities include intimidation of the civilian population, insurgency and terrorism. Methods range from ambushes and opportunistic attacks on static positions to suicide bombings.
Aftermath of a suicide bomb
Resilient in defence and capable of close quarters combat, they use accurate automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, but can carry out longer range attacks using mortars and rockets.
Truck ambushed on the way to Kandahar
Taleban forces also target supply lines to isolate and weaken outposts. Increasingly ISAF aircraft are targeted and highly skilled flying is required. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are regularly planted. The Taleban have recently resorted to kidnapping as a means to further their cause. Unmapped mines left over from the 1979 Soviet invasion also present a serious danger to troops.
