Chapter 2 continues…

A team of journalists who had interviewed a cross-section of people inside Afghanistan expressed their satisfaction at the taking over of the administration of the Kandahar province by the Talebs who had become ‘saviours’ for them. Subsequently, the Taleban made significant gains quite rapidly.

After taking Kandahar in the south, they pushed drug traffickers out of Helmand next door and captured the more northerly towns of Zabul and Ghazni. They started making inroads into Wardak province, neighbouring Kabul, although steering clear of the territory controlled by Hizb-i-Islami of Hekhmatyar. The losers in the game were the well-established commanders who could not compete with the young dynamic Talebs. The Talebs gained significant support from the war- weary population tired of factional fightings.

The sudden emergence of the Taleban as a force in war-ravaged Afghanistan had raised many questions as to their identity, force behind them, their aim and the nature of the conflict. There were several conflicting reports on the force behind the success of the Taleban. Supporters of the movement dubbed them as a group of young innocent Afghans on a mission of purification while antagonists dub them as agents of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and worst as Pakistani officers in disguise. There were also media reports of the movement being organised by the USA and the UK in three phases.

Many others described it as ‘an indigenous revolution’ by the people in Afghanistan backed by not–so significant number of young Afghan refugees who were being provided with religious education at some madrasas run by Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s Jamaat Ulema Islam in Balochistan.

More and more Afghans joined the Taleban movement with the twin slogans of ridding their country of death and destruction and of enforcing the Sharia. Initially these Talebs were welcomed by the inhabitants of the conflict-torn rural belts, towns and cities. They also won the hearts of some of the local commanders. However, very soon these madrasa students began flying aircrafts and bombing the rival forces’ stronghold.

To be continued…