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In late 1994, a new force unexpectedly emerged in the politics of war-ravaged Afghanistan –the Taliban. This was ostensibly a movement of religious students, inspired by a vision which their leader Mullah Mohammad Omar was said to have received in a dream. First it seized the southern city of Kandahar, then in 1995 it took over the ancient city of Heart, and finally, in September 1996, the capital Kabul fell to its forces. The Taliban enforced rigorous Sharia ...
Compared to post-invasion Iraq, Afghanistan seems a success story; but first impressions can be misleading. The country remains on a knife-edge, and the loss of momentum in its transition from the Taliban regime puts Afghanistan at grave risk of relapsing into dangerous insecurity. Although many afghans have contributed courageously to rescuing their country, and some key benchmarks have been achieved, Afghanistan continues to face severe difficulties. Elite ...