The Taliban Phenomenon: Afghanistan 1994-1997

by Kamal Matinuddin

Kamal Matinuddin analyzes the origin, aims and objectives of the Taliban movement, examining the reasons for their phenomenal success, and explaining clearly the repercussions of an ultra-religious regime in Kabul on the security of Pakistan and its neighbors.

Genres: History

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kamil Matinuddin was a diplomat and Lieutenant General in the Pakistani Army. This book is a thorough look at the Taliban, covering the period of their rise and published before Osama bin Laden became a major force in Afghan (and American) politics. Although the Pakistani intelligence service is often portrayed as the villain in the rise of the Taliban, General Matinuddin understandably underplays that aspect. He is, however, unusually detailed in the complex history o of the movement, as well as the host of other international meddlers: Russia, Iran, India, the Central Asian dictatorships, the United States, and even China, which has a tiny and inhospitable border with Afghanistan. He provides a useful reminder that the Taliban started as a means of self-protection against the rapacious Kandahair warlords. Their military success was achieved through training by veterans of the war against Russia, Afghan Army and even ex-Communists. But it was also enabled by the ethnic and personal rivalries that made Afghanistan a jigsaw puzzle of regional commanders, some of whom formed temporary alliances with the Taliban. Many of their victories were achieved without blood and they were welcomed for the order they brought (before the full violence of their vision became apparent), but they also fought pitched battles and won their share. General Matinuddin emphasizes access to munitions, hardware (even airplanes) and customs assessed as the price of trade across territory as key factors, but it is clear that their greatest asset was the ability to offer a coherent movement in a nation that had disintegrated, the kind of place where the Uzbek General Rashid Dostum (for a time part of Hamid Karzai's regime), as a former Communist could at one time entertain an alliance with the Taliban.

[Rumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about Taliban (1194-1997) that how the groups emerged and what were the reasons on which this plant grew up. I can divide this book as a whole in few point's; Every state acted according to it's policy.
1. Central Asian States influnced to reach it's main goal that is to get access to hot water (Gawadar,Pakistan) as these states are landlocked countries.
2.Pakistan influnced to get access to Tajikistan gas reservoir and,
3. USA palyed it's key role to kick out soviet union from world power list and tore it down into pieces to have full command over the world.
This inhospitable state Afghanistan was used for proxy war and every state played its part by achieving it's goals using Afghan soil. As nation's act in pursuit of their national interests and when they change so does their policy. US and other states introuduced Taliban to thwart out threat of Soviet Union and later on left them without any aid assistance the state already destroyed by it's own people and world power. Few faction's Taliban started planning for their cruel idea's to become head of state and in this race only the people of Afghanistan lives were ruined as civil war began and only Afghan people gave their lives and left many mutilated in this war torn zone.

The main problem I think with Afghan people or the Taliban is that their alliance changes overnight and they even don't care either they have promised in Kaaba. They only care about their motive's.

This issue of Afghanistan will never be solved as every one is in the race to become President.

In this book author mentioned that the fire which erupted in this zone will spread to other neighbour states and few moments will rise but these movements will never gain momentum as people are much divided.
Note: The only problem in this book is that dates were not mentioned in few topics.