Taliban+Today

The Taliban Today

__**Where Are They Now﻿? **__ In 2001, the U.S. placed significant pressure on the Taliban to turn over bin Laden and﻿ al-Qaeda in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. On October 7, after the Taliban refused to give up bin Laden, the U.S. began bombing Taliban military sites and aiding the Northern Alliance. By November 21, the Taliban had lost Kabul and by December 9 had completely retreated.

But the Taliban continued to exist, living as a guerrilla warfare operation based in the mountainous area on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. As the American military focus was diverted to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and began to extend its influence in the southern part of Afghanistan. As the fighting continued, the ranks of the Taliban were strengthened by foreign recruits.

In 2005 and 2006, the Taliban continued its rebirth, and 2006 became the deadliest year of fighting since the 2001 war. Throughout the spring, Taliban officials went into southern Afghanistan, terrorizing villagers and attacking Afghan and U.S. troops. In August 2006, NATO troops took over military operations in southern Afghanistan from the U.S.-led coalition, which put a total of 21,000 American troops and 19,000 NATO troops on the ground. In September NATO launched the largest attack in its 57-year history. About 2,000—the vast majority Taliban fighters—were killed in military operations during the year.

In 2008, after more than five years as Afghanistan's leader, President Hamid Karzai still has only minor control over his country. Today the Taliban operate in Afghanistan and Northwest Pakistan and permanetly take up 72% of Afghanistan. The Taliban engadge in terroism against the civilian population and according to a report by the UN, the Taliban were responsible for 76% of civilian casualities in Afghanistan in 2009.

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 * __Taliban Leadership __**

__ Quetta Shura __ 2010: Members of the Shura were arrested by Pakistani on the order of the U.S., however they are to be released if they are found to be innocent of crimes within Pakistan.
 * Formed after the initial U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
 * Directs the Afghan Taliban's military, led by Mohammed Omar.

__ Taliban-Pakistan Relations __ 1994: Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf has 28,000 soldiers fighting alongside the Taliban, against the rebels. 1998: Cables from the U.S. State Department show evidence that roughly 20-40% of Taliban soldiers are Pakistani. 2001: Post 9-11, Taliban officials leave Afghanistan and take refuge in Pakistan. __ 2010: __
 * A report from the London School of Economics shows Pakistan has an official policy of dealing with the Taliban, including: funding and training of troops.
 * Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence is found to have members in the Quetta Shura. (An organization made up of key figures in the Taliban.)
 * The President of Pakistan met with Taliban prisoners, explaining that they were arrested on America's will.

__ Key Figures of The Taliban __

Mohammed Omar:


 * Held the position of "Amir al Mu'minin", Leader of The Faithful
 * Fought in the Battle of Jalalabad
 * He lost an eye in battle, and as told by the Taliban, removed it and sowed it shut.
 * $25 Million Price Tag
 * Ordered the Buddhas of Bamiyan to be destroyed, which is mentioned in the book.
 * Asked the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan to fight along side the Afghan Taliban.

Abdul Ghani Baradar:
 * One of the founders of The Taliban.
 * Married to Omar's sister.
 * Right hand man of Omar.
 * Has ordered many attacks, and will continue to do so until "the enemy is expelled from Afghanistan".
 * Currently held in a Pakistani prison.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 220%;">-Baitullah Mehsud <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 190%;">Baitullah Mehsud was the diabetic leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, which he formed from the alliance of about thirteen different Pakistani Militant groups. While the group was not initially associated with the Afghani Taliban they were asked to stop their attacks in Pakistan and help support the war in Afghanistan by the original Taliban He and his group are believed to be responsible for multiple terrorist attacks throughout Pakistan including an attack in 2009 on a police academy in Pakistan the wounded more than ninety people and killed seven officers. He openly admitted to this crime to Pakistani press. Later that year he would announce an attack on Washington DC.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 190%;">"Soon we will launch an attack in Washington that will amaze everyone in the world."

Baitullah Mehsud <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 190%;">Since Mehsud has acted on multiple threats around Pakistan it is probable that he would have made good on this threat if he had not been sustained injuries in a Central Intelligence Agency Drone Attack on August 5 that would kill him on August 23, 2009. Mehsud's beliefs are shared by many of his followers who may act on these beliefs just two years later. While the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan was not initially associated with the Afghani Taliban they were asked to stop their attacks in Pakistan and help support the war in Afghanistan by the original Taliban. It is more than likely that the groups have joined forces and created a Taliban the likes of which has never been gazed upon by mortal eyes. Batullah Mehsud's terrorist group is a perfect example of why the Taliban is still a threat today.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 29px; line-height: 42px;">-U.S.A. Making Strides Toward Peace

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 190%;">Direct secret conversations have been opened between senior Taliban leaders and the Obama Administration. The New Yorker has reported that these Taliban leaders are involved with the insurgency in Afghanistan. The discussions have supposedly taken <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 25px; line-height: 37px;">on an "exploratory nature" and there has not been any progress toward peace negotiations yet.

-Most Recent Taliban Activity Over thirty civilians were killed in a Taliban suicide bombing in Northern Afghanistan on February 21, 2011. 40 additional people were wounded in the attack that was intended to kill a meeting of U.S. sponsored militia commanders. The explosion took place at the entrance to a government building in Kunduz. The citizens that killed were queuing for government papers. Leader of a 10-man ALP group, Commander Maqsoom said, "These attackers believe that they will be Shaheed[martyrs] and got to heaven, but thats not true. By killing americans you will be Shaheed, but not by killing ordinary people." Clearly the Taliban is still a danger to even U.S. funded groups and not just U.S. troops.

Sources: http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/02/28/110228taco_talk_coll http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/02/obama-team-talking-to-taliban-in-afghanistan/1 http://www.photoshopdemos.com/20/super-hero-or-super-villian/ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/21/taliban-bomber-kills-30-civilians http://a<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 15px;">llahuakbar.martyrdom.com/deathtotheinfidels/assefisacrazymofo

=<span style="font-size: 1.4em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 40px;">The Taliban Recent news: ** = ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**October 4th 2010:** The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack on NATO supply trucks. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**November 6th 2010:** In Peshawar, one suicide bomber killed 67 Pakistans. Hours later, three more people died during a grenade attack on a Mosque associated with an anti-Taliban group. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**November 15th 2010:** 8 Police officers were killed in Afganistan by the Taliban. 7 out of the 8 were members of a government tribe. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**November 24th 2010:** Taliban killed 5 village elders, and wounded four others with a rocket-propelled grenade. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**December 1st 2010:** Taliban Gunman open fired on NATO service members and killed 6 U.S troops. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**December 6th 2010:** Using suicide bombers, the Taliban bombed Pakistan, killing 50, and injuring at least 70. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">//"We will continue to kill all pro-government officials and their supports to try to join peace commitees."// - stated by a Taliban member associated with the December 6th attack. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**January 18th 2011:** Taliban attacks a mosque in Afganistan, killing at least ten, injuring at least 32. Seven members of the Taliban were among the dead. There was more then three hours of fighting, bombing and gunfire. ==== ====<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 29px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">**January 28th 2011:** Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 8, and wounded 6. ==== ====<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">Bowe Bergdahl ==== =<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 40px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"> = <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 27px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A U.S Soldier, born and raised in Idaho was captured at the end of June 2009. The Taliban has yet to discharge him back to his family, but still continues to produce videos of him to this day. The most recent video was sent on December 8th, 2010, which proved him to be alive and well. To this day, Bowe Bergdahl's whereabouts are still unknown. The Taliban has demanded $1 million as well as the release of 21 prisoners, to let Bowe go. Sources: <span style="background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[] <span style="background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 0px;">[|http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/More-than-70-killed-in]