The Taliban were, from the mid-1990s until late 2001, the ruling force in Afghanistan, having defeated the Mujahidin warriors who had fought Soviet occupation, although at no time did they succeed in controlling all of the country. Although their power...

The Taliban (plural of talib, which is Arabic/Persian for "student of Islamic religious law") regime ruled Afghanistan from November 1994 to November 2001 under the leadership of mullah Muhammad Omar (b. 1959). After the terrorist attacks...

At first, the dust was all people could see—a whirling brown sandstorm rushing toward the center of the village. Soon it was obvious that the dust was being kicked up by a little pickup truck—a white Toyota with six young men riding in the...

Reaping the Whirlwind: The Taliban Movement in Afghanistan By Michael Griffin Pluto Press, 2001 312 pages; $27.50 IN APRIL, A NONDESCRIPT OUTDOOR swimming pool was reopened after several years of neglect. Pool openings normally don't receive press attention. But this was no...

A journalist tries to make sense of the amalgam of mujahideen warriors, Islamic zealots, mercenary drug dealers and opportunistic ex-communists that comprise Afghanistan. The presumed role of the Taliban in abetting Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the tragedies of Sept....

Key Taliban leaders in Pakistan:BAITULLAH MEHSUD: Head of the newly formed Taliban Movement of Pakistan. He has been named by the Pakistan government and the CIA as the man behind the Dec. 27 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He fought in Afghanistan against...