12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Non-state actors like the Taliban endanger the authority of the government; reach of the government has been reduced in some provinces due to armed attacks and Taliban control ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22931]

"The re-emergence of previous and new militia commanders in many parts of the country and escalating violence due to the insurgency require particular consideration of possible risks emanating from non-State actors.  The reach of the central Government in a number of provinces in the eastern, southeastern and southern, central and western parts of the country has been significantly reduced due to the growing number of armed attacks and reported de facto Taliban control. Furthermore, in the northern part of Afghanistan factional violence and criminality continue to pose significant challenges to the authority of the Government in a number of areas."

Document(s): Open document

12.2007 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Attacks by Taliban against human rights activists, persons affiliated with Western organizations and persons critical of powerful factions and local commanders ("UNHCR's Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Afghan Asylum-Seekers") [ID 22934]

"The exercise of political rights also presents a problem for the physical safety of individual Afghans especially in rural areas. Violent attacks carried out by the Taliban and anti-Government forces have contributed to a deterioration of the security situation in all areas (i.e. eastern, central, southeastern, southern and western regions), except the north and northeast, as a number of Afghan civilians have been targeted and killed. Commonplace in some of these areas are so-called “night-letters” warning civilians in general or specific individuals not to support the Government or work for international organizations. Persons-at-risk include, inter alia: Afghans raising the issue of past crimes and gross human rights violations committed during the period between 1992 to 1996; those denouncing ongoing human rights violations; those critical of powerful factions and local commanders; and those affiliated with Western organizations or perceived as propagating Western values. The case of Malalay Joya, female MP from Farah province, who was physically and verbally attacked by fellow members of Parliament after accusing several colleagues of being "warlords" and unfit for service in the new Afghan Government highlights the environment in which Afghans exercise their civil and political rights. On 21 May 2007, the Wolesi Jirga voted to suspend Malalai Joya for three years from the legislature on defamation grounds."

Document(s): Open document

11.2007 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Taliban present and active in border regions of Pakistan, which are relatively safe for them ("11th European Country of Origin Information Seminar; Vienna, 21 - 22 June 2007; Country Report; Afghanistan") [ID 21871]

"However, international focus which on the part of the US government had already diverted to Iraq in 2002, appeared to neglect ongoing developments in the border regions of Pakistan. These border areas provided anti-government elements with safe havens to melt back into. From 2003 onwards there were numerous reports of Taliban leaders visibly apparent in Quetta (Pakistan), of Taliban movements back and forth across the border seemingly at will with reports of collusion from the Pakistani authorities repeatedly cited in the international and regional press."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Significant Taliban resurgence ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20283]

"Benefiting from a climate of lawlessness, notably in the south, the Taleban enjoyed a significant resurgence. Their forces were responsible for breaches of international humanitarian law by undertaking indiscriminate and disproportionate acts of violence; by killing those not involved in combat; and by ill-treating and torturing those over whom they had effective control. For example, in the context of quasi-judicial processes, at least 11 people were killed. The true number may have been far higher. • On 28 August, a suicide blast attributed to the Taleban in a market in Lashkar Gah, Helmand, killed 17 people, many of them civilians. • At least 19 individuals, including 13 civilians, were killed and another 20 injured on 26 September when a suicide bomber attacked a security post near a mosque in Lashkar Gah. Civilians had gathered outside the mosque to sign up for the Haj, or pilgrimage to Mecca."

Document(s): Open document

19.04.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Overview of Taliban abuses against civilians ("All who are not friends, are enemies: Taleban abuses against civilians [ASA 11/001/2007]") [ID 19614]

"The Taleban have been responsible for hundreds of civilian deaths. According to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC),(4) around 600 civilians were killed or wounded in the first seven months of 2006. Around 70 per cent of these casualties were linked to Taleban attacks.(5) The Taleban have targeted and killed civilians whom they consider to be "spies" or "collaborators", including Afghan and foreign reconstruction and aid workers, religious leaders, government administrators, women’s rights activists and teachers. The Taleban have attacked civilians and civilian objects, such as school buildings, with little or no effort to distinguish between these and military targets, such as soldiers and combat vehicles. Hundreds of people have been killed or injured, including children, as a result of indiscriminate attacks using car bombs, suicide attacks and improvised explosive devices, such as roadside bombs, aimed at military convoy patrols and bases of the foreign forces. Targets of indiscriminate attacks have also included government administrators, police and private individuals. Many of these killings constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. As such, there is an obligation on both the Afghan government and the international community at large to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes are identified and brought to justice. International humanitarian law clearly identifies certain acts as war crimes irrespective of the causes of a conflict or the grounds on which the contending parties justify their involvement."

Document(s): Report
Press release

17.04.2007 - Source: ReliefWeb

Kabul: About 100 Taliban raided police posts and district government headquarters Northeast of city ("Taliban launch Afghan attacks; blast kills five") [ID 19612]

Document(s): Open document

04.04.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Helmand Province: Article on living conditions under Taliban rule ("Living Under the Taleban") [ID 19604]

Document(s): Open document

03.2007 - Source: Senlis Council

Survey on the population's support for the Taliban in Southern and Eastern Afghanistan ("On a Knife Edge: Rapid Assessment Field Survey - Southern and Eastern Afghanistan") [ID 19344]

Document(s): Open document

26.02.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Helmand: Unprecedented rash of killings as Taliban claim to be settling scores with informers who have helped foreign troops based in the province; government sources say innocent civilians were executed; insurgents insist they held trials according to Islamic law ("Informer Killings Show Growing Taleban Control") [ID 18890]

Document(s): Open document

06.02.2007 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Musa Qala: Taleban took the town almost without a shot, say residents as they flee an anticipated NATO attack ("Musa Qala Braced for NATO Assault") [ID 18785]

Document(s): Open document

06.02.2007 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

NATO forces are preparing for an anticipated spring offencive by the Taliban; interview with journalist Ahmed Rashid about the events at Musa Qala and what fighting there suggests about Taliban tactics in the months ahead ("Afghanistan: Facing The Taliban Threat In The Coming Months") [ID 18786]

Document(s): Open document

29.03.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

According to own statements, Taliban launched spring offensive in country's southern parts ("Afghanistan: Taliban Launches 'Spring Offensive' With Attack On Helmand Base") [#47831], [ID 2116]

Document(s): Open document

20.03.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

Taliban insurgents have shifted to propaganda war instead of a tactical war, says US chief military spokesman; attacks by rebels increasing ("Afghanistan's Taliban shifts to propaganda war: US (AFP)") [#47004], [ID 2117]

Document(s): Open document

12.08.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Taliban kill woman accused of spying in southern district of Zabul ("Taliban Kill Woman Accused Of Spying") [#35303], [ID 2119]

Document(s): Open document

10.08.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Analysis: Neo-Taliban on the rise, assisted from elements within Pakistan ("Afghanistan: Neo-Taliban Free To Communicate With Media") [#35178], [ID 2118]

Document(s): Open document

22.07.2005 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Article on renewed strength of Taleban and describing some of insurgent attacks carried out during past 2 months ("Taleban Show Renewed Strength") [#34433], [ID 2120]

Document(s): Open document

16.07.2005 - Source: BBC News

Zabul: Tribal chief and supporter of President Karzai kidnapped and hanged by Taliban ("Tribal chief 'hanged by Taleban'") [#34101], [ID 2121]

Document(s): Open document

11.04.2005 - Source: BBC News

12 suspected Taleban fighters killed by US-led coalition forces in Shawak mountains east of Gardez; 2 coalition soldiers injured when militants attacked a former Afghan military chief on the road between Kabul and Gardez ("Taleban fighters 'killed in raid'") [#31077], [ID 2123]

Document(s): Open document

03.04.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

Spin Boldak: 3 truck drivers, including 2 Pakistani nationals who were carrying technical equipment for U.S-led coalition forces, killed by Taleban insurgents; Shor-Andam: 2 teenagers killed by a mine ("Roudup: Ten people killed in attacks in Afghanistan (DPA)") [#30817], [ID 2124]

Document(s): Open document

03.04.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

Helmand: up to 9 policemen killed and 3 injured when a group of Taliban militants stormed a government building in Deshu district ("UP to nine Afghan policemen killed when Taliban storm government building (AFP)") [#30815], [ID 2125]

Document(s): Open document

30.03.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

Jalalabad: at least 1 person killed in a suicide bomb blast; Farah: 4 border policemen killed when their patrol was ambushed by suspected Taliban ("One dead in Afghanistan 'suicide bomb', Taliban kill four police (AFP)") [#30712], [ID 2127]

Document(s): Open document

18.03.2005 - Source: BBC News

Several suspected Taleban insurgents released from US detention ("US army releases Afghan detainees") [#30258], [ID 2128]

Document(s): Open document

17.03.2005 - Source: BBC News

Kandahar: at least 5 people killed and more than 30 injured in a bomb blast; members of the ousted Taleban regime are being blamed for the incident ("'Five killed' in Kandahar blast") [#30214], [ID 2129]

Document(s): Open document

10.03.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Warlords, including Taliban forces, dominate most of the country ("Afghanistan: Human Rights Concerns for the 61st Session of the U.N. Commission") [#29933], [ID 2130]

"Despite some improvements, Afghanistan continued to suffer from serious instability in 2004. Warlords and armed factions, including remaining Taliban forces, dominate most of the country and routinely abuse human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls. The international community has failed to contribute sufficient troops or resources to adequately address the situation, and basic human rights conditions remain poor in many parts of the country, especially outside of Kabul."

Document(s): Open document

07.03.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

Around 30 Taliban fighters surrendered to the US military as part of an amnesty offer aimed at members of the ousted regime ("Thirty Taliban surrender under arms-for-amnesty drive: US (AFP)") [#29792], [ID 2131]

Document(s): Open document

25.02.2005 - Source: BBC News

Helmand: 9 Afghan soldiers killed by Taleban rebels; Khost: 10 Taleban rebels killed and 5 US soldiers injured in clashes between US military and rebels ("Afghans killed in Taleban ambush") [#29324], [ID 2132]

Document(s): Open document

20.01.2005 - Source: BBC News

Sheberghan: about 20 people injured after Taliban suicide bomber attempted to assassinate Afghan warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostum ("Warlord survives Taleban attack") [#28404], [ID 2133]

Document(s): Open document

16.01.2005 - Source: BBC News

About 80 suspected Taliban members held by US military in Bagram, released ("US releases 80 Afghan detainees") [#28281], [ID 2134]

Document(s): Open document

13.01.2005 - Source: BBC News

Helmand: 6 government soldiers killed by suspected Taleban gunmen ("Afghan troops shot dead in south") [#28251], [ID 2135]

Document(s): Open document

05.01.2005 - Source: BBC News

Zabul: 4 suspected Taleban militants and Afghan soldier killed in a gun battle ("'Five die' in Afghan gun battle") [#28056], [ID 2136]

Document(s): Open document

20.12.2004 - Source: BBC News

Maywand: 4 policemen and 1 attacker killed when suspected Taleban militants attacked security checkpoint; Zabul: 2 US soldiers injured when their patrol came under fire ("Afghan police die in gun attack") [#27738], [ID 2126]

Document(s): Open document

20.12.2004 - Source: BBC News

Maywand: 4 policemen and 1 attacker killed when suspected Taleban militants attacked security checkpoint; Zabul: 2 US soldiers injured when their patrol came under fire ("Afghan police die in gun attack") [#27738], [ID 2137]

Document(s): Open document

27.11.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Kunduz: 3 German peacekeepers injured when a bomb planted by suspected Taliban militants exploded close to their vehicle ("Three German peacekeepers wounded in northern Afghanistan (AFP)") [#27347], [ID 2138]

Document(s): Open document

25.11.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Kabul: American woman and 13-year -old Afghan girl killed and 3 Icelandic ISAF soldiers injured in suicide attack carried out by member of Taliban movement ("Girl’s Death Devastates Family") [#27328], [ID 2139]

Document(s): Open document

11.2004 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Organized presence and expansion of the Taliban and al-Qaeda ("The political conditions, the security and human rights situation in Afghanistan; Report on fact-finding mission to Kabul, Afghanistan 20 March – 2 April 2004") [#27424], [ID 2122]

"In the opinion of the UNHCR, the Taliban infiltration in southern, south eastern and eastern districts consists of small groups, which cross the border on motorcycles from Pakistan and carry out attacks in Afghanistan. The UNHCR did not believe that Taliban has a proper organizational headquarter in Afghanistan. They confirmed the rumours that the Talibans had taken over control of several districts, but pointed out that had it been the case, it had been short-term operations.
The Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires stated that it is uncertain whether attacks in southern Afghanistan against the government are carried out by an organized Taliban structure. A lot of what is happening can be attributed to activities carried out by bandits. The Taliban infiltration is being used as a collective description for the hostilities in southern Afghanistan. Some of the participants in the attacks in the south probably concur with the ideology of the Taliban, but are not connected with the Taliban organization. The source was of the opinion that the slowness of the reconstruction and unrealistic expectations regarding reconstruction are strengthening the forces related to the Taliban. The source found it unlikely, however, that the international community will allow the reestablishment of the Taliban as a central power in Afghanistan.
The ICG was of the opinion that Taliban activities in southern Afghanistan are being controlled by a limited number of former Taliban commanders. The source was of the opinion that such activities cannot be carried out without the local authorities cooperation with the commanders. The source found that the activities were being coordinated both from the Pakistan and the Afghan side of the border. The ICG mentioned that no Taliban groups have taken control of any district in the regions of Afghanistan, with the exception of short-term occupations of one or two districts in Paktika used by the Talibans for propaganda purposes. The ICG was of the opinion that no parallel Taliban administration exists in Afghanistan."

Document(s): Open document

24.10.2004 - Source: BBC News

Kabul: 3 people killed and several injured in suicide bomb attack carried out by the Taleban ("Kabul bomb deaths rise to three") [#26597], [ID 2140]

Document(s): Open document

16.10.2004 - Source: BBC News

Kunar: at least 4 people killed and 1 injured in bomb blast, set by suspected Taleban rebels; 2 soldiers killed and 3 injured by land mine ("Six killed in Afghan violence") [#26452], [ID 2141]

Document(s): Open document

06.10.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Zabul: 10 tribal elders who were seen to be supporting government and election process, killed; Taliban threatened to cut off fingers of those who they find have cast ballots in presidential elections ("Security concerns and ignorance in the run-up to the election") [#26141], [ID 2142]

Document(s): Open document

05.10.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

In several regions outside government control, some people were beheaded by the Taliban because they had voter cards for the election ("Warlords threaten to wreck democratization process in Afghanistan") [#26371], [ID 2143]

Document(s): Open document

05.10.2004 - Source: BBC News

Kandahar: 7 policemen killed by landmine; Oruzgan province: 7 suspected insurgents killed and 5 arrested when security forces raided Taleban hideout ("Landmine kills Afghan policemen") [#26127], [ID 2144]

Document(s): Open document

04.10.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

The Taliban and other extremist groups continue to intimidate Afghans against voting in presidential election ("UN rights report finds Taliban and other groups still intimidating Afghan voters (UN News)") [#26058], [ID 2145]

Document(s): Open document

30.09.2004 - Source: BBC News

Zabul: at least 7 Afghan soldiers killed by suspected Taleban rebels in attack on government post in Shinkay district ("'Unarmed' Afghan soldiers killed") [#25951], [ID 2147]

Document(s): Open document

24.09.2004 - Source: BBC News

Khost: leaders of Terezay tribe threatened members who will not vote for Hamid Karzai in presidential polls; militants from Taleban repeatedly threatened to kill people who do vote in next month's election ("Vote threat to Afghan tribesmen") [#25834], [ID 2148]

Document(s): Open document

22.09.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Khost, Paktika, Uruzgan and Zabul province: 3 US soldiers killed and 14 injured in clashes with suspected Taliban fighters; another US soldier and 9 insurgents killed and 6 members of fledgling Afghan national army injured in attack by militants on US and Afghan forces ("Three US soldiers killed, 14 injured in clashes in Afghanistan (AFP)") [#25697], [ID 2149]

Document(s): Open document

16.09.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Taliban militants threaten to attack presidential candidates after they tried and failed to attack Afghan President Hamid Karzai ("Taliban try and fail to attack Karzai, threaten presidential candidates (AFP)") [#25596], [ID 2150]

Document(s): Open document

13.09.2004 - Source: BBC News

Zabul: 22 suspected Taleban and al-Qaeda militants killed by US forces in a gun battle in the Shinkay district ("US 'kills 22' in Afghan firefight") [#25507], [ID 2151]

Document(s): Open document

03.09.2004 - Source: BBC News

Khost province: several suspected Taleban fighters killed and 2 government soldiers injured in a clash ("Several Taleban killed, US says") [#25360], [ID 2152]

Document(s): Open document

30.08.2004 - Source: Guardian

Paktia province: 10 people killed in explosion in Naiknam, caused by the Taliban ("Taliban spectre returns as 17 die in blasts") [#25231], [ID 2153]

Document(s): Open document

29.08.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Kabul: at least 7 people killed in a bomb explosion, allegedly set by the Taliban and a group calling itself the "Al-Qaeda Organization, Afghanistan" ("Seven killed by Kabul blast in second deadly Afghan bombing in 24 hours (AFP)") [#25200], [ID 2154]

Document(s): Open document

16.08.2004 - Source: Guardian

At least 21 fighters killed during battles between militias of the governor Ismail Khan and local rivals in the western province of Herat; 6 government soldiers killed by Taliban insurgents at an outpost 40 miles from Kandahar ("Violence mars run-up to Afghan election") [#24751], [ID 2155]

Document(s): Open document

11.08.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Ghazni province: 1 policeman was killed when Taliban attacked a voter registration site in Gelan district ("One policeman killed in attack on Afghan voter registration site (AFP)") [#24713], [ID 2156]

Document(s): Open document

02.08.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Khost province: several people killed in the gunfight between Taliban fighters and the army in Gurbuz district ("Taliban attack border post in southeast Afghanistan (AFP)") [#24413], [ID 2157]

Document(s): Open document

13.07.2004 - Source: BBC News

9 Afghan men arrested after a hijacking incident at Stansted Airport have been given the right to live in the UK; Immigration Appellate Authority had ruled that the men would be in danger of attack from members of the Taliban if they were deported ("Afghans win right to stay in UK") [#23939], [ID 2158]

Document(s): Open document

27.06.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Suspected Taliban have killed 18 Afghans in a string of attacks aimed at undermining Afghanistan's vote ("Suspected Taliban kill 18 Afghans as UN pushes ahead with planned poll (AFP)") [#23639], [ID 2159]

Document(s): Open document

11.06.2004 - Source: BBC News

The Taleban deny killing 11 Chinese construction workers ("Taleban denies attack on Chinese") [#23275], [ID 2160]

Document(s): Open document

09.06.2004 - Source: BBC News

Uruzgan province: about 20 suspected Taleban fighters reportedly killed by US forces in Afghanistan ("US raid 'kills 20 Afghan Taleban'") [#23323], [ID 2161]

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2004 - Source: Médecins Sans Frontières

Badghis: 5 aid workers killed in a brutal attack/ Talibans have reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack ("MSF condemns fatal attack on aid workers") [#23041], [ID 2162]

Document(s): Open document

28.05.2004 - Source: ReliefWeb

Province of Kandahar: 3 children killed and another injured by a landmine planted by suspected Taliban fighters to target U.S. and Afghan troops ("Landmine blast kills three children in southern Afghanistan (DPA)") [#23216], [ID 2163]

Document(s): Open document

30.04.2004 - Source: BBC News

Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan provinces: at least 7 Afghan soldiers have been killed in attacks blamed on guerrillas loyal to the former Taleban government ("'Taleban' raids kill Afghan troops") [#21877], [ID 2164]

"Officials in Kandahar province say at least five soldiers died on Thursday in an ambush in Panjwai district.

In a second attack late on Thursday, suspected Taleban fighters set fire to a checkpoint in Choto, in Helmand province, killing two soldiers.

Security forces have made several arrests in connection with the attacks.
[...]
Meanwhile, in Uruzgan province in central Afghanistan, at least two people were killed in an attack by suspected Taleban fighters on Thursday.

Reports said the gunmen attacked a government office, killing two soldiers and injuring two others and a local official.

On Tuesday, two aid workers and a soldier were killed by suspected Islamic militants in Panjwai district, the same area where Thursday's attack took place.

Afghan authorities have blamed a recent rise in violence on Taleban fighters who have sworn revenge on the US-led forces which ousted them from power.

Taleban rebels had earlier declared they would target foreign soldiers and civilians as well as all Afghans who chose to work with them or with the administration of President Hamid Karzai. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

11.12.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Zabul province: although the Taliban don't have direct control over the area, the provincial administration has failed to apply its rule in 80 percent of the province ("No government control in 80 percent of Afghan province (AFP)") [#18161], [ID 2165]

Document(s): Open document

03.12.2003 - Source: UN General Assembly

Security remains a major concern: the primary source of instability remains terrorist activities by suspected Taliban, Al-Qaida, and supporters of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar ("Report of the Secretary General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security (A/58/616)") [#18064], [ID 2166]

"15. Security remains a major concern throughout much of the country. Unchecked criminality, outbreaks of factional fighting and activities surrounding the illegal narcotics trade have all had a negative impact on security. The primary source of instability remains terrorist activities by suspected Taliban, Al-Qaida, and supporters of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. These groups have targeted members of the Transitional Administration and the international community. During the past year, attacks on international and national staff of the assistance community have intensified. In March 2003 an international staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross was murdered in Uruzgan province, while in the same month an Italian visitor was killed in Zabul province. United Nations and non-governmental organization vehicles and offices have also been targeted by sniper fire and attacks with explosives, resulting, in some cases, in loss of life. Earlier in the year, demining activities were halted following a deadly series of ambushes against national deminers. On 7 June 2003 a suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle alongside an International Security Assistance Force bus in Kabul, killing four soldiers and injuring 29 others in the deadliest attack against the Force since its deployment. Tragically, the month of November 2003 witnessed a series of attacks on United Nations staff and facilities, culminating in the murder of an international staff member of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ghazni on 16 November."

Document(s): Open document

11.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Taliban take control of 4 districts; call for election boycott ("BAAG Afghanistan Monthly Review; November 2003") [#18299], [ID 2167]

"[...] The Afghan Islamic Press reported on 10th November that Taliban forces had taken control of the four districts of Atghar, Naubahar, Shenkay and Shamalzi in the south of Zabul Province. This province has been a particular target of Taliban fighters for some months. An explosion on 8th November in the provincial capital, Qalat, damaged the house of the Governor, Hafizullah Khan, but did not cause any injuries.
The Arabic-language daily, Al-Hayat, published an interview, on 19th November, with a man who identified himself as a commander in the “Taliban Movement’s Army of Mulslims”. He stated that his group was planning to bring its battle to Kabul in the same way that resistance to the US occupation in Iraq was returning to Baghdad. In one of a series of leaflets faxed to Agence France Presse on 25th November, the Taliban called for a boycott of next year’s elections, stating that Americans and Westerners were trying to turn Afghanistan away from Islam through “democracy”. They also called for a holy war against US troops, asserting that the USA was using the “war on terror” as a pretext for a war on Islam. Afghans were again warned not to work with foreigners or as police, soldiers or journalists.
Troops of the US-led coalition and the Afghan National Army mounted a new anti-terrorism offensive on 10th November, focusing on the north-eastern province of Kunar. On November 15th, the head of the U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid, was reported by the Washington Post to have described daily combat operations in Afghanistan as “every bit as much and every bit as difficult as those that go on in Iraq”. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

11.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Hisb-e-Islami, Al-Qaeda and Taliban form militant triangle ("BAAG Afghanistan Monthly Review; November 2003") [#18299], [ID 2168]

"[...] In an interview for Reuters published on 7th November, the Afghan Interior Minister, Ali Ahmed Jalali, expressed the view that Al-Qaida had opened up simultaneous fronts in both Iraq and Afghanistan, since the war in Iraq, in order to split the attention of the United States. He described a “triangle” of militants in Afghanistan led by the Hisb-e-Islami leader, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in the north-east, Al-Qaeda in the east and the Taliban in the south. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

23.10.2003 - Source: Asia Times

Rise of the Taliban: attacks focussed on members of the new Afghan army, police and other government departments and foreign aid workers; well-run psychological warfare apparatus set up by Taliban in Pakistan ("The fall and rise of the Taliban") [#17068], [ID 2169]

"Since August last, the situation in Afghanistan has been deteriorating. Increasing numbers of better-trained, better-equipped and better-led Taliban cadres operating from sanctuaries in Pakistan have stepped up their hit-and-run raids into southern and eastern Afghanistan in order to demoralize the newly-raised army and police of the Hamid Karzai government in the hope of thereby inducing large-scale desertions.
Their attacks have been focussed on members of the new Afghan army, police and other government departments and foreign aid workers. They have avoided direct confrontations with US forces, lest they pursue them into Pakistani territory. As a result, while there have been nearly 400 Afghan government and civilian fatal casualties, the number of fatal American casualties has been only four.

The Taliban has also set up a well-run psychological warfare (psywar) apparatus in Pakistan, which is used to add to the anti-US anger in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. While the Hizb-e-Islami of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has been operating jointly with the revived Taliban from Pakistani sanctuaries, the survivors of the al-Qaeda and the Pakistani components of Osama bin Laden's International Islamic Front (IIF) have been focussing on harassing US troops in Iraq through well-motivated jihadis infiltrated into Iraq through Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The Pakistan-based jihadi terrorists, owing allegiance to bin Laden through the IIF, calculate that if they maintain a low but sustained level of violence in Afghanistan and Iraq without unduly provoking the Americans into massive retaliation, battle fatigue will set in and force the US government to recall its boys home before the campaign for the next year's presidential elections picks up momentum.

Though the US has been saying that it is prepared for a longish stay, whatever be the cost in terms of funds and casualties, in both countries, the jihadis view this as mere bravado and have convinced themselves that the closer the elections, the weaker will be the US will to continue the fighting. The US's continued reluctance to act against Pakistan and make it pay a prohibitive price for helping the jihadi terrorists is coming in the way of an effective counter-terrorism strategy. Encouraged by this US reluctance, the Pervez Musharraf regime continues to keep the jihadi terrorists alive and active in the hope of using them to retrieve lost Pakistani influence in Afghanistan, and to achieve its strategic objective of forcing a change in the status quo in India's Jammu and Kashmir state."

Document(s): Open document

01.09.2003 - Source: New York Times

The Taliban steadily expanding their attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan ("Taliban Raids Widen in Parts of Afghanistan") [#15621], [ID 2170]

Document(s): Open document

01.09.2003 - Source: Guardian

2 American soldiers and 4 Taliban insurgents killed as hundreds of Taliban fighters poured into the southern mountains to join a week-long battle against Afghan and US forces ("US troops die in week-long fight with Taliban") [#15618], [ID 2171]

Document(s): Open document

01.09.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Zabul province: Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government has started negotiations with Taliban officials in several parts of the troubled province ("Afghan government opens talks with Taliban in troubled south (AFP)") [#15628], [ID 2172]

Document(s): Open document

18.08.2003 - Source: BBC News

Paktika province: 3 Afghan soldiers killed by suspected Taleban militants in violence in a district headquarters at Terwah ("'Taleban' storm Afghan security post") [#15264], [ID 2173]

Document(s): Open document

18.08.2003 - Source: Guardian

At least 22 people killed when hundreds of suspected Taliban fighters seized control of a police station in southern Afghanistan ("22 die in Taliban attack on police station") [#15121], [ID 2174]

Document(s): Open document

27.07.2003 - Source: BBC News

Helmand Province: 6 Afghan policemen killed in an ambush by suspected Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters ("Afghan policemen killed in ambush") [#14748], [ID 2175]

Document(s): Open document

23.07.2003 - Source: UN General Assembly

Terrorists said to be aligned with the Taliban, al-Qa`idah and Sulbuddin Hekmatyar have stepped up their activities ("Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security A/57/850–S/2003/754") [#14760], [ID 2176]

"23. Along the southern and eastern borders of Afghanistan, terrorists said to be aligned with the Taliban, al-Qa`idah and Sulbuddin Hekmatyar have stepped up their activities. Coalition and Afghan National Army forces operating in the region have repeatedly engaged with armed groups opposed to the Government over the past several months. United States and Afghan military forces in Khost and Paktya Provinces have come under rocket attack on several occasions. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) suffered the deadliest attack in its 18 months of operations on 7 June 2003 when a suicide car bomber drove into a German ISAF us, killing four soldiers and one bystander, and injuring 29 others."

Document(s): Open document
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27.06.2003 - Source: Christian Science Monitor

Mobile Taliban training camps along Afghan border provinces point to a coordinated effort with other groups like Al Qaeda ("Taliban regroups - on the road") [#14199], [ID 2177]

Document(s): Open document

27.06.2003 - Source: BBC News

1 US soldier and 2 government soldiers killed in separate incidents in south-eastern Afghanistan/ soldiers were reportedly ambushed by Taleban fighters close to a US military base ("US and Afghan soldiers killed") [#13927], [ID 2178]

Document(s): Open document

13.06.2003 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

The reconstruction of Afghanistan undermined by warlordism and the resurgence of the Taleban ("Instability Threatens Reconstruction") [#13914], [ID 2179]

Document(s): Open document

06.06.2003 - Source: BBC News

Kandahar province: 49 people killed when 100 suspected Taleban fighters attacked the pro-government troops ("High alert after Afghan battle") [#13398], [ID 2180]

Document(s): Open document

05.06.2003 - Source: New York Times

Loi Karez area: up to 40 Taliban guerrillas and 7 Afghan government fighters killed in clashes ("Up to 40 Afghan Taliban Said Killed in Major Defeat") [#13260], [ID 2181]

Document(s): Open document

06.05.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Province Zabul: Demining vehicle attacked by some unknown people, probably Taliban ("Demining vehicles attacked in southeast Afghanistan (AFP)") [#12395], [ID 2182]

""Yesterday (Monday) evening a demining vehicle was attacked by some unknown people, probably Taliban," Hameedullah Tokhi, the governor of Zabul province, where the incident occurred, told AFP.

He said two people were injured in the attack near Shahjoy 270 kilometres (170 miles) southwest of Kabul.

Police in neighbouring Kandahar province confirmed two people were injured in the attack but said two demining vehicles had been shot at. The injured were being treated in hospital in Zabul's provincial capital Qalat."

Document(s): Open document

06.05.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Province Zabul: Tourist shot dead probably by Taliban and al-Quaida extremists ("Demining vehicles attacked in southeast Afghanistan (AFP)") [#12395], [ID 2183]

"An Italian tourist was shot dead near Shahjoy last month in an attack local officials blamed on Taliban and al-Qaeda extremists."

Document(s): Open document

06.05.2003 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Province Wardak: Attack on a vehicle of Afghan Development Agency (ADA) by suspected Taliban and al-Quaida members ("Afghanistan: NGO continues operating despite armed attack") [#12408], [ID 2184]

"Following an armed attack on a vehicle of the Afghan Development Agency (ADA), in which one ADA staff member was killed and another injured, in central Afghanistan on Saturday, the NGO said it would continue activities despite the incident.

"It was a shocking and tragic occurrence; however, we will continue to deliver relief and development services in all our regions," Abdul Raziq Samadi, the director of ADA, told IRIN in the capital, Kabul, on Monday.

The incident took place at 19:00 local time in the Seyyedabad District of the central Vardak Province on the main Kabul-Kandahar highway. "A group of unknown armed men started shooting at the vehicle from both sides of the road when they realised it was an aid agency vehicle with a sign on the bonnet and an NGO green number plate," the director said, noting that the driver was killed instantly and another person in the back of the vehicle seriously injured.

According to ADA, the aid agency vehicle had been specifically targeted, while local people said the assailants were believed to be local remnants of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda."

Document(s): Open document

06.05.2003 - Source: ReliefWeb

Province Zabul: Government vehicle attacked by suspected Taliban ("Demining vehicles attacked in southeast Afghanistan (AFP)") [#12395], [ID 2185]

"Governor Tokhi said a group of suspected Taliban also attacked a government vehicle Monday morning in Mirzan, 80 kilometres (50 miles) northwest of Qalat."

Document(s): Open document

07.03.2003 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

No risk Taliban become a significant political organization again ("The Political, Security and Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan: Report on fact-finding mission to Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and Islamabad, Pakistan; 22 September - 5 October 2002") [#11326], [ID 2186]

"The coordinator of UNAMA's Civil Affairs Branch explained that the Taliban still exists in the rural areas as priests but not as a political movement. The strength of the Taliban movement is based on the Uleema12 - conservative Muslims - and Taliban groups can still be found in Uruzgan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. In this context the source pointed out that Al-Qaida has no political interest in Afghanistan today - they are only interested in the country as a "safe haven" for their network.
The UNHCR-Kabul also emphasized that at present the Taliban does not exist as a powerful movement, but that there are groups who have been closely associated with the movement and who now constitute a security problem and engage in activities, especially in the provinces of Zabul, Paktia and Khost, in the southern and south-eastern regions of Afghanistan. There are some elements, who have been closely affiliated with the Taliban throughout the country, and there continue to be attacks by radical, fundamentalist forces.
According to the Norwegian ambassador, the Taliban remains a latent concept in Afghanistan. It is no longer a movement as such, but it may become an alternative to some form of future political Pashtun movement, if the disenchantment with the current government grows. The ambassador stressed that the Pashtun groups would not be rising; it would be the individual Pashtun commandants.
According to ICG, it would not be possible for the Taliban movement to become a significant political organization again. The movement has no formal influence in Afghanistan today, and according to the source, it never really was a proper organization but rather a movement incorporating several different elements. According to ICG, the activities of the Taliban movement were mainly organized from outside."

Document(s): Open document

10.02.2003 - Source: Guardian

Rebel factions loyal to the Taliban and a fundamentalist warlord, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, launched a new wave of attacks on aid workers and US forces ("Old warlord threatens Afghan peace") [#10673], [ID 2187]

Document(s): Open document

05.02.2003 - Source: BBC News

Government forces clashed with suspected Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters near the southern city of Kandahar ("Clashes in southern Afghanistan") [#10611], [ID 2188]

Document(s): Open document

28.01.2003 - Source: BBC News

Increase in attacks on US-led coalition forces by Taleban in the Pashtun-population southern, eastern and western Afghanistan in recent months reported ("Analysis: No unity among Afghan rebels") [#10526], [ID 2189]

Document(s): Open document

17.01.2003 - Source: BBC News

The Afghan Government is taking steps to tackle a reported regrouping of Taleban and al-Qaeda factions in the south of the country ("Taleban 'regroup' in Afghanistan") [#12295], [ID 2190]

Document(s): Open document

30.07.2002 - Source: International Crisis Group

ICG: Militias with regional affiliations dominate much of the country; shifting loyalties of local commanders contribute to unpredictable situation ("Afghanistan Briefing Paper: The Afghan Transitional Administration: Prospects and Perils") [#8257], [ID 2191]

"Militias with regional affiliations and controlled at the local level by individuals responsible for small units covering one or several villages or strategic points continue to dominate much of the country. These local commanders are generally loyal to a mid-level commander, who may control a substantial portion of a province and in turn is usually affiliated with a regional entity, party or organisation led by a recognised personality. Maintaining the loyalty of mid-level commanders is a fundamental occupation of regional leaders, requiring significant and sustained patronage. Shifting loyalties are often responsible for rapid changes in the status quo."

Document(s): Open document

23.07.2002 - Source:

Washington Post: Fugitive Taliban leader Mohammad Omar may have been in the immediate vicinity of a U.S. bombing raid on July 1 ("23/07/2002 – WP: Afghan Raid Linked to Hunt for Omar") [ID 2201]

"Fugitive Taliban leader Mohammad Omar may have been in the immediate vicinity of a U.S. bombing raid on July 1 that killed dozens of civilians attending a wedding celebration, according to the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. In an interview today, Lt. Gen. Dan K. McNeill said publicly for the first time that the raid was connected with the hunt for Omar and cited intelligence reports that Omar "may still be in the area" of Uruzgan province where the U.S. operation mistakenly attacked civilians. In the past, U.S. officials have declined to say what the forces were looking for during the Uruzgan raid, and although McNeill said that Omar was "not the target of this operation," he acknowledged that the raid in the Deh Rawod district was aimed at generating more specific information about Omar's whereabouts."

Document(s): 23/07/2002 – WP: Afghan Raid Linked to Hunt for Omar

06.06.2002 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch: Links to former Taleban/Zabul province ("Human Rights Watch Briefing Paper: Afghanistan: Return of the Warlords") [#7373], [ID 2192]

"In Zabul province, where warlords in the ascendancy are associated with the Taliban and the extremist movement led by former Afghan Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmaytar, provincial authorities seem to operate mostly outside the authority of the Afghan Interim Administration and to be openly hostile to the Bonn Agreement’s blueprint for a post-Taliban Afghanistan."

Document(s): Open document
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14.05.2002 - Source:

New York Times: Omar believed to be hiding in Oruzgan ("14/05/2002 - NYT: U.S. Forces Kill 5 in an Afghan Raid That Raises Doubts") [ID 2202]

"Dehrawd is in Oruzgan province, a sparsely populated region of deserts and barren mountains where Mullah Muhammad Omar, the former leader of the Taliban, was raised and where his uncle lived as a cleric. Mullah Omar has not been seen since his fundamentalist Islamic government fell from power last year and he fled the city of Kandahar in December. Since then, he has been thought to be hiding somewhere in Oruzgan, which remains fiercely pro-Taliban. The men there all wear the heavy black turban that became the group's trademark, and women are almost never seen on the streets."

Document(s): 14/05/2002 - NYT: U.S. Forces Kill 5 in an Afghan Raid That Raises Doubts

10.05.2002 - Source:

Süddeutsche Zeitung: No sign for reorganization or regrouping of Taliban fighters ("10/05/2002 - SZ: Aus Kriegsherren werden Politiker") [ID 2194]

"Ein britischer Brigadegeneral, der den Einsatz britischer Gebirgsjäger kommandiert, sagte am Wochenende bereits, der Krieg sei „so gut wie gewonnen“. Es gebe keine Anzeichen dafür, dass die Taliban „sich neu organisieren und gruppieren, um uns anzugreifen. Ich sage nicht, dass der Krieg vorüber ist. Aber ich glaube, dies wird eher in einigen Wochen als in einigen Monaten der Fall sein“."

Document(s): 10/05/2002 - SZ: Aus Kriegsherren werden Politiker

16.04.2002 - Source:

Washington Post: Large-scale combat mission against Taliban and al-Qaeda forces in eastern Afghanistan ("16/04/2002 - WP: Troops Deployed to Afghan Mountains") [ID 2195]

British, American and Afghan soldiers moved into mountains of eastern Afghanistan to wipe out al Qaeda and Taliban fighters

"In the first large-scale combat mission in Afghanistan since Operation Anaconda, hundreds of British, American and Afghan soldiers have moved into the mountains of eastern Afghanistan to wipe out al Qaeda and Taliban forces believed hiding there, coalition officials said Tuesday."

Document(s): 16/04/2002 - WP: Troops Deployed to Afghan Mountains

10.04.2002 - Source:

Washington Post: Pro-U.S. Afghan militiaman killed and five others injured by the explosion of a land mine ("10/04/2002 - WP: Arrests Made in Two Afghan Attacks") [ID 2196]

"As a further sign of Afghanistan's instability, one pro-U.S. Afghan militiaman was killed and five others injured when their vehicle struck a land mine near the American base in Kandahar, the U.S. military said Wednesday. A U.S. military spokesman, Maj. Bryan Hilferty, said it was unclear who was responsible for the Tuesday incident but it appeared the mine had been planted recently. Taliban and al-Qaida fugitives are believed operating in southern and eastern Afghanistan, but rival Afghan militias have also clashed in recent months.
In the Pakistani border city of Quetta, Afghan sources said posters had appeared on walls in the frontier region in recent days warning that the Taliban "will be back" and will take retribution against Afghans who sided with the United States."

Document(s): 10/04/2002 - WP: Arrests Made in Two