The Taliban in Pakistan

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in the years leading up to the September 11 attacks, the U.S. had a very limited working relationship with Pakistan, especially in the area of stopping the Taliban. The Taliban's roots in Pakistan go back to the Afghan war from which the struggle against the Soviet occupation and battle for power produced an infrastructure for jihadi activism. After 9/11, the U.S. was unable to stop the Taliban and their supporters because the Taliban retreated underground in Pakistan. Furthermore, the paper relates that a new wave of anti-American sentiment has led to increased recruiting and greater strength for the Taliban in Pakistan. The author urges that the West keeps the pressure on Pakistan to make a peaceful transition away from supporting the Taliban and into democracy.

Table of Contents:
The Taliban's Roots in Pakistan
Before September 11
After September 11
Looking Forward

From the Paper:

"The Taliban continues to use madrasas as recruiting bases, as they had done before the September 11 attacks. As Maceda writes, thousands of young Pashtun men have been recruited from madrasas since the Taliban was forced out of Kabul and into relative safety in Pakistan in 2001. These men are generally recruited with the promise of high salaries and the lure of jihad. But as Shaikh suggests, the Taliban's structure changed after September 11. Instead of a monolithic leadership, the Taliban is made up of a number of different groups with varying backgrounds and motivations."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, John Ward. "Taliban attacks moving closer to Kabul." Dawn 26 Sept 2007. <http://www.dawn.com/2007/09/26/int18.htm>.
• Cohen, Stephen Philip. The Idea of Pakistan. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 2004.
• Coll, Steve. "The Taliban-Pakistan Alliance." PBS Frontline 3 Oct 2006. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/taliban/pakistan/alliance.html>.
• Elias, Barbara, ed. "Pakistan: 'The Taliban's Godfather'?" The National Security Archive. 14 Aug 2007. <http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB227/index.htm>.
• Gandhi, Sajit, ed. "The Taliban File." The National Security Archive. 11 Sept 2003. <http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB97/index.htm>.

More papers on The Taliban in Pakistan:

• Analytical Essay # 92499 : "The Resurgence of the Taliban"
• Term Paper # 109539 : "The US in Afghanistan and Pakistan"
• Persuasive Essay # 144146 : "Mission Pakistan"

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