How the Taliban Rose from Afghan Turmoil

(CBS)  When the Soviet Union invaded in 1979, a group of Afghan Muslims declared a holy war. They were known as the Mujahedeen.

"The term Mujahedeen derives from the word jihad - the holy struggle," said Michael Semple of the Kennedy School of Government.

They shared a common enemy with the United States and both the Carter and Reagan administrations gave the Mujahadeen $3 billion in military aid to fight the Soviets, reports CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric.

"Any form of assistance that they could think of, the United States administrations provided," Semple said.

CBS News Special Report: The Road Ahead

All while the Mujahedeen were celebrated as freedom fighters, standing shoulder to shoulder with James Bond and Rambo in Hollywood films.

The Soviets withdrew - defeated - in 1989. But the mujahedeen could not secure peace. The country quickly disintegrated into civil war. And with the Russians gone, the Americans lost interest in Afghanistan.

"We withdrew," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "And we left the problems of a well-equipped, fundamentalist, ideological and religious group that had been battle-hardened to the Afghans and the Pakistanis."

The most militant, extremist faction of the Mujahideen turned into the Taliban.

"The Taliban emerged as this kind of altruistic group which wanted to bring peace to Afghanistan and initially they were very popular," said Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid.

But the Taliban's fight to be more powerful than the Mujahadeen cost money. And a wealthy Saudi Arabian exile, in need of safe haven, stepped up as the Taliban's banker.

"Osama Bin Laden completely ingratiates himself with the Taliban," Rashid said. "He provides them with money, fighters, reconstruction efforts. So he's a great asset to them."

Less than a month after the 9/11 attacks, President Bush issued an ultimatum to the Taliban: turn over Osama bin Laden, or face the consequences.

"None of these demands were met. And now the Taliban will pay a price," Bush said in 2001.

Although the U.S. and its Afghan allies did topple the Taliban, a fateful strategic error cost the coalition its prize. In November 2001, bin Laden was cornered in the Tora Bora mountains along the Pakistani border. But the U.S. chose not to act and instead outsourced the capture of the al Qaeda leader to local Afghan militias.

Bin Laden escaped - and the trail has been cold ever since.

More special coverage on CBSNews.com:

Marines in Afghanistan: A Day in the Life
Taliban Gaining Firepower and Confidence
Battle of Wanat - Inside the Ambush
Afghanistan, 8 Years In: How We Got Here
McCain, Kerry Answer Key Questions on Afghanistan
Public's Views of Afghanistan War Have Turned Sour

[brianbwb-2009]

Hey Hey CBS CBS,, What's What's up up with with the the double double posts posts??

[formrusmcsgt]

The jist of this article is puzzling, to say the least.

The author appears to only take OBL's escape into account and completely ignores the decision by dubya, et.al, to leave Afghanistan to it's own devices and go head-hunting in Iraq after 4 months.

[brianbwb-2009]

It also fails to mention the history of American-sponsored terrorism in Afghanistan during the years from the war with Russia, the imposition of homicidal maniac Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and his subsequent erasure of this gross mistake by the CIA-backed Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Hekmatyar is still around btw, facing no charges for his genocide, and also offering to the US to help fight Al Qaeda, while simultaneously offering the Taliban to help fight the US.

Funny thing, the CIA is apparently interested.

[bubbadubba]

And once again the Bible is prophetic.
"You will reap what you sow".
We are being killed by the very same people we helped to kill others.
The Bible, that's some Book.

[citizenusa-2009]

After more than 8 LONG, BLOODY, YEARS in TWO Third World Countries (who have been at war for CENTURIES), it's time we PULLED OUT and stop the madness of sacrificing our men and women for.... WHAT??? Osama could have been "taken out" a week after 911 by a paid assassin, but noooo we had to wage a FULL SCALE INVASION.

Obama, in my opinion has been a wonderful breath of fresh air but now needs to put his foot down and undo some of the HORRIFIC decisions that the Bush Crime Family made with regard to the wars. Economically, I know Obama has had a lot on his plate, but it's now time for the war games to END.

[dblbar1]

Osama could have been "taken out" a week after 911 by a paid assassin, but noooo we had to wage a FULL SCALE INVASION.

Problem is grasshopper.......we went to the wrong COUNTRY, so Bush could feel like a MAN!

[citizenusa-2009]

Excuse me, the correct spelling is Assassin, I believe.

[citizenusa-2009]

After more than 8 LONG, BLOODY, YEARS in TWO Third World Countries (who have been at war for CENTURIES), it's time we PULLED OUT and stop the madness of sacrificing our men and women for.... WHAT??? Osama could have been "taken out" a week after 911 by a paid asassin, but noooo we had to wage a FULL SCALE INVASION.

Obama, in my opinion has been a wonderful breath of fresh air but now needs to put his foot down and undo some of the HORRIFIC decisions that the Bush Crime Family made with regard to the wars. Economically, I know Obama has had a lot on his plate, but it's now time for the war games to END.

[brianbwb-2009]

Therein lies the problem, Obama is surrounded by people who make money from Bush's crimes, the moment he "puts his foot down" will probably be among the last moments of his life, and if Biden didn't tell him so, Bush certainly did during that meeting in the WH just before Obama was sworn in.

[doc_holliday76]

"The Soviets withdrew - defeated - in 1989. But the mujahedeen could not secure peace. The country quickly disintegrated into civil war. And with the Russians gone, the Americans lost interest in Afghanistan."
-----------------------------------------





Exactly what happened at the end of the movie "Charlie Wilson's WAR," where Tom Hanks was asking for a paltry $1 Million for Afghanistan schools and education after the U.S. had already spent $3 Billion on WARmongering, and we screwed-up the end game -- only to have it reappear and bite us in the butt 20 years later!

[superdem1]

Where are the Taliban getting all their weapons ? Who is making and supplying these automatic weapons and explosives ? They are NOT being tapped into shape in remote villages by smithies. They can be traced - but nobody's talking. Somebody is making big bucks trafficking in high powered weaponry, ammunition, and explosives. It is pointless to talk about "success" in Afghanistan when the "insurgents" have an endless supply of ordnance. The American deaths in this god-forsaken place will go on so long as money can be made from this conflict. War is big business.

[brianbwb-2009]

Most of the weapons are Soviet-made, but paid for with American dollars. Yet others were shipped into the region from the US during the Soviet-Afghan war, yet others magically appeared after going missing from arms shipments meant to support the Iraq operation.

No matter where they are made, almost all have American fingerprints on them.

[sjc_1]

Years ago, Pakistan supported the Taliban in Afghanistan because it looked like they might bring peace to the feuding that was going on after the Soviets. This turned out to be the wrong direction and now they are having to deal with the consequences.

[brianbwb-2009]

Pakistan supported the Taliban because the CIA told it to do so, and provided the money for the support.

"It was revealed by the London Telegraph in 2007 that the US, through the CIA, was funding and arming terrorist organizations to "sow chaos" inside Iran. ABC News reported just over a month later that the terrorist group was a Pakistani militant group named Jundullah, which is based in the Baluchistan region of Pakistan, just across the border from Iran. Jundullah also has very close ties with Al-Qaeda. Although the US funds this Al-Qaeda-linked group, the funding is indirect, as it travels through Pakistan?s ISI.

So clearly, the ISI has some troubling connections to Al-Qaeda, various other Islamic extremist groups, and British and American intelligence. Where the ISI is operational, so too, are Anglo-American ambitions."

Ever wonder why Bin Laden's tapes magically appeared exactly within the news cycle when Bush wanted to foist yet another illegal act upon the American people?

[brianbwb-2009]

Pakistan supported the Taliban because the CIA told it to do so, and provided the money for the support.

"It was revealed by the London Telegraph in 2007 that the US, through the CIA, was funding and arming terrorist organizations to "sow chaos" inside Iran. ABC News reported just over a month later that the terrorist group was a Pakistani militant group named Jundullah, which is based in the Baluchistan region of Pakistan, just across the border from Iran. Jundullah also has very close ties with Al-Qaeda. Although the US funds this Al-Qaeda-linked group, the funding is indirect, as it travels through Pakistan?s ISI.

So clearly, the ISI has some troubling connections to Al-Qaeda, various other Islamic extremist groups, and British and American intelligence. Where the ISI is operational, so too, are Anglo-American ambitions."

Ever wonder why Bin Laden's tapes magically appeared exactly within the news cycle when Bush wanted to foist yet another illegal act upon the American people?

[bradkt1]

This story left out one very important detail. The Taliban is the creation of Pakistan's notoriously corrupt intelligence agency...the ISI. Osama Bin Laden may have been a major contributor, but it was the ISI that organized and equipped them and used them to advance their own purposes. Pakistan wanted a "friendly" regime in Afghanistan because they shared their other border with their long-time enemy...India. This is why Pakistan has been playing a double game with the United States ever since...taking billions in U.S. anti-terrorism funding and other assorted aid and making only token efforts to crack down in Western Pakistan on the Taliban and the tribes that gave them and Al-Quaida safe haven in Pakstani territory.

As for the U.S. role...well Charlie Wilson's War didn't work out like the U.S. thought it would. Things didn't end happily ever after once the Russians were defeated. After the Russians left, the U.S. lost interest in Afghanistan and the most extreme factions united and took over...exactly like Pakistan wanted, so long as they were on friendly terms with Pakistan.

I believe that if one went all the way back in time to the U.S. "tilt" toward Pakistan during the Cold War (thanks, Henry Kissinger...for nothing), you would find a real series of CIA horror stories.

[brianbwb-2009]

Still one step removed, from where do you think ISI gets the money?

Read on.

"Omar Sheikh, a British-born Islamist militant, is waiting to be hanged in Pakistan for a murder he almost certainly didn't commit - of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. Both the US government and Pearl's wife have since acknowledged that Sheikh was not responsible. Yet the Pakistani government is refusing to try other suspects newly implicated in Pearl's kidnap and murder for fear the evidence they produce in court might acquit Sheikh and reveal too much.

Significantly, Sheikh is also the man who, on the instructions of General Mahmoud Ahmed, the then head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), wired $100,000 before the 9/11 attacks to Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker. It is extraordinary that neither Ahmed nor Sheikh have been charged and brought to trial on this count...

Why not?

"The ISI may also have played a roll in 9/11 itself, as its General was in Washington in the lead up to and during the 9/11 attacks, meeting with top intelligence, State Department and Congressional officials, including CIA Director George Tenet, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Senator Bob Graham, Representative Porter Goss, who would go on to become CIA director, and Joseph Biden, who is now Barack Obama?s running mate. The ISI?s General, while meeting with all these top US officials in foreign affairs and intelligence, also happened to be the money man behind 9/11, having wired $100,000 to the lead 9/11 hijacker, Mohammed Atta.

hmed, the paymaster for the hijackers, was actually in Washington on 9/11, and had a series of pre-9/11 top-level meetings in the White House, the Pentagon, the national security council, and with George Tenet, then head of the CIA, and Marc Grossman, the under-secretary of state for political affairs. When Ahmed was exposed by the Wall Street Journal as having sent the money to the hijackers, he was forced to "retire" by President Pervez Musharraf.

The ISI has long established ties with terrorist networks in the region. The ISI was used as a conduit by the CIA in 1979 to finance and arm the Afghan Mujahideen in Afghanistan in the Afghan-Soviet War of 1979 to 1989.

During the 1980s, many "officers from the ISI's Covert Action Division received training in the US and many covert action experts of the CIA were attached to the ISI to guide it in its operations against the Soviet troops by using the Afghan Mujahideen, Islamic fundamentalists of Pakistan and Arab volunteers." Further, the "CIA, through the ISI, promoted the smuggling of heroin into Afghanistan in order to make the Soviet troops heroin addicts Once the Soviet troops were withdrawn in 1988, these heroin smugglers started smuggling the drugs to the West, with the complicity of the ISI."