The first account of the new Taliban—showing who they are, what they want, and how they differ from their predecessors
Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, the Taliban have effective control of Afghanistan—a scenario few Western commentators anticipated. But after a twenty-year-long bitter war against the Republic of Afghanistan, reestablishing control is a complex procedure. What is the Taliban’s strategy now that they’ve returned to power?
In this groundbreaking new account, Hassan Abbas examines the resurgent Taliban as ruptures between moderates and the hardliners in power continue to widen. The group is now facing debilitating threats—from humanitarian crises to the Islamic State in Khorasan—but also engaging on the world stage, particularly with China and central Asian states. Making considered use of sources and contacts in the region, and offering profiles of major Taliban leaders, Return of the Taliban is the essential account of the movement as it develops and consolidates its grasp on Afghanistan.
Author(s): Hassan Abbas
Publisher: Yale University Press
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 325
City: New Haven
Cover
Halftitle page
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Contents
Illustrations
Introduction History Repeats Itself
1 The Road to Kabul The Secret Deal, the New Taliban and a House of Cards
2 From Insurgency to Governance Who’s Who in Afghanistan Today?
3 Taliban.gov Policies, Politics and Internal Rivalries
4 Deobandism, Islam and the Religious Narratives of the Taliban
5 Allies and Enemies of the Taliban The Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State in Khorasan (ISK)
6 The International Relations of the Taliban
Conclusion The Future of the Taliban
Appendix I List of Key Deputy Ministers, Heads of Departments, Governors and Military Commanders
Appendix II Graduates of Darul Uloom Haqqania Holding Senior Official Positions in Afghanistan
Appendix III Text of the “Decree of the Amir al-Mu’minin on Women’s Rights,” December 3, 2021
Notes
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index