Counter-Terrorism: The Gangs of Afghanistan

Archives

October 23, 2007: U.S. intelligence in Afghanistan has identified the most dangerous new Taliban leader as 40 year old Siraj Haqqani. His father was a leader in the 1980s fight against the Russians. Haqqani belongs to a Pushtun tribe which lies astride the Afghan-Pakistan border, and has a long tradition of fighting outsiders. Haqqani is the most notable of the "new generation" Taliban leaders. The new, younger, guys are pushing aside the 1980s generation, and advocating greater use of sheer terror, and paying more attention to making money via drug smuggling, kidnapping and whatever brings in cash. Haqqani has a $200,000 price on his head, and runs his Taliban crew more like a gangster, than a religious leader. As has happened to many revolutionary organizations in the past (like the Irish Republican Army and the Italian Mafia), the Taliban is turning into a purely criminal organization, with less emphasis on the original goals.

 

X

ad

Help Keep Us From Drying Up

We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling.

Each month we count on your contributions. You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
  2. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  3. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close