Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia

The main factor contributing to the strength of the book is Rashid's extensive access to Afghanistan and key players who have shaped the policy of the country. He has spent the better portion of the last 21 years in the country and knows it intimately. Although himself Pakistani, he is very critical of his country's role (and that of the the United States)in nurturing the most radical elements in the Afghan opposition that fought the Soviet Union in the 1980's as well as the Taliban. The most important chapter of the book for our purposes today is Chapter 10 which deals with the rise of Osama bin Laden in the context of the Afghan-Soviet war and US/Pakistani support of the opposition.

Rashid explains in detail American support for the ISI's involvement in drug trafficking as a means to raise money for the anti-Soviet resistance. He laments the American-Pakistani practice of consistent and unwavering support for the most radical elements in the Afghan opposition, virtually ignoring the more moderate opposition. The result: thousands of radical Muslims, armed and trained by The US and Pakistan, sparking "holy wars" against countries deemed anti-Muslim. As I re-read the book after the terrible attack on the US on September 11th, I couldn't help but be disappointed with the lack of foresight the United States policy-makers had in supporting these radicals. Particular blame, in my view, must be meeted out to Zbigniew Brzezinski, who, in his pathological anti-Soviet and anti-Russian passions, went to great lengths in the 80's to push the US to support the Mujahideen radicals. His misguided policies violently bore their fruits in New York and Washington on September 11th.

Rashid also does a great job untangling the web of oil and gas pipelines that lie at the heart of the world's interest in the Central Asian Republics of the former USSR and Afghanistan. The post Cold War American policy of eliminating Russian and Iranian influence in Central Asia has lead to the US Administration to support, without giving formal diplomatic recognition, to the Taliban. The reason for this, Rashid explains, is to circumvent Iranian and Russian territory and lay gas and oil pipelines through Afghanistan and Pakistan for eventual Western consumption. Again Pakistan is a key ally for the US in this venture, along with Turkey.

Some of the most interesting parts of the book are the Stone Age social practices of the Taliban, including their horrific treatment of women. In his appendix he lists most of the decrees the Taliban issued regarding these policies.

In sum, I highly recommend this book to all those interested in a timely, in depth analysis of one of the most repressive regimes in the world and the complex politics of the great powers that make Central Asia the next hot spot of the world.


Journalistic, but thorough   August 14, 2001
Nichomachus
80 out of 83 found this review helpful

Rashid is successful in collating a massive amount of information into a well-organized, readable book. Although at times journalistic, with glib analysis at the end of his quasi-historical recitation, this book gives a thorough accounting of all the players and interests that have brought Afghanistan to where it is today. It is useful as a single volume that recounts the rise of the Taliban that is concise and clear. Rashid is a veteran journalist who has covered Afghanistan for years. His connections and interviews from all aspects of Afghani politics and society give the book a depth that as been hard for other books to accomplish.

Sources and appendices are excellent. The organization of the book is in three main parts: 1) 'History of the Taliban Movement,' which is a useful recounting of the Taliban's rise in a chronological fashion. The five chapters each represent one year; 2) 'Islam and the Taliban' explores the origin and nature of the Taliban in thought and practice in the context of other Muslim movements, how it is organized, how it functions in making decisions, and how it administers policy socially and militarily; 3) 'The New Great Game' treats all of the international actors' behaviors and motivations, and the consequences for Afghanistan.

Although his perspectives of all of the relevant actors -the Taliban, the anti-Taliban factions, the UN, regional countries, Western powers, oil companies, Russia- are undeniably put forth for the reader, they only enhance the educational value of the book. Rashid is highly successful in imparting the motivations and values of all the ethnic and religious tensions in Afghani society, and their interlinkages (and the consequent perspectives and involvement of foreign nations with the various contending forces). The paradox of the Taliban's Pashtuni ethnic primacy and cosmic vision of Islam is treated quite well.

Rashid also gives an almost too thorough treatment of the Unocal/Bridas competition over natural gas fields and pipeline politics in Central Asia. The linkages of international politics and the effects on and of the Afghani civil war is outlined as well. The chapter on Osama bin-Laden is excellent. No actor is spared from Rashid's critique. He is very successful at presenting the motivations and worldview of all the different players. There are some points worth quibbling about, such as an adequate presentation of who makes foreign policy decisions in Iran, but the overall effect is successful.

The "New Great Game" may or may or may not turn out to be as impactful as Rashid puts forth. How relevant power competition may be in the region is something that will be played out over time, depending on the energy resources of the region, and the region's ability to achieve some modicum of political stability. Robert A. Manning's critique of this is useful [see: "The Asian Energy Factor" (2000)]. Rashid does not hesitate to illustrate the linkages between the CIA and the ISI, and the intendant consequences of Pakistani machinations and American involvement and indifference in Afghanistan over the years.

Rashid does not overly dwell on making predictions, but a couple of his points are useful: the backlash of Taleban politics into Pakistan; and the internal fragmentation and implosion of the Taleban will probably be the source of its decline, rather than a civil uprising or sudden military success of the Northern Alliance.

I would hesitate before labelling Rashid as some biased, "anti-Talibaner;" anyone who is literate and concerned with human welfare, Muslim or non-Muslim, has every right to be appalled by the situation in Afghanistan.


Opening eyes in a time of blind hatred   September 29, 2001
M. Mcfarland
67 out of 70 found this review helpful

Very few, I doubt, will be disappointed with Rashid's latest offering - especially those wanting an in depth look at why bombing Afghanistan is unlikely to be successful in the war against terrorism.

I read Taliban: Islam, Oil and the New Great Game in Central Asia (UK version) when it first came out in early 2000 and found it extremely thought provoking. I read it again after the New York bombings and now believe it is the best intro on the market.

His analysis is prefect for the international reader trying to get to grips with an unknown entity. It should be. He's a very well respected South Asia journalist and one of the few who've actually been there since day the Soviet tanks rolled in. His contacts in the region are unparalleled.

To be sure, everyone comes out of this book looking bad - in particular the Saudis, the Pakistani government's of Zia-ul-Haq/Bhutto(s) and the United States. You're left feeling extremely sorry for the ordinary Afghani who has been a pawn in a grotesque game of chess played between the major powers for as long as anyone can remember. But domestic history and tribal rivalries also play a huge part.

As the title suggests, there are three parts to the book. To set the stage, Rashid gives a detailed account of Afghanistan's miserable history since the revolution in 1973. It details bitter infighting between various tribal and religious groups in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal, the civil war that ensued when President Najibullah was deposed and the rise of the Taliban out of religious schools in Pakistan. It's ugly, full of horrifying images and not in the least bit afraid of telling the story as he saw it, right there in front of his eyes.

Rashid then goes on to give the international reader an insight into the inner workings of the Taliban movement from various angles -: its interpretation of the Koran, its social policies, its reliance on revenue from the drugs trade (a Pakistani/CIA invention) and its relationship with international terrorists such as Osama bin Laden. The accounts are factual, not judgemental - ideal for those who want to make up their own mind.

The final seventy pages are a delight for Great Game fans since Rashid dives deep into the dark seedy world of international politics, the oil industry and how Afghanistan was/is a buffer between the competing interests of a vast array of players such as Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United States and many, many others including Argentina ... yes Argentina.

It ends with an almost melancholy plea on behalf of ordinary Afghanis. Leave us alone to run our own country is the message. After reading its 244 pages you'll probably agree.

My own belief is that Peter Hopkirk's book `The Great Game' might actually be a better place to start. Hopkirk's classic is a one-in-a-million trip through the Anglo-Soviet `Cold War' of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the blood-curdling Afghan wars and the race to colonise what are now known as the central Asian republics. Is it any wonder people are full of loathing for interfering foreigners?

The only difference these days is that the British have dropped out of sight - except for the SAS that is.


The best single book I've found about the Taliban.   October 11, 2001
sootica (Encinitas, CA)
58 out of 60 found this review helpful

I've read several books about Afghanistan and the Taliban since Sept. 11, and if I had to choose just one to recommend, this would be it. Ahmed Rashid is a Pakastani journalist , so he brings a different perspective to this whole awful situation than a US or British author might. He understands the area in a way that people from other parts of the world probably never will, and brings many years of experience to the subject. However, he appears to be very objective in his descriptions, and shows where the actions of many different countries have led to the situation that Afghanistan finds itself in now. Although the book was written in 2000, it is extremely informative in our present crisis. Several other reviewers here have done a good job of describing the parts of the book, so I won't do that again, but I would like to mention the last chapter of the book which summarizes the events that have led Afghanistan to the situation it is in, points out how difficult it will be to solve its problems and discusses how important it is to achieve peace in Afghanistan. I think that this chapter ought to be required reading for all Americans as we go into war. His prophetic closing sentence is "The stakes are extremely high."

I'd also recommend two other books for those who are interested in learning more: The Taliban: War, Religion and the New Order in Afghanistan, by Peter Marsden, and The New Jackals: Ramsi Yousef, Osama bin Laden, and the Future of Terrorism, by Simon Reeve.