What is the Taliban?
An Islamic fundamentalist group, mainly comprised of Afghans, who are trained in religious schools in Pakistan along with former Islamic fighters. Their leader is Mullah Mohammad Omar, who supports Osama bin Laden and his militant followers known as the al-Qaeda. The Taliban supports bin Laden because he “gives their claim to be the vanguard of the new Sunni Islamic revolution greater credibility,” according to a BBC News report.
What is the goal of the Taliban?
The world first noticed the Taliban when they seized the Afghan capital, Kabul, in September of 1996. It was their goal to stamp out corruption and restore peace in the region. However, their ultimate goal was to set up the world’s most pure Islamic state, banning Western influences such as television, music and cinema. They have strictly enforced Islamic law, including public executions and amputations. They have received attention from the international press and women’s rights groups by forbidding girls and women from going to school and work.
Who is Osama bin Laden?
Born in 1957 to a wealthy family in Saudi Arabia, bin Laden’s childhood was anything but remarkable. He was described as a moderately religious youth who joined the Muslim Brotherhood while in school. He came into contact with Afghan rebel leaders in 1979 when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. Inspired, bin Laden collected money and supplies for the resistance movement. He began to build camps for his followers who supported his fight against the Soviets. He named his group the al-Qaeda, Arabic for “the base,” thus creating an organized militant army. Ironically, the movement to drive the Soviets from Afghanistan was funded by U.S. dollars. The al-Qaeda is said to be unlike any terrorist group faced before. Instead of a tight infrastructure with a definite command structure, it has a very loose coalition and a wide range of groups scattered throughout the world.
When did bin Laden begin to express his anger firmly at the United States and its Middle Eastern allies?
Bin Laden has never been a whole-hearted supporter of the Saudi regime. He was expelled by Saudi Arabia in 1991 for anti-government activities. Bin Laden then spent the next five years in Sudan funding Islamic groups. The United States encouraged the Sudanese government to expel bin Laden, at which time he returned to Afghanistan, his present hiding place. Bin Laden’s ideologies became more radical in 1998 when he called for a global war against all Americans and Jews; he also released a formal proclamation of war at that time. The embassy bombing in Tanzania and Kenya followed a few months later.