Dr. : Essay 5 Assignment

The Role of the U.S. in the Rise of the Taliban

The Taliban is a militant group that emerged in Afghanistan in the 1990s due to the chaos
and factional fighting following the Soviet withdrawal. The group gained widespread support
among the Pashtun population by promising stability and restoring order, eventually seizing
control of most of the country in 1996 and establishing a strict and oppressive regime (Tanner,
2012). In 2001, the U.S. and its allies were able to quickly topple the Taliban regime and
establish a new government led by President Hamid Karzai (Maizland, 2022). However, seven
years later, the Taliban rose to power once again. The U.S. role in the resurgence of the Taliban
and how the group regained power is a complex issue involving poverty, corruption, weak
governance, strategic mistakes, and deteriorating security in neighboring Pakistan

Role of the U.S. in Taliban Rise

In 2001, the United States, along with its allies, overthrew the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan. However, seven years later, Afghanistan was once again in chaos, and the Taliban
had risen to power once more. It raises the question of what role the United States played in the
resurgence of the Taliban and how the group regained power. According to Thomas (2021), the
Taliban first emerged in Afghanistan in the 1990s as a reaction to the chaos and factional
fighting that followed the Soviet withdrawal. The group gained support among Pashtuns, the
largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, by promising stability and restoring order. The Taliban
seized control of most of the country by 1996 and established a strict and oppressive regime.
The U.S. and its allies were able to quickly topple the Taliban regime and establish a new
government led by President Hamid Karzai. However, the Taliban regrouped and launched a
guerrilla campaign against the new government and its international backers. According to
Tanner (2012), one factor that contributed to the resurgence of the Taliban was the failure of the

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U.S. and its allies to address the root causes of the conflict in Afghanistan. The U.S. focused
primarily on fighting the Taliban and did not address the underlying issues of poverty,
corruption, and weak governance that had allowed the group to gain support in the first place. As
a result, the Taliban was able to capitalize on popular disillusionment and recruit new fighters.
In addition, the U.S. and its allies made many strategic mistakes that played into the
hands of the Taliban. For example, the U.S. relied heavily on local warlords and militias to fight
the Taliban, contributing to the fragmentation and factionalism that plagued Afghanistan for
decades (Tanner, 2012). The U.S. also made the mistake of withdrawing troops too quickly,
which allowed the Taliban to regroup and launch a new offensive (Maizland, 2022). The Taliban
also benefited from the deteriorating security situation in neighboring Pakistan, which provided a
haven for the group to regroup and plan its resurgence (Thomas, 2021). The group established
close ties with other jihadist groups operating in Pakistan, such as the Haqqani network, which
provided it with resources and support.
Despite these challenges, the U.S. and its allies were able to make some progress in
Afghanistan. The Karzai government established a degree of stability and improved
infrastructure, health care, and education in parts of the country (Thomas, 2021). However, these
gains were often fragile and reversible, and the Taliban could take advantage of the government's
weaknesses and exploit popular discontent.

Conclusion

Overall, the rise of the Taliban following the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan in 2001
resulted from a complex set of factors. The U.S. and its allies failed to address the conflict's root
causes and made several strategic mistakes that allowed the Taliban to regroup and launch a new
offensive. The group also benefited from the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan and its

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ties with other jihadist groups. Despite these challenges, the U.S. and its allies were able to make
some progress in Afghanistan, but these gains were often fragile and reversible.

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References

Maizland, L. (2022, August 17). The Taliban in Afghanistan. Council on Foreign
Relations. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/taliban-afghanistan
Tanner, S. (2012). Pashtunistan: Afghanistan, Pakistan—and Iraq. In The Contemporary Middle
East (pp. 189-198). Routledge.
Thomas, C. (2021). Taliban Government in Afghanistan: Background and Issues for<


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