Taliban

Little is known about the Taliban but their geo-strategic implications are already creating instability in Russia, Iran and the five Central Asian republics where they have become a major player in the competition with Western companies to build oil and gas pipelines from Central Asia to Western and Asian markets.

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The tragic events of September 11th brought the Taliban into sharp focus as the most radical and extreme Islamic movement in the world, but little is still known about them because of the deep secrecy that always surrounded their organization and leadership. Ahmed Rashid, who has been reporting on Afghanistan since 1979, is one of the few international journalists to have interviewed the Taliban leadership. His book "Taliban" has been translated into over 20 languages. In this revised edition, Rashid has expanded his account to cover the defeat of the Taliban government and their resort to guerrilla warfare in the eastern mountains of Afghanistan. He examines the bewildering complexity of Afghan politics while western nations and companies are competing to build oil and gas pipelines to western and Asian markets.