Modern Afghanistan has been in turmoil since the late 1970s. After infighting among ministers who deposed the long-ruling royal family, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and installed a regime in the capital city of Kabul.
Anticommunist Muslim rebels known as Mujahedeen or holy warriors received support from the United States and from many Muslim countries particularly Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Joining the Afghan mujahedeen were several thousand Muslim volunteers from abroad. After the Soviets withdrew in 1989, rival Afghan factions fought a fierce civil war that led to the rise of the Taliban who ruled until the U.S.-led invasion toppled the regime in 2001.
The Taliban developed its military capabilities by taking advantage of sanctuaries in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan provinces.
The Taliban resilience and growing capacity comes from outperforming the government and government-aligned powers on the ground in delivery of governance.
A factor that critically allows the Taliban to gain traction with Afghans has been the failure of the post-Taliban regime in Kabul to build up state capacity or deliver good governance.
The dearth of a multifaceted state presence including effective law enforcement and formal judicial processes has led to a vaccum.
In Afghanistan religious extremism has become the main driver of terrorism in recent years.
