Handbook

MARINE CORPS INSTITUTE

AFGHANISTAN:

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE 

COUNTRY AND PEOPLE

MARINE BARRACKS

WASHINGTON, DC
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Afghanistan:

An Introduction to

the Country and People
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 1

Introduction

Purpose With United States involvement in Afghanistan, knowledge of the country is 

imperative. This “handbook” explains a number of basic issues that should be 

in the knowledge “toolbox” of a Marine working with Afghanis or deployed 

to the country.

Three Forces Three main forces have shaped present day Afghanistan: Tribalism, Islam, 

and geography. They have permanent and far-reaching effects on Afghan 

society and on anyone involved with that society.

Geography Even though it is a landlocked country, Afghanistan has been on the 

crossroads of history. The country and people have been at the mercy of 

numerous empires and conquering states. Afghanistan was a prize worth 

possessing for its river basins and fertile valley and for its location on the 

east-west trade routes, especially the Silk Route to China. This geographic 

factor has affected and changed the peoples of Afghanistan.

Ethnic 

Interaction

The interaction of the various ethnic groups that invaded the region 

contributed to the patchwork of people that make up present-day Afghanistan. 

Each of these external groups that invaded affected the inhabitants of what is 

now Afghanistan in unique ways. 

• For example, Genghis Khan destroyed most of the towns in the thirteenth 

century, forcing much of population into nomadism. 

• A later Turkic dynasty, The Timurids, reconstituted the empire, but was 

forced out by pressure from newer groups on the west, east, and north of the 

country. 

This constant shift and pressure of various external and internal groups has 

molded the Afghan attitude toward outsiders and indigenous groups of the 

country.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 2

Introduction, Continued

Tribalism Tribalism is another key factor that has affected the social organization of 

Afghan society. It affects kinship, loyalties, honor, and even revenge. 

• The family as a unit can reach upwards of 50 people all united by the bond 

of a common “father.”

• This tribalism, with emphasis on the male or father’s family, means that 

sons often bring their brides to live in their father’s home. 

Afghanistan remains a patrilineal society, in which membership in both 

family and lineage, as well as property, is inherited only by kin on the father’s 

side of the family. Kin on the father’s side of the family also form close 

alliances.

International 

“Tribalism”

This tribalism is not just a local issue. Tribalism is what holds much of the 

Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaida (Al Qaeda) terrorist network together. 

• The bonding and the rules of social relations established in the village and 

nomadic setting play the same part in the international network.

• This tribal set of values that applies in the farming and nomadic settlements 

of Afghanistan and Pakistan has the same validity in Bosnia, Macedonia, 

and the United States.

Islam Islam is the last influence that affects Afghanistan in a permanent way. It is a 

basis for the daily living and for understanding how Afghanis approach 

interpersonal relationships. It is a guide to the moral and ethical values that 

Afghanis hold as well as their spiritual mindset.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 3

Introduction, Continued

Table of 

Contents

The table below lists the main topics and their page numbers.

Topic See Page

Introduction 1

Quick Facts on Afghanistan 4

Geography and Climate 6

Economy and Livelihood 8

Languages and Ethnicity: Diversity 10

Languages of Afghanistan 11

Ethnic Groups: Pashtun 12

Ethnic Groups: Tajik (Tadjik) 14

Ethnic Groups: Hazara (Hezora) 15

Ethnic Groups: Uzbek 17

Recent Afghan History 18

Taliban’s Rise to Power 20

Taliban: Who are they? 21

Taliban Relations with Neighboring Countries 22

Post-9/11 Afghanistan 23

New Government, Old Problems 24

Fighting Terrorism: Operation Enduring Freedom 26

Brief Military Chronology 30

Current Challenges 37

Rebuilding Afghanistan 45

Islam: Basic Ideas 47

Arabs and Islam 48

Muhammad (Mohammed) 50

Five Pillars of Islam 52

Al Qur’an (Koran) and Sunnah 54

Jihad (Djihad) 55

Islamic Schools (Sects) 56

Osama (Usama) bin Laden 58

Appendix A: History of Terrorist Activity 62

Appendix B: International Associations 63

Appendix C: Other References 65
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 4

Quick Facts on Afghanistan

Introduction This brief resource guide covers a number of important subjects that give you 

a clearer understanding of the country. This page of quick facts is like a job 

aid. It highlights critical issues.

Land of 

Contrasts

Afghanistan consists of a major mountain range, the Hindu Kush, with its 

valleys, deserts and river system. http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/maps/afghanistan/

This territory includes many varied geographical and ecological zones. The 

different peoples of Afghanistan are as distinct and varied as the geography. 

Bringing them under one flag has made them into a “single” society.

Name Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) as of December 2002 

(formerly called the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 1997) is 

a land-locked country in southwest Asia. 

Size and 

Population

Area: 652,225 square kilometers or 251, 772 square miles. Estimated 

population: @ 27,000,000.

Population;

Life 

Expectancy

0-14 years: 42.2%; 15-64 years: 55.01%; 65 years and over: 2.79%.

Life expectancy about 46 years.

Languages and 

Ethnicity

Pushtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek 

and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages 4%. 

Religion Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'ite (Shi'a) Muslim 15%, other 1%.

Administrative 

Sectors

Country is divided into 30 provinces or velayets. The largest in area are 

Herat, Helmand, Qandahar (Kandahar), and Farah. The largest in terms of 

population are Kabul, Herat, Balkh, and Ghazni.

Population 

Centers

Principal towns include Kabul, Kandahar (Qandahar), Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, 

Jalalabad, and Ghazni. 

http://www.afghana.com/GetLocal/Afghanistan/Provinces.htm

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 5

Quick Facts on Afghanistan, Continued

Government/

Legal System

A transitional government, consisting of a grand assembly, president, and 

judiciary; no longer based on the Qur’an (Koran), the holy book of Islam.

Politics Taliban (religious students) headed by Mullah Mohammad Omar was 

deposed in late 2001; a transitional government based on United National 

Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan or UNIFSA, often referred to 

as the Northern Alliance, and exiled leaders, forming a legislative assembly, a 

presidency, and a judiciary. 

Economic 

Sectors

Agriculture: 53% of gross national product (GNP); industry: 28.5% of GNP; 

services: 18.5% of GNP (1990).

Additional Sites http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/af.html -- CIA site that 

has handbooks of countries of the world. 

http://ebooks.whsmithonline.co.uk/htmldata/ency.asp?mainpage=HTTP://EB

OOKS.WHSMITHONLINE.CO.UK/ENCYCLOPEDIA/01/C0000001.HTM 

-- short summary about Afghanistan from The Hutchinson Family 

Encyclopedia.

http://www.nutshellnotes.com/afghanistan_text.htm – short dictionary-like 

definition information about the country.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 6

Geography and Climate

Land-locked Afghanistan is a landlocked country in southwest Asia. To the north, its 

neighbors are Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. Iran is to the west; 

the People’s Republic of China to the northeast, and Pakistan to the east and 

south. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/cia01/afghanistan_sm01.jpg 

Chief 

Topographic 

Feature

The Hindu Kush mountains are the main topographic feature that marks 

Afghanistan. These mountains are a barrier between the northern provinces 

and the rest of Afghanistan. They divide the country into three distinct 

geographic areas: the central highlands, the northern plains, and the 

southwestern plateau. You can find good maps of Afghanistan at

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/afghanistan_topo86.jpg

Source: http://www.globalspecops.com/oef.html

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 7

Geography and Climate, Continued

Central 

Highlands

The central highlands are an area of about 160,000 square miles. This part of 

Afghanistan has deep, narrow valleys, as well as high mountains, which have 

proven to be historically important to the defense of the country. The Khyber 

Pass, one of the most famous routes to the Indian subcontinent, is located in 

the mountain ranges of the central highlands. http://www.maps.com/cgibin/search/hyperseek.cgi?search=CAT&Category=Asia%3AAfghanistanP&Q

ualifier=

The climate of the central highland is usually dry, with temperatures in the 

summer averaging around 80 degrees Fahrenheit; the winters are very cold.

Southern 

Plateau

This region of Afghanistan consists of high plateaus and sandy deserts. This 

desolate region covers about 50,000 square miles and is crossed by several 

large rivers. The average altitude of the southern plateau is about 3,000 feet. 

Kandahar (Qandahar), at an elevation of about 3,500 feet, enjoys a dry, yet 

mild climate. 

Northern Plains The northern plains are about 40,000 square miles of extremely fertile 

foothills and plains.

• The Amu River (formerly called the Oxus River) runs thought the foothills 

of this region.

• The average elevation is about 2,000 feet.

Agriculture is the main occupation in this region. There are large amounts of 

mineral deposits and natural gas in the northern plains. 

 

Climate The climate of Afghanistan varies dramatically between the mountain country

and the lowlands. In the southwest during summer the temperature can reach 

120 degrees Fahrenheit. In the Hindu Kush mountains during winter it can 

fall as low as –15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Map Site http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/afghanistan.html -- This site has many 

different kinds of maps of Afghanistan. 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 8

Economy and Livelihood

Economic 

Areas

• Most people in Afghanistan are farmers or peasants who cultivate crops for 

personal use or for marketing and selling as produce. Herding is the next 

favored occupation by population size, followed by forestry and fishing. 

• Manufacturing is the second largest area, followed by wholesale and retail 

commerce, then by transportation and mining. (With the current chaotic 

situation in the country, much of the economy has been disrupted.)

Agricultural 

Economy

Agriculture requires five major means of production: land, water, seed, labor, 

and animals (or tractors). Water is the most important resource in this 

respect. Each village has an official chosen by the elders or the village 

council. He regulates the division of water among landowners.

Family 

Farming

The family farm is the most common form of ownership and land cultivation. 

The family usually provides the labor and animals to cultivate its own land. 

Other agricultural labor arrangements include:

• Sharecropping, where the tenant receives a part of the produce.

• Commercial farming, where the owner pays cash to the farmers.

Because of the current chaotic conditions in Afghanistan, these agricultural 

systems are in decline.

Herding Pastoral nomadism has been the traditional way that Afghanis have raised and 

herded their cattle, sheep, and goats. These nomads usually maintain their 

herds in groups, traditionally as clans or tribes. They might rely on the 

peasants or farmers for staples such as grain and implements they need for 

running a household.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 9

Economy and Livelihood, Continued

Mobility: An 

Advantage

Because of their mobility nomads were:

• The bearers of information and news. 

• A traditional source of credit because their herds were a “countable” 

tangible source of cash. In the towns and villages where they took their 

stock to sell, nomads could buy goods on credit to sell to the isolated 

farmers or peasants living near their summer pastures.

• Often smugglers, both inside the country and across the borders. 

Again, based on the chaotic war conditions of the country the usual nomadic 

herding patterns may have diminished or disappeared.

Manufacturing 

and Commerce

Besides food staples, such as margarine and wheat flour, woven fabrics, 

clothes and shoes are produced.

• Fertilizer, cement, and electric energy are the three main industrial products.

• Mining includes hard coal, gypsum, and natural gas.

The war in Afghanistan has caused industrial and commercial output to 

decline.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 10

Languages and Ethnicity: Diversity

Introduction As a landlocked nation, Afghanistan is at the crossroads for much migration 

and many settlements. The result of this exposure is a country with diverse 

ethnic and linguistics (language) groups. 

Two 

Perspectives

• The next two sections give you an idea of the kinds of people living in 

Afghanistan, including the ethnic groups of the country. An ethnic group 

consists of people who have many cultural traits in common. These may 

include language, religion, morals, customs and ceremonies, economics and 

livelihood.

• Another way to look at diversity in a country is according to the languages 

the peoples of the country speak. Languages may cross ethnic boundaries, 

for example in Afghanistan, Dari is a common language to many of the 

different ethnic groups in the country. It crosses the ethnic/cultural 

boundaries of these different groups.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 11

Languages of Afghanistan

Pushtu (Pashtu) Pushtu is the official language of Afghanistan as, for example, Turkish is the 

official language of Turkey. Pushtu is also spoken in northern Pakistan. The 

language is written in a modified Arabic script.

Dari Dari or Afghan Persian or Eastern Farsi is spoken by about 43% of the 

population. It is often referred to as the language of business and commerce. 

Turkic 

Languages

About 11% of the population speaks a Turkic language, mainly Uzbek or 

Turkmen. Afghanis living close to the border of Turkmenistan and 

Uzbekistan probably speak Turkic languages.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 12

Ethnic Groups: Pashtun

Introduction Like the languages of the country, there are various ethnic groups in 

Afghanistan. The main groups are the Pashtuns (pronounced PAH-shtoons) 

(Pathans), Uzbeks, Hazaras (Hezoras), Tajiks (Tadjiks), and other minor 

groups. 

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/afghanistan_ethnoling_97.jpg

Definition The Pashtuns live in southern and eastern Afghanistan in a population belt 

stretching from Kabul in the east to Kandahar (Qandahar) to Zaranj, which is 

on the border with Iran. They also live in western Pakistan.

• Pashtuns speak Pushtu (Pashtu) and are Sunni Muslims (see the section on 

Islam for an explanation of Sunnis). Many Pashtuns also speak Dari, the 

second language of Afghanistan. 

• Pashtuns make up about 38% of the population of Afghanistan. Until the 

recent Taliban take-over, the Pashtuns controlled the ruling dynasty of the 

country for about 200 years.

Settlements Pashtuns generally live in tribal villages. A number of villages may be near a 

town. A village is built primarily with regard to the location of water and to 

self-defense. The dominant lineages or extended families usually have the 

best and most strategic lands. Familial ties determine a group’s location 

relative to the dominant tribe.

Nomads Some Pashtuns are herders. They move from site to site following the 

pastures as the seasons change. Like the permanent villages mentioned 

above, the campsites of these nomadic Pashtuns are based on tribal lineages. 

Their tents are made from goat hair, supported by posts or arched poles. 

Economy and 

Livelihood

Pashtuns work at grain farming and animal husbandry (see Nomads above). 

Wheat is the most important crop. Other important products are fruits, nuts, 

vegetables, and opium. 

Industry usually includes trades such as shoemaking and carpentry. Some 

Pashtuns are small businessmen and traders. 

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 13

Ethnic Groups: Pashtun, Continued

Kinship The tribe is the unit of kinship. Descent is claimed from the father’s side of 

the family.

• The clan is the principal division of a larger tribe. A clan is usually the 

offspring of one man, often including four or five generations, what is 

sometimes referred to as an extended family in Western terms. In this clan, 

a person marries and forms bonds. 

• The smallest kinship unit is a household. The household or kor is the main 

economic and social unit; its members may form a village, single housing 

compound, or a nomadic group.

Local Authority Pashtuns have a concept and practice of local authority based on tribalism.

• Honor (nang) is a tradition that pervades Pashtun society. It means there is 

little social class and no central authority.

• Taxes or rent (qualang) gives status and social class to the local people, 

many of whom are landowners. Qualang also means that there may be a 

“centralized” authority at the local level.

National 

Government

Generally, villages consider that the national government has responsibility 

for conscripting young men into the military and for taxation, both of which 

take resources away from the clan/tribe. Thus, villagers may have an attitude 

of neutrality toward, non-cooperation with, or defensiveness against the 

central government.

Important 

Customs 

Pashtuns generally believe in and follow these customs:

• Purdah: Strict separation of the sexes in public

• Chadori: Women wearing the veil. 

• Pakhtunwal: A mixture of blood-line revenge, hospitality to guests, defense 

of those who are in one’s care, chastity of married women and caring for 

the weak 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 14

Ethnic Groups: Tajik (Tadjik)

Definition Tajiks (pronounced TAH-jeeks) make up about 25% of the population of 

Afghanistan. They live

• In a large area north and west of Kabul (this area borders on the Republic 

of Tajikistan)

• Clustered around the city of Herat in western Afghanistan

Tajiks are also the principal inhabitants of the Republic of Tajikistan, a 

former region of the Soviet Union. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/war_on_terror/key_maps

/ethnic_groups.stm

Language and 

Culture

Tajiks are primarily Sunni Muslims. They speak the Tajik and Dari 

languages. Tajiks are believed to be descendants of the ancient Persians.

Economy and 

Livelihood

Since Tajiks in urban areas are well educated and wealthy, they make up the 

elite of Afghanistan. Their influence is in commerce.

• The plains-dwelling Tajiks live mainly in Herat, Parwan, and also around 

Kabul. They are town dwelling and are traders, skilled artisans, and 

farmers, all middle-class. Because they have settled in towns, they have 

replaced their tribalism with an urban orientation and a strong sense of 

community loyalty.

• Tajiks in rural areas make their living by farming and herding. They are a 

sedentary people. Landowners are usually village leaders. 

Politics: 

Importance in 

Northern 

Alliance

Tajiks are the second largest group after the Pashtuns. They are also the 

Pashtuns' closest rivals for power and prestige, but with two exceptions, one 

in the 14th century and one for 9 months in 1929; the Tajiks have never ruled 

their region. 

Tajiks formed an important part of the Northern Alliance, which opposed the 

Taliban. From a group of Tajik farmers, the chief leader of the Northern 

Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masoud, emerged. First he fought a guerilla war 

against the Soviet Communists and later against the Taliban. Taliban 

supporters assassinated him in late summer 2001.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 15

Ethnic Groups: Hazara (Hezora)

Definition Hazaras (pronounced HAH-zahrahs) make up about 19% of the Afghani 

population. They are Shi’ite Muslims, not Sunnis (for more details on 

Shi’ites, see the section entitled Islam). 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/war_on_terror/key_maps

/ethnic_groups.stm

 

Groups/Settlements

The Hazaras fall into three groups: Settlements are located in an areas 

bounded

• On the north by the town of Bamian (Bamyan)

• On the west by Chaghcharan

• In the east by Kabul

• On the southeast by the town of Ghazni

The Hazaras themselves call this area Hazaristan, country of the Hazaras. 

Many Hazaras were forced off their land by the expansion of the majority 

Pashtuns and now live in Kabul and other towns.

Language The Hazaras speak a language called Hazaragi. It is a mixture of Farsi (the 

language of Iran), Mongol, and Turkish.

Religion • Because they are Shi’ites, the Hazaras have been subjected to oppression 

over the years. Most recently, the Taliban massacred about 300 Hazara 

men in January 2001. The reason was the Hazaras were suspected of 

collaborating with the United Front (Northern Alliance).

• Since they are Shi’ites, the Hazaras get support from Iran, which is 

predominantly a Shi’ite Muslim country. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1500000/1500682.stm --

discusses Taliban persecution of Hazaras.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 16

Ethnic Groups: Hazara (Hezora), Continued

 

Origins The origin of the Hazaras is interesting. Some researchers believe that 

Hazaras are the descendents of the 12th century Mongol warrior, Genghis 

Khan and his followers; others trace the Hazaras to the Buddhist civilization 

of 2000 years ago, the Bamiyan, whose center was in Afghanistan. 

http://www.hazara.net/hazara/geography/Buddha/buddha.html -- an article 

about relationship of Hazaras to the Buddhist statues.

Economy and 

Livelihood

The primary occupations of the Hazaras are farming and trade. The main 

crops are wheat, barley, and tobacco. In some of the warmer areas, rice is 

cultivated.

Hazaras raise sheep, horses, and camels. Their horses are especially bred for 

hard work in the mountains. The wool from Hazara sheep is considered the 

best in Afghanistan. Camels are raised for their hides.

 

Social 

Organization

Like the Pashtuns, the Hazaras are organized by “tribes” or large clans. There 

are about 15 of these super-clans. The members belonging to a specific clan 

usually live in a certain geographic region. With so many clans, historically, 

there has been much inter-clan rivalry

 

Tribe/Clan: 

Examples

• Daizinjat clan lives in the area of Badsken, which borders on Herat and 

Koshak in the east. In Khila there are about 1,000 families. The Daizinjat

tribe has about 30 clans. The most powerful is the Kaka clan.

• Daikundi consists of five tribes: Dolat Beg, Roshan Beg, Heider Beg, 

Gawash, and Barat. The greenest land of the Hazaras is in Daikundi, which 

is also called Hazarastan Kashmir. Before the Hazaras, the Tajiks lived in 

Daikundi.

Local and 

Central 

Governmental 

Authority

Because of their position as a religious and ethnic minority in Afghanistan, 

there has been constant tension between the local Hazara tribes/clans and the 

central authority of the country. The tension has boiled over a number of 

times into open revolution against the central authority, most notably in the 

early 1890s. 

 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 17

Ethnic Groups: Uzbek

Definition The Uzbeks (pronounced OOZ-becks) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group, 

which makes up about 6% to 8% of the population of Afghanistan. Most of 

them are Sunni Muslims. They are also the dominant population in the 

neighboring country of Uzbekistan. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/world/2001/war_on_terror/key_maps

/ethnic_groups.stm 

Location Uzbeks live in a population belt that stretches along the northern border of 

Afghanistan from Maymaneh through Mazar-e-Sharif and Konduz. This 

Uzbek population belt parallels Afghanistan’s northern border with 

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Social 

Structure

There are two types of Uzbeks: farmers and nomads. The farmers and city 

dwellers are mainly businessmen and tradesmen. The nomads raise sheep, 

goats, and cattle. 

Settlements The basic living unit is the village. Again, there is a nomadic village and a 

more permanent farming/commercial village. Both villages are based on 

kinship.

• The nomadic village is mobile, moving to pasturage as the seasons change.

• The farming village is a concentrated, permanent settlement: Houses are 

built close together. Most houses are walled and form a compound with a 

central courtyard.

Importance of 

Uzbeks in 

Afghanistan

Although a smaller minority in Afghanistan, the Uzbeks have played an 

important role in the country. One of the most important and most 

controversial groups who opposed the Taliban was the forces under the 

control of the Uzbek leader Abdur Rashid Dostum. 

• Dostum had allied himself with the government in Kabul but later turned 

against it and joined with the mujahidin in 1992. 

• He is currently “at odds” with the present-day government of Afghanistan. 

http://www.afghan-info.com/Politics/Afghan_Mujaheedin/Warlords.htm
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 18

Recent Afghan History

Introduction This section emphasizes recent history of Afghanistan to show the events that 

led up to the Taliban taking power in the country.

http://nths.newtrier.k12.il.us/academics/social/conflict/4s%20Web%20Pages/

Period9/Afghanistan/afghanhome.htm -- a more detailed and lengthier 

history of the country.

Communist 

Take-over

• In 1978, during the Saur Revolution, the Afghan communist party under 

Muhammad Taraki overthrew the republican government. This communist 

party, called the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, started land 

redistribution, secularized the country and began to re-educate the people.

• Factionalism caused the party to break down. This allowed the Soviets to 

invade in 1979. Eighty thousand Soviet troops invaded the country. The 

Soviets replaced Taraki with their puppet Babrak Kamal. 

http://www.afghan-info.com/History/Polevent.htm#saour

At this point groups of Islamic tribes/clansmen formed a loose alliance that 

collectively became known as the mujahidin. They were anti-Soviet and antiCommunist.

Soviet 

Domination/

Rise of 

Mujahidin

During the 10-year occupation of Afghanistan, about five million Afghanis 

fled the country; close to 1.5 million were killed. 

• During this period, the mujahidin gained prominence as the group that 

fiercely opposed the Soviets. They were supported by the West and by 

Muslim countries in their struggle against the Soviets and the puppet 

government that the Soviets had imposed on the country.

• The Soviets tried a policy of reconciliation with the opposition mujahidin in 

1987, but the seven-party mujahidin alliance refused to observe a cease-fire 

and to participate in negotiations with the Soviet puppet regime.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 19

Recent Afghan History, Continued

Soviet 

Domination/

New Constitution

A new constitution was adopted in July of 1987, allowing the formation of 

other political parties beside the communists. 

• The communist party of Afghanistan said it would be willing to share 

power with opposition groups in a coalition government. 

• The name of the country was changed back to the Republic of Afghanistan 

from the Peoples Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.

Soviet 

Withdrawal

The Soviets withdrew their troops in 1989. The last president, Najibullah, 

remained in power. Civil war continued as the mujahidin were strongly 

against the government of President Najibullah.

Mujahidin

Rule: New 

Government

A number of attempts were made to integrate the mujahidin in the central 

government through advisory councils of tribal leaders. 

• Eventually Rabbani was elected president of the country. 

• In 1992, the Peshawar Agreement was ratified: A purely Islamic interim 

government was installed in place of Najibullah’s. 

New Rules for 

Afghan Society

• Leadership in this new government rotated among the seven Islamic 

mujahidin groups. 

• This coalition government banned alcohol and gambling, required women 

to wear the veil, and separated education into male and female institutions.

 

Factionalism Infighting among the various factions of the mujahidin continued, even 

though each faction had two ministerial posts in the government.

• Eventually the alliance broke down into civil war. The most serious conflict 

was between Premier Hekmatyr, a Pashtun, and President Rabbani, a Tajik, 

together with his defense minister, Ahmad Shah Massoud.

• The result of this armed conflict was the almost total destruction of Kabul 

and more important, Pakistan’s support for a group of Pashtun religious 

students, the Taliban.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 20

Taliban’s Rise to Power 

Early Advances In September of 1994, the Taliban (meaning students in Persian), an “army” 

of former Muslim seminarians and religious students, entered the civil war. 

By 1995, the Taliban had claimed victory in the town of Herat and had 

advanced on Kabul, the capital. 

During 1995, the Taliban made extensive gains in the country, particularly in 

the south. In many instances, they were welcomed by the local Afghanis who 

were tired with and disgusted by the chaos, corruption, and instability that 

mujahidin factionalism had caused. 

Occupation of 

the Capital

• By autumn of 1996, the Taliban had driven President Rabbani out of Kabul, 

captured the capital, and executed Najibullah. In May 1997, after a brief 

alliance between opposition forces and the Taliban, violent civil war again 

broke out.

• Fighting then continued between the United National Islamic Front 

(Northern Alliance), consisting of the mujahidin factions, and the Taliban.

Afghanistan 

divided: 

Taliban

The Taliban held about 85-90% of the area of Afghanistan. 

http://europe.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/trade.center/afghan.civil.html ,

http://www1.cnn.com/WORLD/9610/04/afghan/index.html -- good 

discussion of the problems the Taliban have in uniting the country.

United 

Front/Northern 

Alliance

• The Northern Alliance held the remaining 10% to 15% of the country. As 

of late November 2001, the alliance had extended its control over the 

country, capturing Kabul.

• The alliance was strongly against the Taliban's extreme fundamentalist 

methods and religious philosophy and was very much opposed to Pashtun 

ethnic dominance. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpsrv/nation/graphics/attack/zone_3.html

http://www.afghan-web.com/politics/parties.html – lists anti-Taliban 

parties/groups and their leaders.

http://www.afghan-web.com/ciriello/alliance/ -- pictures of alliance forces.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 21

Taliban: Who Are They?

Education and 

Training

The Taliban were originally young Afghanis many of whom went to Pakistan 

to study in madrassas (religious schools). These schools: 

• Focus on instruction in the Qur’an; however, a number of them teach 

military training and militant Islam to their students. 

• Were the source of the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam and their approach 

to restructuring Afghanistan socially and politically. (Saudi and Pakistani 

intelligence services also trained these Afghan religious students.) 

With their “purist” Islamic view, the Taliban were considered a group that 

promised a clean, uncorrupt society for Afghanis and were opposed to the 

factionalism and corruption of the mujahidin, who had plunged Afghanistan 

into civil war after the withdrawal of the Soviets. 

Outlook The Taliban are very provincial and backward in their outlook: The external 

world, much of which they considered unclean and corrupt, begins at the 

border of Afghanistan. 

The Taliban have a close relationship to Osama bin Laden, whom they feel 

follows the same fundamentalist precepts they believe in. Their relationship 

to bin Laden was further cemented by the marriage of their leader, Mullah 

Omar, to one of bin Laden's daughters.

Taliban 

Oppression

Besides the requirement for women to be fully veiled and accompanied by a 

man in public, the Taliban had

• Stopped all education for girls and women

• Forbidden women to work

• Forbidden women to wear white socks

• Required men to grow beards

• Stopped the Afghan national sport of Buzkash

• Changed the name of the country to the Emirate of Afghanistan

• Forced conscription upon the male population of Afghanistan to increase 

their fundamentalist army

The law of the country was the Taliban interpretation of the Sharia, Islamic

religious law, with strict penalties, such as death and stoning, for 

infringements of the various oppressive laws imposed on the Afghan 

population.

Taliban Relations with Neighboring Countries
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 22

Iran Tensions between Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and Iran were always high. 

The Iranians were angered by the murder of their diplomats and a journalist 

by the Taliban near Mazar-i-Sharif. In response to these killings, in 

September 1998, Iran deployed 70,000 troops to conduct military exercises 

near the Afghan border, but no fighting occurred between the two nations. 

• The Iranians also feel a “kinship” to the Shiite Hazaras of Afghanistan, 

whom the Taliban have persecuted and massacred. 

• Finally, the extreme primitiveness and barbarity of Taliban fundamentalism 

alarmed Iran. The Iranians were probably glad to see the Taliban removed 

from Afghanistan as the controlling government authority.

Pakistan The Taliban were supported among some groups of the Pakistani population 

and by some Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, particularly those close to 

the Afghan-Pakistani border and those trained in the militant madrassas. The 

kind of fundamentalism preached by the Taliban is also prevalent in some 

sectors of Pakistani society. 

Although the government of Pakistan supported the U.S. effort to root out bin 

Laden and his network of terrorists based in Afghanistan, Pakistan still 

recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan long after 

the rest of the world denied their legitimacy.

Other

Countries

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan were all apprehensive about the 

Taliban, particularly their type of Islamic fundamentalism. Many of these 

former regions of the Soviet Union, now independent countries, are struggling 

to establish democratic processes for their populations. They viewed the 

spread of Taliban Islamic fundamentalism as a challenge to their own move 

toward popular sovereignty.

On the other hand, since there are minorities from these countries, particularly 

Uzbeks and Tajiks, living in Afghanistan, the governments of these 

neighboring countries had to be careful about the amount and intensity of 

their anti-Taliban support. 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 23

Post-9/11 Afghanistan

9/11: Activating 

the US War on 

Terrorism

September 11, 2001 is a date that saw the United States and eventually other 

coalition countries begin a concerted effort to actively combat international 

terrorism, primarily represented by Osama (Usama) bin Laden. He was 

eventually placed on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List" with a $5 million 

reward for information leading to his arrest.

After 9/11, the U.S. government requested that the Taliban government of 

Afghanistan turn over bin Laden, the international terrorist who had 

masterminded the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) and the 

Pentagon. 

• When the Taliban refused to extradite bin Laden, a US-led coalition was 

formed and after six weeks of aerial bombardments and military action on 

the ground the Taliban was ousted from power on November 17, 2001.

• Many Taliban dispersed to mountain retreats in the country or fled across 

the border into neighboring Pakistan. Osama bin Laden is still at large and 

his whereabouts are not known. The coalition hunt for these remaining 

terrorists and for bin Laden continues. (A brief discussion of military action 

in Afghanistan, including Marine Corps participation, is in Fighting 

Terrorism: Operation Enduring Freedom and Brief Military 

Chronology, both later in this handbook.)

Planning for a 

New Afghan 

Government

• In late 2001, important leaders of the anti-Taliban groups in the country and 

leaders from the Afghan diaspora [Afghanis living in exile abroad] met in 

Bonn, Germany.

• The groups signed onto the Bonn Agreement, a plan to create a new 

government in Afghanistan.

• A judicial commission was also established to rebuild the justice system 

according to Islamic principles, international standards, the rule of law and 

Afghan legal traditions.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 24

New Government, Old Problems

Afghan Interim 

Authority

The beginning of the new Afghan government was the Afghan Interim 

Authority (AIA), which was established, with Hamid Karzai as its chairman 

on December 22, 2001.

International 

Pledges

In January 2002, to support the new Afghanistan government, sixty countries 

and international financial organizations present at the Tokyo Donors 

Conference pledged donations totaling $4.5 billion through 2006 for the 

reconstruction of the country.

TISA The Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) held a nationwide grand assembly, 

called the Loya Jirga, in June 2002. Karzai was elected president of the 

Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA) for a two-year term by the 

Loya Jirga. The TISA has:

• 18 months to prepare for and hold a Loya Jirga [grand assembly] to adopt a 

constitution for Afghanistan.

• 24 months in which to hold national elections.

In December 2002, the TISA marked the one-year anniversary of the 

downfall of the Taliban regime.

http://www.nutshellnotes.com/afghanistan_text.htm has a good update on 

Afghanistan, which is succinct and accurate.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 25

New Government, Old Problems, Continued

Continued 

Factionalism

Factionalism is still a critical issue in Afghanistan even though there is one 

transitional government. The split between the ethnically dominant Pashtuns, 

some of whom were Taliban, and the “minority” tribes of northern 

Afghanistan, such as the Tajiks and the Uzbeks is a hindrance to real unity. 

• Besides this “tribal” rivalry, foreign involvement by groups vying for oil 

reserves complicates the problem of unifying the country. 

• Other countries still fear the spread of residual fundamentalism left from the 

Taliban and object to possible civil rights abuses in present-day 

Afghanistan. 

• The opium trade in Afghanistan also contributes to the factional problem.

Political Parties Afghan political parties are not stable either. Karzai’s government is a 

coalition of leaders from all political and ethnic groups. Various leaders in 

the country are planning to create new parties. Some of these political 

factions in the current government have formed new groups and parties, 

intending to participate in the 2004 elections.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 26

Fighting Terrorism: Operation Enduring Freedom

Definition Operation Enduring Freedom is the name given to US combat operations 

against terrorism in Afghanistan. Enduring Freedom began on October 7, 

2001. 

Purposes The primary purpose for Operation Enduring Freedom is to seek out Osama 

bin Laden, who had been given sanctuary by the Taliban. 

The Taliban who had controlled Afghanistan had allowed Al Qaida (Al 

Qaeda), the key terrorist group lead by Osama bin Laden, to establish training 

and base camps in Afghanistan. Thus another important reason for Operation 

Enduring Freedom is to root out and destroy these training and base camps 

and bring in-country members of Al Qaida (Al Qaeda) to justice.

A third purpose is to seek and destroy Taliban and anti-government forces 

operating in Afghanistan. As mentioned earlier, many Taliban members 

dispersed to mountain retreats when the coalition invaded Afghanistan. 

These residual fundamentalist militants are the focus of coalition search and 

destroy missions.

Another important reason is to ensure the stability that is necessary to 

reconstruct Afghanistan politically, economically, and socially. Without a 

stable environment, any new Afghan government will have a very difficult 

time uniting the country under one central government authority.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 27

Fighting Terrorism: Operation Enduring Freedom, Continued

Key Elements Sea based: three strike aircraft carriers, each with various fighter squadrons 

aboard; the USS Kitty Hawk, which transported Army Special Operations 

helicopters; two amphibious groups built around the 15th and 26th MEUs, both 

of which later became the main US ground force in southern Afghanistan.

Diego Garcia base, which essentially housed B-1 and B-52 bombers.

Land basing in neighboring countries: Uzbekistan allowed US helicopters to 

operate out of Khanad; a few based in Tajikistan; Pakistan offered bases 

covertly out of Pasni and Jacobabad. These bases enabled the special forces 

assault on 17 October and the Marines’ forward operation base (FOB) Rhino. 

Precision Air Attack: Joint direct attack munition (JDAM) which flew to 

preset coordinates based on satellite information (GPS/INS). Wind-corrected 

munitions (bomblet) dispenser (WCMD) first used in Afghanistan; laserguided bombs. Electronic sensor surveillance used unmanned air vehicles.

A big plus was the fact that heavy bombers could engage multiple targets 

with JDAMs. 

NATO 

Involvement

On September 12, 2001, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met 

in emergency session and, for the first time in its history, invoked Article 5 of

the Washington Treaty. This article states that an attack against one NATO 

country is an attack against all member countries. As a result: 

• All 19 NATO Allies and the 9 countries applying to join NATO have 

provided blanket overflight rights, access to ports and bases, refueling 

assistance, and increased law-enforcement cooperation.

• NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) crews logged 

over 3,000 hours patrolling and protecting American skies while U.S. 

planes flew missions in Afghanistan.

• Sixteen NATO allies now support Operation Enduring Freedom in 

Afghanistan and the global campaign against terrorism.

• Fourteen allies have deployed forces in the region.

• Nine allies are participating in combat operations in Afghanistan.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 28

Fighting Terrorism: Operation Enduring Freedom, Continued

NATO 

Involvement, 

continued

• Allies and other partner countries have deployed nearly 4,000 troops to 

Afghanistan and have also provided 95% of the international security 

assistance force (ISAF), led first by the United Kingdom and now by 

Turkey.

• As of August 2003, NATO took control of all security in Kabul. This is 

NATO’s first operational commitment outside Europe.

See more details at: http://www.globalspecops.com/nato.html

Results Twenty-seven days after the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center 

and the Pentagon, the US joint team invaded Afghanistan and two months 

later freed Afghanistan from Taliban domination, together with US allies. 

This was accomplished without:

• Any US bases in-country

• A major plan for removing the Taliban from power.

http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/2dmardiv/36/ has detailed reports and lessonslearned from Marne Corps experience in Afghanistan. Click on the link 

above; click on operations, then on professional forum. Then click on any of 

the reports individually.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 29

Fighting Terrorism: Operation Enduring Freedom, Continued

Key Accomplishments

• The deepest amphibious operation in Marine Corps history – over 400 

miles. Task Force 58 conducted operations in Afghanistan far from the 

sea. The operations showed that Marines could operate expeditionary 

forces at extended distances from a sea base.

• Marines and soldiers fought battles at extremely high elevations, over 

10,000 feet above sea level.

• Enduring Freedom was the first time C-17’s were employed in a medium 

threat environment to air drop supplies.

• For the first time, headquarters and the aircrew viewed a picture taken from 

an unmanned vehicle simultaneously over the target.

• Operation Enduring Freedom included the US Air Force’s longest combat 

sortie on record – 44 hours. Over all, naval aircraft flew about 75% of all 

sorties and dropped about 33% of the bombs. The Air Force flew about 

25% of the combat sorties and dropped about 75% of the bomb tonnage, 

including the “Daisy Cutter.”
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 30

Brief Military Chronology

Introduction This section is an abbreviated discussion of military action during Operation 

Enduring Freedom. The topics include the following:

Topic See Page

Early Days 30

War in the North 31

War in the South – FOB Rhino 32

Capturing Kandahar 34

War in the South: Khowst-Gardez Mission 34

Tora Bora and Operation Anaconda 35

Early Days On October 7-8, 2001, The United States and Great Britain began strikes 

against Taliban air defenses, fuel sites, al Qaida (Al Qaeda) terrorist training 

camps and headquarters and military installations. 

• The main thrust of air assaults was the Taliban regime in Afghanistan: 

Concurrently crippling Taliban movement, the allies supported the Northern 

Alliance

• Such precision bombing only stiffened the Taliban who did not hand over 

Osama bin Laden.

These targeted actions were designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a 

terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban 

regime. At the same time the U.S. and its allies began to drop food, medicine, 

and supplies to the population of Afghanistan. 

 Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 31

Brief Military Chronology, Continued

War in the 

North Two issues moved the war effort forward in northern Afghanistan: increased 

bombing by the allies and the commitment of US Special Operations Forces 

(SOF). This same kind of commitment was to be important in the success of 

the Marines later in their search for residual Taliban and Al Qaida forces.

• On November 9, Mazar-i-Sharif fell to the Northern Alliance, effectively 

opening a land route directly to Uzbekistan and blocking any northward 

movement of the Taliban from Kabul to Uzbekistan. Capturing this city also 

offered coalition forces a major airfield in-country.

• The momentum of the Northern Alliance supported by the allies rolled on 

until the Taliban abandoned Kabul on 12 November.

• The last Taliban stronghold, Konduz, surrendered on 26 November.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 32

War in the South – FOB Rhino

Background The Taliban had a stronger hold on southern Afghanistan. It was more 

difficult in the south to muster the local population to oppose them than in the 

north. The Taliban also had better security forces there.

MC Mission The plan called for TF58 to seize and hold Rhino, while conducting raids 

from it. As General James N. Mattis, commander of TF58, expressed it: 

“... to create chaos, denying the enemy their sense of security.”

This coupled with guidance from Vice Admiral Moore, Commander 

NAVCENT/ MARCENT: The Marine raids would defeat the Taliban and Al 

Qaida forces quickly and decisively became the Marines’ mission.

Elements US Army Special Forces: Generally, these forces could initially seize an 

airfield or installation, but did not have the manpower to hold it. This is 

where Marine Corps forces came into play. 

Marine Corps: Task Force (TF) 58 consisting of the 

• 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (SOC) [MEU (SOC)]

• 26th MEU (SOC).

Location An airstrip that the Special Forces had raided, called FOB Rhino.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 33

War in the South – FOB Rhino, Continued

Establishing the 

FOB

Marines seized FOB Rhino on November 25, 2001. 

• They linked up with Navy SEALs who had earlier arrived there for target 

surveillance and reconnaissance.

 

• Once the airfield was declared KC-130 capable, additional Marines were 

landed. The MEU’s attack helicopters provided close air support.

TF 58: Interdiction of Rt. 1 

This operation began on December 4, 2001, and included an approximately 

85-mile, 19-hour motorized movement across the desert. The raid resulted in 

the:

• Capture of a Taliban convoy.

• Detection of a P-3.

• Killing of 120 enemy personnel.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 34

Capturing Kandahar

Background Kandahar was a Taliban stronghold, the center of their power. The Taliban 

refused to surrender the city to Afghan Southern Alliance forces, and Al 

Qaida began to slaughter local Afghanis who were surrendering. Finally, on 

December 6, 2001, the city fell. 

MC Action at 

Kandahar Airport

TF58 linked up with the Southern Alliance and U.S. Special Forces on 

December 13, 2001. 

• By December 14, TF58 had established a second FOB at the Kandahar 

airport. 

• Marines repaired the airstrip so that by December 18 the airport was 

considered safe for C-17s. 

Further MC 

Operations

Looking for intelligence materials:

• In villages west of FOB Rhino

• Near Kandahar

War in the South: Khowst-Gardez Mission

Background Although Kandahar had fallen to the alliance and coalition allies, strong 

pockets of resistance still remained. The local alliance leader had merely 

raised the alliance flag; his troops had not actually taken on the Taliban.

TF58’s Mission TF58 was tasked to seek out and destroy these pockets. Special Forces would 

identify the targets, and Marines would “hammer” them. Because the 

distance from Kandahar to the battle space was about 250 miles, a local 

airfield, about an hour from the battlefield, was used for close air support. 

Disestablishing 

TF58

During January 2002, TF58 was relieved in place by troops of the Army’s 

101st Airborne Division; however, when the Taliban attacked the Kabul 

airport, the Marines beat them back. TF58 was disestablished at the end of 

February 2002.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 35

Tora Bora and Operation Anaconda

Al Qaida (Al 

Qaeda): Two 

Options for 

Escape

Al Qaida, including Osama bin Laden, and surviving Taliban leaders and 

forces had had two possibilities for escape from invading coalition forces:

• They could leave Afghanistan by escaping to Pakistan or through Pakistan 

to countries that harbored groups sympathetic to the Al Qaida cause, such 

as Somalia, Indonesia, or the Philippine Islands.

• The second possibility was to go into hiding in the mountain caves and 

retreats in the Tora Bora Mountains in eastern Afghanistan, near the 

Pakistani border.

Tora Bora The assault on Al Qaida (Al Qaeda) in Tora Bora was conducted by Afghan 

troops strongly supported by U.S. firepower. Few U. S. troops were directly 

involved in the assaults. Afghan troops took the caves, but many of the key 

Taliban and Al Qaida figures there escaped. 

About 300 bodies of bin Laden fighters were counted; other bodies were 

probably crushed beneath collapsed caves and bunkers. 150 more enemy 

personnel were caught trying to escape across the border into Pakistan.

Tora Bora taught Al Qaida forces that U. S. detection systems could intercept 

messages from radios and cell phones. Al Qaida would attempt to profit from 

this lesson-learned in Operation Anaconda.

Operation 

Anaconda

Operation Anaconda (in Gardez and Shah-e-Kot Valley) was mainly a U. S.

forces operation. British, Canadians, and Australians also took part in the 

action. There were about 1,000 Afghan troops, 1,000 U. S. and some 

additional coalition members. 

The purpose of the operation was to destroy what was considered the last 

pocket of Al Qaida troops, thus preventing them from launching an offense 

the following spring.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 36

Tora Bora and Operation Anaconda, Continued

Tactics Limited attacks on Al Qaida (Al Qaeda) troops to force them to reveal their 

positions so that air strikes could be called in. 

• Apparently, Al Qaida troops attacked whenever they saw U.S. troops, 

regardless of the conditions of the battlefield, e.g., they would attack uphill 

and into fire. 

• Al Qaida also had little understanding of the sensors and sophisticated 

weapons they faced. 

Cave Raiding: 

Results

Although there were some problems, in general, this “cave raiding” was 

worthwhile: 

• Documents and computers, with clues to future Al Qaida (Al Qaeda) 

operations as well as lists of Al Qaida personnel and financial accounts of 

the group were recovered.

• Information about the Al Qaida’s interest in weapons of mass destruction 

was also forthcoming.

Protecting the 

interim Afghan 

Government

In December 2001, The United Nations assembled the International Security 

Force (ISAF) to stabilized Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The bulk of the 

ISAF came from Muslim troops from Turkey and Jordan, with small 

contingents from the Canada, Western Europe and Australia and New 

Zealand. 

Note: Much of this brief military chronology came from chapter 9 

“Striking Back” of Norman Friedman’s Terrorism, Afghanistan, 

and America’s NEW WAY OF WAR. 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 37

Current Challenges

Introduction Rather than try to explain the current challenges of deploying to Afghanistan, 

a number of “case studies” are detailed below. You should be able to get 

some idea of the “working” environment in country that Marines have already 

encountered and that you may have to face. The topics in Current 

Challenges are shown in the table below:

Topic See Page

Local Problem: Low Intensity Civil War 37

Warlord Case Study 38

MC Security Squad Experiences: Kandahar 39

MC Security Squad Experiences: Raids near Khowst 41

Joint Operations 44

Local Problem: 

Low Intensity 

Civil War

"Karim Khan stands disconsolately outside the local government 

headquarters in the remote village of Tuksar [in Afghanistan]. 

He used to run the neighbouring village, but was bundled out by 

a rival militia one night recently, leaving his wife and family

behind as virtual prisoners.” 

• The incident is not isolated. It is not so uncommon throughout northern 

Afghanistan, where central government control is not as strong as it is near 

the Afghan capital Kabul. 

• This has led a number of experts to consider some aspects of the combat 

situation in Afghanistan today as low-level civil war in which local militias 

use the autumn, the country's traditional fighting season, to change the map 

of power.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 38

Current Challenges: Warlord Case Study, Continued

Feuding 

Warlords Government curbs northern warlords

Feuding commanders' armies to merge as Kabul shows resolve.

By Ahmad Nahim Qadiri in Mazar-e-Sharif (ARR No. 79, 29-Oct-03)

“Afghanistan's transitional government has taken decisive action to improve security in the north 

of the country, dismissing key officials in Balkh province and ordering two feuding military forces to 

merge. In a major shake-up announced by interior minister Ali Ahmad Jalali on October 26, the 

governor and deputy governor of Balkh province were replaced and the chief of police in the 

administrative centre Mazar-e-Sharif was dismissed. 

“Jalali also announced that the two army corps run by rival commanders General Abdul Rashid 

Dostum and General Atta Mohammad are to be merged into a single force and integrated into 

the new Afghan national army. Disarmament of heavy and light weapons is scheduled to begin 

in a few weeks in Mazar-e-Sharif, supervised by the national defence ministry, the United Nations 

Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, and the British-led provincial reconstruction team, PRT. 

“Analysts in Mazar-e-Sharif say the changes are designed to strengthen the hand of President 

Hamed Karzai's government in the north of Afghanistan, ahead of crucial decisions on a new 

constitution and elections planned for next year. They say the decisions are important for symbolic as 

well as practical reasons. ... The changes come amid heightening tension in Mazar-e-Sharif, 

where there were fears that a ceasefire agreement between the forces of Dostum and Atta 

Mohammad could collapse. 

“Dostum, who leads the Junbesh-e-Milli movement and has been a key player in the north for 

more than a decade, has been battling against Atta Mohammad for control of Mazar-e-Sharif and 

surrounding territory since the fall of the Taleban regime nearly two years ago.

“The two men control large forces -- designated the Eighth and Seventh Corps, respectively –

 which formally come under Defence Minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim, who like Atta 

Mohammad is part of the powerful Jamiat-e-Islami faction. The turf war between the two 

groups has frustrated attempts by the transitional government to extend its authority to the 

northern provinces.” 

As you can see, this article points up a number of issues that in-country deployed forces 

may have to deal with:

• Indigenous forces that are not united

• Tension between the central government and locally based leaders

• Local vice the national view on demobilization

• Turf-war claimants

From: 

http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/2473c6b865d78c8849

256dcf00120fa8?OpenDocument

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 39

Current Challenges: MC Security Squad Experiences, Continued

Introduction As a member of 3d Bn, 6th Marines, L Co., 1st Plt., 26 MEU (SOC), these are 

the experiences of an infantry platoon sergeant who served in Afghanistan: 

My platoon was the security element for the company. We arrived in 

Afghanistan on 19 Dec 2001 and stayed until 5 Feb 2002.

FOB Rhino: 

Insertion

• We flew from Pasni, Pakistan, into FOB Rhino on 19 Dec 2001. We went 

from 90-degree heat to 40-degree chill in 3 hours. What an adjustment! 

After the first couple nights we became accustomed to the drastic 

temperature change. 

• The biggest challenge was the feeling that we were isolated. Since 1/1 was 

securing the outer perimeter we only had to man the interior posts. After 2 

days we were flown by C-130 to Kandahar. 

Kandahar

Purpose Our purpose at Kandahar was to augment security of the airfield: 

• We didn’t have much interaction with the civilians. 

• The civilians we did meet seemed very pleasant and not hostile in any way. 

Our translator told us the people were very glad to have security and 

stability in their lives for once. 

Climate The temperature in January ranged from 50oF. in the day to 15 oF. at night. 

You can expect a 20-30 degree temperature change when the sun sets. 

It was dry except for two rainy days. When it rains, the sand and hard packed 

dirt become ankle-deep mud. The mud is slippery and it stinks!

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 40

Current Challenges: MC Security Squad Experiences, Continued

Kandahar (Continued)

Keeping Warm Marines will find ways to stay warm no matter what. Here are a few ways we 

kept warm. 

• While on watch Marines would lay their poncho liners over their laps. 

• Hot wets were prepared before nightfall and served out to the Marines. 

These little things plus the gear we brought with us made our nights passable. 

Keeping Clean Since we didn’t have showers, and water was at a premium, we had to take 

canteen cup baths, better known as birdie baths. 

• We would heat up a canteen cup full of water and wash ourselves head to 

toe.

• With that same canteen cup of water we would then wash our socks and tie 

them to our packs to dry in the daylight. 

After a few weeks we received wash buckets to wash our clothing. Teaching 

Marines how to wash clothes by hand and with a washboard was unique! 

Making Life 

Bearable

We had packed enough tobacco products to last 30 days. Since the army took 

nearly a month longer to get there, we made arrangements with some air force 

personnel to bring some tobacco in to us once in a while. 

Mail didn’t arrive in the country until the week before we departed. Priorities 

were water, food, equipment, ammo, fuel, and then mail. However, the MEU 

did set up three to four phones for us to use. We would have to wait for hours 

to make a call, but it was worth it. 

Coffee was made by pulling a clean sock tip around the top of a canteen cup; 

put the coffee grounds on the sock, then pour hot water over the grounds. 

Coffee made a huge difference! 

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 41

Current Challenges: MC Security Squad Experiences, Continued

Kandahar (Continued)

Dangers While in Kandahar there were a few things we, Marines, always kept in the 

forefront of our minds: mines, mines, and more mines. 

• Not only did we have to watch for Soviet mines, we had to be careful of our 

own cluster bomblets. Wherever we saw some in the area, we had our 

Marines take a look at them so they would know what they looked like. 

• Unexploded ordinance was everywhere. EOD was busy with the bigger 

stuff. All our Marines could do was mark near where the ordinance were 

and avoid the area. 

Important! Some precautions that paid off:

• Gear inspections and gear accountability (No one lost any gear!)

• Uniformity within the company

• Entrenching was continuous. We made bunkers not just fighting positions.

• Weapons training (not one ND while we were there!)

• Training the NCOs (Never did I catch a Marine breaking light discipline or 

falling asleep on watch) The NCOs ensured their Marines were alert and 

prepared! 

Raids near Khowst

Purpose Our purpose near Khowst was to conduct a raid on cave complexes located 

near there. The raid was supposed to last under 10 hours from insertion to 

extraction; however, it lasted 10 days. 

• In those 10 days we gathered much of our intelligence information. 

• We also proved that Marine units could and did survive, fight, and prevail 

without resupply.

Climate Khowst is located in northeast Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan. 

The climate in the mountains at night was extremely cold, in the teens to 

single digits. During the day the temperature was 40oF-50oF. There were 

trees and scrub brush in the area. It didn’t rain during the time we were up 

there. 

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 42

Current Challenges: MC Security Squad Experiences, Continued

Raids near Khowst (Continued)

Terrain The terrain is mountainous. Physical preparation and education is needed for 

operating in a mountainous environment. 

• Vehicle movement is restricted to the Wadis and roads. 

• There are many old bunkers, fighting positions and caves throughout the 

mountains. 

• There were trees and scrub brush in the area.

Enemy 

Tendencies

The enemy made bivouac sites opposite their caves. The cave locations were 

mostly in the Wadis where they were extremely difficult to see or bomb. 

• We found equipment stashed in burial sites, buried outside villages, and just 

left plainly in the open. 

• The enemy signaled at night from mountaintop to mountaintop with white 

light. 

• There was also evidence that they had cell phone/satellite phone capability. 

As soon as we landed, we found evidence that the enemy had hastily 

withdrawn into Pakistan. After a few days we had a helicopter arrive to take 

detainees to Kandahar. Some started making their way back over the 

mountains. 

Interacting 

with the Local 

Population

Some of the people we took as detainees were absolutely scared of us. Based 

on our physical size and appearance, they would become almost hysterical, 

but with a little show of kindness on our part, they willingly told us many 

tidbits of information: All we had to do was give them a Koran and let them 

know when it was prayer time. All of a sudden we discovered that one of 

them could speak English. 

• These people knew which group controlled what area; they would claim 

allegiance to both so that they could have unfettered access to both areas. 

• The people seemed to side with whoever was more powerful. 

• They have little national pride; they did have pride in their tribes! 

In a vehicle we captured going down the Wadi we found a Taliban flag and a 

Northern Alliance flag. In the same vehicle we also found a GPS. 

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 43

Current Challenges: MC Security Squad Experiences, Continued

Raids near Khowst (Continued)

Living off the 

Land

Because we had no re-supply, we had to live off the land (a 10 hour-raid 

means you carry very little gear). 

• We seized an abandoned terror training facility and found livestock and 

grain.

 

• We soon began making corn bread, pop corn, and other types of food. 

After a couple days we had chicken, lamb, and steak.

• We found water in cisterns and in natural springs in the Wadi. We purified 

the water in 5-gallon jugs. 

Small Unit 

Operations

In the mountains we had great success, operating at squad size and less. 

There were always 2 patrols out day and night. They would range 3-4 km and 

stay at altitude. This helped us gain vital information of enemy movements 

and discover weapons caches. 

We constantly used binoculars and NVGs with 3x Mag for observation. This 

timely warning and information meant we could capture many people who 

may have otherwise become combatants. 

http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/2dmardiv/36/ has detailed reports and lessonslearned from Marne Corps experience in Afghanistan. Click on the link 

above; click on operations, then on professional forum. Then click on any of 

the reports individually. 

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 44

Current Challenges: Joint Operations, Continued

Broad Tactical 

Environment

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2003 - U.S. and Italian forces launched an offensive 

June 2 against anti-coalition forces in the Shahi Kowt section of the Paktia 

province in Afghanistan, Combined Joint Task Force 180 officials said today.

A brigade-sized unit launched Operation Dragon Fury to prevent the reemergence of terrorism, to deny sanctuary to terrorists and to protect 

nongovernmental organizations and coalition forces from enemy attack.

Army Col. Rod Davis, spokesman for the command, said the ground assault 

section set up blocking positions and air assault troops drove anti-coalition 

forces into the trap. A total of 21 men were taken under control by coalition 

forces.

The U.S. forces came out of Kandahar, the Italian forces from Khowst. 

Paktia province is located in eastern Afghanistan near the border with 

Pakistan. The province was the scene of tough fighting in 2001 and was 

raided again last year.

Roughly 20 helicopters launched the air assault. Close-air support was 

standing by in case the coalition troops needed the assistance, Davis said. He 

said the Italian forces searched more than 300 vehicles and inspected more 

than 800 people.

There were no coalition casualties.

American forces came from the 82nd Airborne units in the area. Special

operations personnel also took part.

From: http://www.globalspecops.com/oef2a.html This article shows the “larger 

environment” in which Marines like those in the earlier case study might be 

involved in.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 45

Rebuilding Afghanistan

Armed Forces The United States is helping the Afghan government to build a national army. 

In 2002, US soldiers helped train 1,600 Afghan soldiers for this new army. 

http://www.globalspecops.com/rebuilding.html is good site that summarizes 

US efforts to rebuild Afghanistan.

Assistance to 

Women

Although the extreme persecution of women inflicted by the Taliban has 

ceased, women still have a difficult time in present-day Afghanistan. 

• The U.S. has helped the Afghans to establish women’s resource centers.

• Over one million dollars has been used for training women in business and 

for educating girls.

Transportation 

Infrastructure

The United States has committed $800 million to reconstruct the main 

transportation route between Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat. The project, 

underway since 2002, is scheduled for completion by 2004.

The United States is helping the Afghan government to repair and reconstruct 

bridges and 4,000 km of secondary and tertiary roads. The United States is 

also helping to winterize a major tunnel that is a key link to northern 

Afghanistan as well as participating in revitalizing over 6,000 water wells, 

canals, dams, and water systems in the country.

Child Welfare • The United States has funded an immunization program for Afghan 

children. Since April 2002, 4.3 million Afghan children have been 

immunized against measles.

• America’s Fund for Afghan Children has raised over $11.4 million to help 

Afghan children. Moneys from this fund have been used to purchase school 

supplies and books as well as teacher kits. Funds have been used to build 

playgrounds. Winter relief and health kits for children have also been 

supplied from this fund.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 46

Rebuilding Afghanistan, Continued

Refugee 

Welfare

More than two million refugees and displaced persons have returned home to 

Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban.

• The United States has donated funds and assistance to help resettle these 

refugees and to provide them with food and basic needs, as well as shelter 

kits to the neediest. 

• An Afghan Conservation Corps has been established, giving Afghan 

refugees who have returned to the country and demobilized fighters 

employment and job training.

Health • The central disease surveillance system for the eradication of polio was reestablished, and a national curriculum for midwives was revised.

• Health facilities, including over 28 clinics and hospitals, have been rebuilt 

and refurbished. A national plan has been drawn up to determine the 

location and type of construction for an additional 600 health care facilities.

Economic and

Agricultural 

Activities

The Afghan government has an ambitious business enterprise policy. The 

aim is to restore full central government authority over the nation’s currency 

and fiscal system. The United States is assisting the Afghans in developing 

banking, trade, and fiscal and business reforms. More privatization of state 

owned banks and public sector organizations is also sought. 

Seventy percent of the Afghan population is engaged in agriculture. The 

United States has funded assistance to Afghan farmers aimed at improving 

crop production. In the spring of 2002, the United States donated 7,000 tons 

of seed, fertilizer and technical support to over 40,000 farmers. During 2002, 

crop production increased 80% over 2001 production. 

http://www.developmentgateway.org/node/134111/ is an excellent site on 

reconstruction in Afghanistan, showing what various coalition members are 

doing to help the country.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 47

Islam: Basic Ideas

Introduction You have probably heard the name Islam associated with Afghanistan. Most 

people in Afghanistan and in surrounding countries believe in Islam. The 

Taliban and Osama bin Laden believe in a radical form of Islam. In this 

section, you will learn about Islam, its main ideas, customs, and practices.

 (http://thetruereligion.org/intro.htm - - a short introduction to Islam)

 

Definition of 

Islam

Islam means submission to the will of God in the Arabic language. The word 

Islam has the same root as the Arabic word salaam, which means peace. 

Muslims around the world often greet each other with the phrase “Salaam” in 

much the same manner as Jews say, “Shalom,” as a greeting. Both salaam 

and shalom come from the same common language root, the three-letter root -

- s-l-m. 

(http://media.isnet.org/off/Islam/basics/index.html) – discussion of various 

“doctrinal” aspects of Islam by noted theologians.

Allah Islam is not named after a person like Christianity, which was named after 

Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Buddha, and Confucianism after Confucius. 

The central focus of Islam is always God.

The basic tenet of Islam is that you must submit to Allah (the Arabic word for 

God) and live according to His divinely inspired law. 

 

The Precept • The key truth that Allah has revealed to mankind is that the only divine and 

worshipful “being” is Allah, the almighty God; thus all human beings 

should submit to and worship Allah. 

• Allah has 99 names, among them, The Gracious, The Merciful, The 

Beneficent, The Creator, The All-Knowing, The All-Wise, The Lord of the 

Universe, The First, The Last, and others.

No matter what “sect” of Islam a person belongs to, he believes in this 

important religious belief that is the common thread of Islam.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 48

Arabs and Islam

Muslims 

(Moslems)

Now that you know that the religion is called Islam and the name of the God 

of Islam is Allah, what does the word Muslim mean? The word has the same 

s-l-m root as the words Islam and salaam. A Muslim is a person who submits 

to the will of Allah, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic background. A 

Muslim has to submit completely and obediently to Allah and live according 

to Allah’s message. 

• Muslims worship Allah alone and must not worship any person, place or 

thing other than Allah. They believe that Allah is the God for the Christians, 

the Jews, the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Hindus, and even atheists.

• Orally repeating the basic belief of a Muslim found in the “motto” of Islam: 

"Laa Elaaha illallaah" which means, “There is no god but Allah,” is the 

way a Muslim professes that he belongs to Islam.

Importance of 

Arabic in Islam

The “motto” above, "Laa Elaaha illallaah," is in Arabic. Even though the 

people of Afghanistan speak a number of different non-Arabic languages, the 

language of Islam is Arabic, and this is the language used in “religious 

services.” (Historically, Islam began among the Arabs of what is now Saudi 

Arabia.) 

• The prayers, sayings, and many blessings of Islam are all spoken in Arabic, 

just as the holy book of Islam, the Qur’an (Koran) is written in Arabic. 

• This common religious language of Islam is one of the ties that bind all 

Muslims together. 

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 49

Arabs and Islam, Continued

Arabs and NonArab Muslims

Because of the importance of the Arabic language in Islam, many people 

assume that most Muslims are Arabs. This is not the case: About 80% of all 

Muslims are not Arabs. 

• In fact there are more Muslims in Indonesia than in the Arab Middle East.

• Besides Indonesia, Muslims make up the majority in such non-Arabic 

countries as Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and other central Asian countries 

of the former Soviet Union.

 

• There is a large minority in China too. 

• In Europe, Albania is Muslim. Bulgaria, Bosnia, and Macedonia have large 

Muslim populations. Elsewhere in Europe, there are immigrant 

communities of Muslims from Africa, Turkey, and Asia in France, Britain, 

and Germany.

• In the Americas Muslims have increased in recent years, both from 

conversions and immigration; 20% of the population of Suriname in South 

America is Muslim. Today there are about five million Muslims in 

America.

 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 50

Muhammad (Mohammed)

Importance Muhammad is ... the Messenger of God 

and the last of the prophets ... (Qur’an, 33:40)

This one phrase from the Qur’an shows Muhammad’s place in Islam and in 

world religion. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the prophet of Islam. His 

message is Islam. The revelation of Islam that Muhammad received is the 

Qur’an (Koran). 

Muhammad 

and Other 

Religions

In terms of other world religions, Muhammad is the last prophet of God to 

mankind.

 

• He is the last messenger of God. 

• His message applies to all mankind, regardless of their beliefs. 

• Muhammad is the successor to Moses, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, and Jesus.

Muhammad is the prophet among all previous prophets and messengers. 

• He reinterpreted and corrected the message of Allah and gave mankind the 

true word from Allah. In a sense, Muslims consider that he “cleansed” the 

message. 

• In spite of his importance in Islam and for the world, Muslims do not 

worship him or ascribe any divine qualities to the prophet.

Muhammad, 

His Calling

Muhammad was born in Mecca (Makkah) in what is now Saudi Arabia, in the 

year 570 CE. His father died before he was born. Soon after his birth, his 

mother also died, so Muhammad was raised by his uncle.

Because of his trustworthiness and sincerity he was often asked to arbitrate 

disputes. He has been described as calm and meditative. Muhammad was 

very religious. It was his habit to meditate in a cave near Mecca. 

At the age of 40, during one of his retreats, Muhammad received his first 

revelation from Allah through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which he 

continued to receive for twenty-three years, is known as the Qur’an (Koran).

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 51

Muhammad (Mohammed), Continued

Spreading 

Islam

As Muhammad began to preach the truth that Allah had revealed to him, he 

and his small group of followers suffered persecution. 

• This became so strong that in the year 622 CE Muhammad and his 

followers emigrated from Mecca. 

• This event, called the Hijra (‘migration’), when they traveled about 260 

miles to the north to the city of Medina, marks the beginning of the Muslim 

calendar. 

• After several years, Muhammad and his followers returned to Mecca, where 

they made peace with their enemies and established Islam. 

• Before Muhammad died at the age of 63, most of Arabia was Muslim, and 

within a century of his death, Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as 

far east as China. 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 52

Five Pillars of Islam

Introduction The five tenets are the foundation for all Islamic belief. They are the 

cornerstones of Islam. ( http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/

– an introduction to the five pillars.)

Commitment Called the Ash-Shahaadah, this is the “credo” of Islam: 

“I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear 

witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.” 

All Muslims subscribe to and repeat this belief.

Prayer Called As-Salaat in Arabic, this is the requirement that adult Muslims pray at 

five specific times during a twenty-four hour day to Allah.

• This is a ritual prayer requiring Muslims to say specific prayers and to 

coordinate hand and arm movements, eventually culminating in complete 

prostration or bowing down with the hands on the floor to show complete 

submission to Allah.

• While performing As-Salaat, Muslims face in the direction of Mecca.

Alms Known as the Az-Zakaat in Arabic, this means that Muslims must contribute 

to the support of those less fortunate Muslims--support of the poor. Muslims 

are encouraged to pay their Zakaat during the holy month of Ramadan.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 53

Five Pillars of Islam, Continued

Fasting In Arabic this is called As-Sawam. It means that during the month of 

Ramadan, adult Muslims who are in good health 

• Cannot eat, drink, or smoke from sunrise until sunset every day of this holy 

month.

• Must abstain from sexual relations. 

The intention of fasting is to worship Allah. Ramadan is a sacred month 

because it commemorates the time when Allah first revealed the Qur’an to 

Muhammad. The time for Ramadan changes each year because it is based on 

a lunar calendar. Ramadan comes 11 days earlier each year. 

Pilgrimage Called Al- Hajj (Hadsh), this pilgrimage requires a Muslim in good health to 

travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least once in a lifetime. 

• Specific preparation is necessary for the Hajj; for example there are rules 

about shaving and cutting hair and what to wear. 

• One of the high points of the Hajj is the umrah, which means performing a 

ritual walk seven times around the sacred stone of Islam called the Kab’ah.

• The Hajj commemorates the sacrifices and faith of Abraham, his second 

wife, Hagar, and their son, Ishmael. 

According to the Council on Islamic Education, it is the largest, regularly 

scheduled international gathering on Earth.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 54

Al Qur’an (Koran) and Sunnah

Definition Al Qur’an (the Qur’an) is the revealed word of Islam, the holy book of the 

Muslims. 

• Muhammad received the message in bits and pieces from the Angel Gabriel 

during a period of 23 years. 

• The word Al Qur’an means the recitation. During Muhammad’s lifetime it 

was recited publicly. 

• The original language of the Qur’an is Arabic. 

It is important to remember that Muslims believe the Qur’an is the word of 

Allah, untouched and uninterpreted by human beings. As Allah’s final 

message to mankind, it is the holy book that supercedes all others: the Old 

Testament, the Gospels, etc.

Form and 

Content

The Qur’an is a collection of surahs or chapters, many of which you might 

call verses. 

• Muhammad received the surahs from Allah. Scribes selected by 

Muhammad usually wrote down these verses. Sometimes they wrote on 

wood, trees, parchment, and even stones. Many followers also memorized 

the Qur’an by heart. 

• In later years, the Qur’an was recopied and refined; accents and markings 

for reading were added.

Interpretation • The Sunnah is the spoken word and acts of Muhammad. The Sunnah, 

Muhammad’s actual words and deeds, uses the life of Muhammad to 

explain and expand on the verses and teachings of the Qur’an so that Islam 

can eventually become a world religion.

• A second form of interpretation is called hadith. This is narration about the 

life of the prophet or what he approved - as opposed to his life itself, which 

is the Sunnah. 

The Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the ahadith (plural of hadith) are the basic body 

of Islamic religious doctrine for all Muslims. (http://www.afghannetwork.net/Islam/ ) (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/) 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 55

Jihad (Djihad)

Definition The word jihad means struggle in Arabic. This means a struggle between the 

forces of Allah (good) and the forces of evil --an eternal struggle. 

You have probably heard the word jihad in reference to Osama bin Laden and 

the Taliban. They consider the terrorism that they perpetuate a jihad. 

Actually, the word jihad has a couple of interpretations.

Self-defense Islam allows fighting in self-defense and in defense of religion. There are 

rules of combat including prohibitions against harming civilians and against 

destroying crops, trees and livestock. 

If good Muslims do not risk their lives in the cause of Islam, injustice would 

triumph. The Qur’an says: 

 “ Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not 

transgress limits. God does not love transgressors.” (2.190) 

War is the last resort and is subject to the precepts of Islamic sacred law.

Inner Struggle The second and more personal meaning of jihad is an inner struggle. Each of 

us, according to Islam, is constantly fighting a “war” against self-centered 

desire, and egotism, with the final goal of attaining inner peace.
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 56

Islamic Schools (Sects) 

Religious vice 

Secular Law: 

Western View

The United States and most other Western countries make a clear distinction 

between the rule of law and religion. 

• Religion is a separate personal issue that does not determine law. 

• A legal case may make use of religion, but religion is not the determining 

factor in most legal cases. 

• Simply put, a religious denomination, such as Methodism, Catholicism, or 

Judaism, doesn’t have the power to rule on a case of adultery in a civil court 

or on a case of fraud in a criminal court. 

The United States has a secular system of law; religion plays no direct part in 

such a system.

Islamic View If you look at Islam, the perspective is different. Islamic law consists of 

guidelines and rules that determine all aspects of a Muslim’s life from how to 

perform ritual prayer to conducting business transactions. 

• It also includes crimes and the appropriate punishments for each.

• These Islamic laws are based primarily on the Qur’an and are called the 

Sharia.

• Muslims must apply these precepts handed down to Muhammad in the sixth 

century to present-day situations.

Interpretation 

and Reinterpretation

This kind of religious legal system, particularly how to interpret the Qur’an 

and the ahadith, has resulted in a certain degree of divisiveness in Islam, just 

as varied interpretations of Christian doctrine have caused Christianity to split 

into various denominations. The two main sects of Islam, which are the 

schools of Islam, are the

• Sunni

• Shi'ites (Shi’ia)

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 57

Islamic Schools (Sects), Continued

Shi’ites (Shi’ia) The basic divisiveness in Islam is based on an historical incident: 

• After Muhammad died, there was confusion about who should succeed him 

as the leader of Islam. One group felt that the successor was Imam Ali who 

had been appointed by Muhammad according to Allah’s decree. Ali was a 

relative of Muhammad and the first to accept Islam. 

• This group, mostly from the household of the prophet, was a minority and 

became known as the Shi’ites. They also believe that the leader of Islam 

must be endowed with grace and benevolence and should be infallible.

Sunnis The majority group, called Sunni Muslims, believe that: 

• Muhammad did not choose a specific successor and probably assumed that 

after his death, Muslims would find their own leader. 

• The prophet did not tell his followers how they ought to select their leaders 

or what qualifications their leaders should have. 

The Sunnis chose a leader, later called the caliph, from outside Muhammad’s 

household. The Shi’ites refused to accept the Sunnis’ choice and split off 

from this main group. 

Results of the 

Division

Because of this succession split, variations in Islamic doctrine, law, and 

practice have developed between these two main groups over the centuries.

• Sunni Muslims predominate in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, 

Turkey, and Indonesia.

• Shi’ites are the majority in Iran and southern Iraq.

Sunnis make up about 83 percent of Muslims, according to the Encyclopedia 

Britannica; Shi’ites, about 16 percent; and a few other small groups, the 

remainder. 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 58

Osama (Usama) bin Laden and Islam

Bin Laden’s 

Religious 

Background

Bin Laden’s brand of Islam is based on extremely conservative Islam called 

Wahhabism, which was espoused by Muhammad bin Abd al-Wahhab (1703-

87). He was the founder of the sect and the co-founder of Saudi Arabia. The 

Wahhabis and the royal Saud family have long intermarried. The Saudis have 

adopted many of the conservative precepts of Wahhabism.

Wahhabism: 

The Way of a 

Muslim Life

Wahhabi Islam is a total religious system. It has an answer for every question 

about a Muslim’s life including social, legal and spiritual aspects. Wahhabi 

Islam is ascetic. 

• Men should wear short robes and even avoid the black cords used on 

turbans and headgear. 

• Mosques should have no decoration. 

• Drinking alcohol is forbidden. 

Punishment is based exclusively on the Qur’an, for example: 

• The right hand should be amputated for theft. 

• Adulterers should be stoned to death. 

• Murder and sexual deviation are punishable by beheading. To this day 

Saudi Arabia uses these punishments, especially beheading for capital 

crimes.

Bin Laden and 

the Taliban

The kind of radically, conservative state that the Taliban had developed in 

Afghanistan had roots in Wahhabism, which inspires and feeds on the 

Taliban’s fundamentalist religiosity. 

• For Islamic fundamentalists, the Taliban have created what approaches a 

pure, ideal society based on Islamic religion and law. 

• This society fits bin Laden’s mold too.

The Taliban allowed bin Laden to remain in Afghanistan as a guest. They 

denied consistently that he had anything to do with the terrorist acts of 9/11 

and refused to extradite him as requested by the US government. They 

continuously claimed that they did not know of his whereabouts.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 59

Osama (Usama) bin Laden and Islam, Continued

Focus on 

Expansion and 

Terrorism

• While bin Laden follows the conservative Wahhabi tenets, what he most 

fervently supports is that his brand of Islamic faith must expand. (To 

support this kind of expansion, Saudi Arabia supported the Afghan 

mujahidin when they were fighting the Communists. So did Osama bin 

Laden.) 

http://www.newyorker.com/FROM_THE_ARCHIVE/ARCHIVES/?010924

fr_archive03 – good article on bin Laden, his life and religion

• Now bin Laden regards the struggle as a war between two civilizations: His 

Islam and the non-Muslim civilization, specifically the United States. 

Toward winning this struggle, bin Laden has committed his forces to 

terrorism.

http://www.brookings.org/fp/projects/terrorism/faqs.htm#qb4 – a set of 

informative questions about terrorism. 

Bin Ladensponsored 

Terrorism

• Besides the infamous 9/11 terrorist attacks against the Pentagon and the 

twin towers, bin Laden allegedly sponsored the attacks on American 

embassies in Africa. 

• U.S. and Russian officials are also concerned that he is financing Chechen 

rebel operations out of Dagestan, a former Soviet republic in Asia. 

A primary concern is that bin Laden’s forces are attempting to acquire or 

build chemical and/or biological weapons to use in their terrorist attacks. In 

the case of the Chechen rebels, he may be trying to help them acquire 

radiological dispersal devices. 

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 60

Osama (Usama) bin Laden and Islam, Continued

 

Al Qaida (Al 

Qaeda)

Al Qaida (Al Qaeda) is the name of the network of Islamic extremists that bin 

Laden has at his command to carry out his radical Islamic terrorism. 

• Al Qaida consists of a group of about 3,000 commanders. Troops of 

Afghanis and Pakistanis number 200,000+. 

• There are a number of terrorist centers, with numerous cells, in North 

America, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Albania, Kosovo, Algeria, Chechenya, all 

the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, the Philippines, Egypt, Ethiopia 

and Somalia.

Bin Laden’s 

“Army”

Al Qaida is bin Laden’s personal “army.” Bin Laden could probably rally an 

army of over 100,000+ men around the world, excluding those currently “in 

service” in Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

• Many members of his overseas forces are ready for both sustained and onetime operations.

• In the interim, the members of these terrorist forces return to normal 

“civilian” life in host countries. They are also available for terrorist 

operations on their own countries. 

Funding for Al

Qaida (Al 

Qaeda) 

Terrorism

The primary sources for funding Al Qaida-sponsored terrorism have been: 

• The sale of drugs, primarily opium.

• Contributions from Saudi Arabia through various banks and from various 

Saudi businessmen.

• What might be called tribute money to Al Qaida from countries that do not 

want the organization to establish cells in their own countries. 

• Funds from bin Laden’s personal fortune. 

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 61

Osama (Usama) bin Laden and Islam, Continued

Bin Laden and 

Saudi Arabia

Even though the country where he grew up, Saudi Arabia, is extremely 

conservative, bin Laden finds that it is not conservative enough. He thinks 

the following reasons, which are contrary to his purist concept of Islam, are 

grounds for overthrowing the Saudi royal family:

• Alliance of the ruling Saudi family with the West

• Saudi Arabia’s dependence on American and other foreign troops who 

came to the country to defend it during the Gulf War

• Corruption of the Saudi regime

 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 62

Appendix A: Short History of Terrorist Activity

Timeline The Activities of the Al Qaida

The Al Qaida has a long history of terrorist activity, which dates back to the 

early 1990s. Many of their earlier operations failed to achieve the desired 

effect; however, experience has enabled the organization to develop a more 

sophisticated approach.

• Suspected in the bombing of night club in Bali 

• Suspected in September 11 plot to hijack planes and destroy the World 

Trade Center, Pentagon, and other unspecified targets (2001) 

• Plotted an unsuccessful effort to attack U.S. and Israel tourists during 

millennial celebrations (2000) 

• Implicated in bombings of U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es 

Salaam, Tanzania that killed over 300 (1998) 

• Accused by the U.S. of bomb attacks on American military personnel in 

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (1996) 

• Linked to unsuccessful plot to assassinate President Clinton in the 

Philippines (1995) 

• Linked to unsuccessful plot to bomb multiple U.S. trans-Pacific flights 

(1995) 

• Linked to unsuccessful plot to bomb U.S. and Israeli embassies in Manila 

(1994) 

• Linked to unsuccessful plot to assassinate Pope John Paul II in Manila 

(1994) 

• Claims to have downed U.S. helicopters and killed U.S. servicemen in 

Somalia (1993) 

• Attempted bombing of U.S. troops in Aden, Yemen (1992) 

Source: U.S. State Department 

 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 63

Appendix B: International Associations

Top 

Commanders

Al Qaeda is an international association of allied groups operating in many 

parts of the world. Its top commanders are

• AYMAN AL ZAWAHRI, head of the Egyptian Jihad Islami, who is Bin 

Laden’s senior deputy and heir apparent

• JUMMA MAMANGANI, an Uzbek, who was recently appointed Al Qaeda 

chief of operations. He is former commander of the Moslem Army for the 

Liberation of Kyrgystan. Three key Afghan training camps, at Jalalabad, 

Farmada and Daronta, are under his command. 

• FATEH KAMEL, who leads the most militant cells of the extremist 

Algerian GIA. In the name of Al Qaida, he controls terrorist cells in the 

United States, Canada and Algeria.

• MUHAMMED ATIF aka SUBHI ABU-SITTAH, who is nominal chief of 

staff of the network and its brightest military brain. He comes from the 

Egyptian Jihad Islami

• IMAD MUGHNIYEH, the former Lebanese Hizballah hostage-taker and 

bomber, who is in charge of the combined terrorist campaign around the 

Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Europe and Israel.

Throughout the 

World

On top of the 3,500 hard core commanders and 110,000 Afghan and Pakistani 

troops, Al Qaeda retains another 6400 commanders in 12 centers: North 

America, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Albania, Kosovo, Algeria, Chechenya, 

Tadjikistan and all the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, the 

Philippines, Egypt, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The numbers Bin Laden can muster differs from place to place. In North 

America, together with his closest ally, the Egyptian Jihad Islami, some 2,500 

hard core fighting men; in Yemen, where his family originated before 

migrating to Saudi Arabia – 2000 directly. But Bin Laden has a special 

relationship with the commanders of the 20,000-man strong irregular 

“Moslem Liberation Army, which hold a monopoly of the arms trade of the 

Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, the Red Sea and East Africa. Its reach 

sometimes goes as far as Iran. 

Bin Laden often serves as the MLA’s clearing bank and ready bankroll for 

arms deal.

Continued on next page
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 64

Appendix B: International Associations, Continued

Saudi Arabia In Saudi Arabia, where the privileged and affluent bin Laden clan lives, 

Osama commands some 200-250 hard-core commanders, but there are many 

more potential partisans among the disaffected tribes in the central and 

eastern provinces, especially the Nejd, as well as in the Saudi armed forces 

and national guard. 

An intensive Al Qaeda recruitment effort in those Saudi forces could cause 

their collapse and drop in Bin Laden’s lap their arsenals, with some of the 

most sophisticated hardware in use today.

Overseas 

Legions

According to conservative estimates, the millionaire-terrorist could most 

probably rally around the world roughly the same number of fighting men as 

those flocking to his flag in Afghanistan and Pakistan, namely an army of 

over 200,000 men. Many members of his overseas legions are available for 

both sustained and for one-time operations. In between, they simply go back 

to their normal pursuits and their homes in host countries. They are also 

available for terrorist operations on their home ground.

 
Afghanistan: An Intro to the Country and People 65

Appendix C: Other References

Resources Besides the websites and URLs cited in the body of this handbook, the 

following resources will help you better understand Afghan culture and 

people:

• Encyclopedia of World Cultures (particularly volume III), edited by Paul 

Hockings. Boston: G.K. Hall and Co., 1992. Excellent summaries of the 

different tribal and ethnic groups of Afghanistan and neighboring countries.

• The Europa World Year Book 2001 (volume I). London: Europa 

Publications, 2001. An excellent in-depth survey of Afghanistan.

• Friedman, Norman. Terrorism, Afghanistan, and America’s NEW WAY OF 

WAR. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2003.

• Hoffman, Frank G. (LtCol, USMCR, Ret.). “The U. S. Marine Corps in 

Review.” Proceedings, May 2002: Vol. 128/5/, 84-90.

• Hoffman, Frank G. (LtCol, USMCR, Ret.). “The U. S. Marine Corps in 

Review.” Proceedings, May 2003: Vol. 129/5/, 96-102.

• Marsden, Peter. The Taliban: War, religion and the new order in 

Afghanistan. New York: Zed Books Ltd., 1999. In-depth study of the 

Taliban including their origins and type of leadership, their religious 

“creed,” implementation of religious beliefs, etc.

• O’Balance, Edgar. Afghan Wars 1839-1992: What Britain Gave Up and 

the Soviet Union Lost. New York, Brassey’s, 1993. Good account of the 

major conflicts in Afghanistan over the years: the Anglo Wars, the Soviet 

period, and civil wars.

• Rubin, Barnett R. The Search for Peace in Afghanistan: From Buffer State 

to Failed State. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.