Fundamentalism Reborn?

A dozen experts provide a coherent picture of the Taliban and theGreat Game. . . . They discuss the emergence of the Taliban, theirmilitary development, the civil war, and their relations with foreignpowers. Several of the authors conclusively demonstrate that theTaliban(and their organized opposition) are the creatures of externalpowers.... Richard Mackenzie provides a devastating summary of theineptitute with which U.S. policies have been conducted . . . thevolume makes it all too clear that outside powers will determineAfghanistan's fate.--Middle East QuarterlyA useful analysis of the Taliban and politics and society inAfghanistan today. The four chapters on the intensive foreigninvolvement--by Pakistan, the United States, Russian, the CentralAsian republics, Saudi Arabia, and Iran--show that the venerablegreat game once played between Britain and czarist Russia now hasmultiple players.--Foreign AffairsA fascinating and thorough analysis of the very complexpolitical/military situation that evolved in Afghanistan follwing thedemise of the Soviet puppet regime in 1992. This volume also providesan insightful study of the rise of a new form of puritanical Islamicfundamentalism that overran Kabul in September 1996--namely, theTaliban, and its impact on Afghan society. . . . Highlyrecommended.--Choice[It] is an important collection of essays by leading experts on Afghanistan and the Taliban...an invaluable academic resource for anyone seeking to understand how the Taliban came to rule and ruin Afghanistan.-- Washington TimesIn 1996, the world watched with varying degrees of interest, surprise, and unease as armed, ultra- fundamentalist insurgents overthrew the Afghan government. Within days of their victory, the Taliban, a militant Islamic sect, were issuing draconian religious decrees, restricting women's employment and movement, rounding up Afghans at gunpoint to pray five times a day, and publicly executing political opponents and criminals.Composed of essays commissioned from the foremost experts on the Taliban, this anthology traces the movement's origins, its ascendance, the reasons for its success, and its role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Crucial to the Taliban's staying power as a governing force will be its relations with neighboring countries and with the West. Interestingly, given their intense hatred of Iran, the Taliban were enthusiastically supported by the U.S. government up to the very moment of their triumphant arrival in Kabul.Examining yet another country on the brink of ethnic disintegration, Fundamentalism Reborn? is a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the history, rise to power, and future of the most dramatic manifestation of Islamic fundamentalism since the Iranian revolution.