Non-Violent Intimidation Tactics
The Taliban uses fear of impending violence. A common tactic is the shabnamah, or “night letter,” a message sent to a target that states they will face punishment. The message warns that unless demands are met, the punishment will be quick and severe. This theme recurs frequently. For example, in 2008, residents of Khost received a letter warning tribal elders not to cooperate with government forces, or else they would face consequences. Those working for the Karzai or regional governments were told to quit immediately, or else they would witness unprecedented violence. Anyone aiding government forces during a firefight would face the same fate as the "U.S. puppets," meaning they would die.
Information Operations
“The Taliban are lying through their teeth." – Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 2001, responding to early Taliban allegations of U.S. atrocities.
The insurgents, especially the Taliban, use media to spread propaganda. Their main themes include portraying the government as corrupt, illegitimate, ineffective, and controlled by Western powers; claiming Afghanistan is a battleground in an international crusade against Islam led by the U.S.; and suggesting Islam offers solutions to Afghan problems. The latter dominates in Islamist reformist circles.
The Taliban exploit national anxiety and unmet expectations. Disillusionment grew early in the insurgency as people’s hopes clashed with poor service delivery. Many Afghans didn’t understand why civilians, sometimes unintentionally, suffered casualties at the hands of Coalition Forces. The Taliban exploited this, using accidental killings as false evidence of American murderous intent. Today, the Taliban utilizes print and digital media. Their publication Azam, meaning "tenacity" in Pashto, was shut down in 2003. However, outlets like Al Somood and others continue in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Al Somood is their flagship paper, featuring glossy pages, statistics, and interviews, published by the Taliban’s media center, likely based in Quetta.
Taliban DVDs include poetry recitations, interviews with leaders like Jalaluddin Haqqani praising Islam’s virtues, and footage of executions of suspected enemies. Even the more graphic content is posted on their website, El Emarah. Topics often covered include Pashtun nationalism, Afghan patriotism, and anti-American sentiment. Guantanamo, often compared to Devil’s Island, is frequently criticized.
Some propaganda efforts have had an impact. In February 2006, then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld expressed concern that America was "losing the media war to Al-Qaeda.” Others agreed. For instance, in January 2012, U.S. Marines filmed themselves urinating on Taliban corpses, and a Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the authenticity, saying, “It turned my stomach.” The next year, U.S. soldiers posed with the remains of suicide bombers. Generally, the Taliban have struggled to get Western journalists to write flattering stories about them. An exception is Yvonne Ridley, who wrote in “In the Hands of the Taliban” that they treated her with courtesy and respect. She appreciated how the Taliban introduced her to Islam and believed Islam grants women freedom and respect. “My heart has been stolen by Afghanistan.”
However, even sympathetic reporters face risks covering the Taliban. Joanie De Rijke, a Dutch journalist, interviewed Taliban commander Ghazi Gul in 2009. After the interview and taking photos, Gul kidnapped her, held her captive for six days, and then ransomed her for an unspecified amount. Surprising herself, she later accepted the sexual violence, reasoning Gul was overwhelmed by testosterone and knew it was wrong. She described his treatment as respectful and generous. Gul offered her one of his wives for a threesome, which she declined, but she accepted tea and biscuits.
Chapter Summary
In 2001, Western and Afghan forces made significant military gains, driving the Taliban from Afghanistan. The U.S. received widespread international and domestic backing. Yet, the Taliban regrouped into four Shuras, with the main one in Quetta, Pakistan. The Taliban's hierarchy includes the top leadership, the Shura Council, cadres, foot soldiers, and mercenaries. The Taliban found sanctuary in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan and are now regaining strength, aiming to impose a new totalitarian regime in Afghanistan. They are one of several insurgent groups striving for a Salafist Afghanistan, alongside al Qaeda, the Haqqani Network, and Hekmatyar Gulbuddin’s Hizb el Islami. Their goals include crippling the economy, terrorizing opponents, expanding their base, strengthening external support, and breaking the will of nations, especially the United States.
