Currently, as I am sure you are all aware, British troops are involved in a war with the Taliban. At the moment there are over 10,000 soldiers in operation throughout Afghanistan, there is no exact figure for the number of Taliban fighters however a rough estimation can put the figure at well over 25,000. We all know that the British army is funded by the taxpayer but the answer to who funds the Taliban has more of an elusive answer. To answer this question it is important to know who the Taliban are.....
The term Taliban can be translated as student and this gives the first clue to where this group originated. During the 1980s and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan a number of refugee camps were set up in Pakistan for Afghans fleeing the war. While living in these makeshift settlements many of the men attended religious seminars known as madrassers. Heavy Saudi Arabian funding for these camps resulted in a Saudi Ultra conservative form of Islamic teaching known as Wahabism taking precedent. This resulted in many of the Afghan fighters adopting Strict Islamic beliefs. Saudi Arabia has always sought to increase its influence throughout the Muslim world and by funding these fighters it believed it could set up a future pro-Saudi Afghanistan. It is important to note that a young Bin laden was also active in the region during this time helping to fund and run Afghan refugee camps.
Operation Cyclone was the code name given for the CIA's programme to fund the Afghan Mujahideen during the 1980s. Its aim was to drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan. The CIA specifically armed and funded those groups favoured by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, of course as mentioned earlier these fighters were beginning to follow an ultra conservative form of Islam. In 1987 funding peaked at $630 million dollars a year. It can be argued that some of the Taliban leaders at war with British soldiers today were funded and trained by the CIA in the 1980s.
As soon as the Soviets were defeated a power vacuum opened in Afghanistan resulting in civil war among the various Mujahideen forces. Some of these forces were supported by the Iranian regime who advocated Islamic revolution. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan both wanting stability and horrified by the idea of a pro-Iranian Afghanistan supported the newly formed Taliban in 1994. With the backing of the Saudis and Pakistan they captured Kabul in 1996. Along the way they massacred Shia Muslims who they regarded as sub-human. The Taliban then set about consolidating their power, they continued to receive fighters from the still fully functioning madrassers in Pakistan. Although not officially these links with Pakistan are still in place today. Elements within the Pakistan intelligence agency are still making sure the Taliban is receiving funding.
As I am sure you are now aware, politics within this troubled region are far from straight forward, to give a simple answer to the title of this article is impossible. The sad truth is that Afghanistan and its people have been used as a pawn in the power games of other countries, most notably Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States. However the meddling in Afghan affairs has actually back fired on all three involved. The actions of the United States during the 1980s can be directly linked to allowing Bin Laden to create a power base in Afghanistan from which he could plan and order the 9/11 attacks.
Instead of creating a pro Saudi -Afghanistan, the Kingdom has seen the emergence and rapid spread of the Al Qaeda ideology thoughout the Muslim world. Followers of this view despise what they see as corrupt Muslim regimes like the Saudi Royal family. This ideology has taken route within Saudi Arabia itself and now poses a threat to national security from neighbouring Yeman.
Last but not least Pakistan is left with a never ending war on its borders, fighting against the Taliban which is now threatening to increase its influence within Pakistan itself. Karma is a powerful thing.
