The Taliban Divide: Baitullah Mehsud and Mission Creep

Abstract

The Taliban is a fractious organization. In their drive for post-9/11 power, they have set aside a number of ideological positions to defeat a common enemy. As this month's actions have shown, even the identity of that common enemy is a subject of debate and friction. This, in turn, has led to a fracturing of the Taliban itself. Within the Taliban, despite earlier pledges to drive foreign forces out of Afghanistan, the center of gravity in their internal power struggles is increasingly in Pakistan's tribal territories, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It is there, more so than any province in Afghanistan, that the fate of the Taliban will be decided. Without the strategic depth they enjoy in the FATA, the Taliban cannot carry on their campaign in Afghanistan. When events in the FATA take a violent turn, actions on the other side of the Durand Line slow down, something that has infuriated Mullah Omar. The fight against Islamic extremism in South Asia will be decided in Pakistan's tribal areas.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA484252

Entities

People

  • Alec E. Metz
  • Harold Ingram

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Afghanistan
  • Asia
  • Assassination
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Failed States
  • Governments
  • Information Operations
  • International Organizations
  • Military Commanders
  • Military Governments
  • Military Organizations
  • Pakistan
  • Security
  • South Asia
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • Violence

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.