While the 'New Taliban' looms large in the global media, little is known about how it functions as an organisation. How united is it? Are its structures relatively strong, or surprisingly brittle? Are personal relations and networking based on traditional ties of kin and ethnicity the sum total of its organisational capabilities, or are efforts underway to build more institutionalised chains of command? How united is the New Taliban, and how does it maintain whatever degree of unity it has, given the attrition it has suffered in the field? And to what extent is its leadership able to impose switches in strategy among the rank-and- file, given Afghanistan's difficult geography and poor communications? These are among the questions answered in this book by a renowned cast of practitioners, journalists and academics, all of whom have long field experience of the latest phase of the New Taliban's insurgency in Afghanistan. 'Decoding the New Taliban' includes a number of detailed studies of specific regions or provinces, which for different reasons are especially significant for the Taliban and for understanding their expansion. Alongside these regional studies, the volume includes thematic analyses of negotiating with the Taliban, the Taliban's propaganda effort and its strategic vision.
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'Provides a nuanced micro-level view of the country. . . One of the most significant contributions . . . is the insight into the modus operandi of the insurgency.' --Foreign Affairs
'Decoding the New Taliban is a serious and comprehensive collection of essays written by authorities on their subject matter that will directly benefit those who find themselves on the ground with the Afghan people and among the still evolving Neo-Taliban.' --Middle East Quarterly
'Some evidence that the Taliban have moved on since they were in power is provided by Antonio Giustozzi, who has edited a collection of essays entitled Decoding the New Taliban. . . Giustozzi argues that the Taliban realise their old position on education was self-defeating and lost them support, and the line is now being reversed. In Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, according to Tom Coghlan, one of Giustozzi's contributors, people in September 2008 'reported a strikingly less repressive interpretation of the Taliban's social edicts.' They no longer ban TV, music, dog-fighting and kite-flying; nor do they insist on the old rule that men grow beards long enough to be held in the fist.' --Jonathan Steele, London Review of Books
'Decoding the New Taliban is a serious and comprehensive collection of essays written by authorities on their subject matter that will directly benefit those who find themselves on the ground with the Afghan people and among the still evolving Neo-Taliban.' --Middle East Quarterly
'Some evidence that the Taliban have moved on since they were in power is provided by Antonio Giustozzi, who has edited a collection of essays entitled Decoding the New Taliban. . . Giustozzi argues that the Taliban realise their old position on education was self-defeating and lost them support, and the line is now being reversed. In Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, according to Tom Coghlan, one of Giustozzi's contributors, people in September 2008 'reported a strikingly less repressive interpretation of the Taliban's social edicts.' They no longer ban TV, music, dog-fighting and kite-flying; nor do they insist on the old rule that men grow beards long enough to be held in the fist.' --Jonathan Steele, London Review of Books
'Decoding the New Taliban is a serious and comprehensive collection of essays written by authorities on their subject matter that will directly benefit those who find themselves on the ground with the Afghan people and among the still evolving Neo-Taliban.' --Middle East Quarterly
'Some evidence that the Taliban have moved on since they were in power is provided by Antonio Giustozzi, who has edited a collection of essays entitled Decoding the New Taliban. . . Giustozzi argues that the Taliban realise their old position on education was self-defeating and lost them support, and the line is now being reversed. In Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, according to Tom Coghlan, one of Giustozzi's contributors, people in September 2008 'reported a strikingly less repressive interpretation of the Taliban's social edicts.' They no longer ban TV, music, dog-fighting and kite-flying; nor do they insist on the old rule that men grow beards long enough to be held in the fist.' --Jonathan Steele, London Review of Books
'Decoding the New Taliban is a serious and comprehensive collection of essays written by authorities on their subject matter that will directly benefit those who find themselves on the ground with the Afghan people and among the still evolving Neo-Taliban.' --Middle East Quarterly
'Some evidence that the Taliban have moved on since they were in power is provided by Antonio Giustozzi, who has edited a collection of essays entitled Decoding the New Taliban. . . Giustozzi argues that the Taliban realise their old position on education was self-defeating and lost them support, and the line is now being reversed. In Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, according to Tom Coghlan, one of Giustozzi's contributors, people in September 2008 'reported a strikingly less repressive interpretation of the Taliban's social edicts.' They no longer ban TV, music, dog-fighting and kite-flying; nor do they insist on the old rule that men grow beards long enough to be held in the fist.' --Jonathan Steele, London Review of Books
About the Author
Antonio Giustozzi has spent more than a decade visiting, researching and writing on Afghanistan. He is a Research Fellow based at the Crisis States Research Centre at the LSE and author of Koran, Kalashnikov and Laptop: The Neo-Taliban in Afghanistan and Empires of Mud: Wars and Warlords in Afghanistan, both available from Hurst.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
The return of the Taliban from Northern Alliance defeat has many elements; religious, tribal, linguistic, economic and military. This book endeavours to place each in a relative order by examining the insurgency at local and national level and by interviewing the Talibs themselves. The picture of an organisation of pure jihadis, or of a proxy Pakistani militia, both crumble into something more indistinct. Anger at foreign intervention and at collateral damage all seem to have a bigger influence than is perhaps imagined. By opening up the various tiers of the movement one can clearly see that it is not a monolith nor is it without a sense of the need to appeal to its constituents. The Afghans are a feisty people and object to others oppressing them whether they be foreign or local. The importance of opium and the issues surrounding it are well explored. I was left with the overwhelming feeling that NATO isn't quite on song, but occasionally gets it right. I was particularly interested in the reach of the Taliban outside Pushtun areas.
Collections of essays always have the risk of being over-edited or widely different in quality. I felt both problems were admirably resolved in this useful and interesting book.
Collections of essays always have the risk of being over-edited or widely different in quality. I felt both problems were admirably resolved in this useful and interesting book.
Format:Hardcover
Antonio Giustozzi once again has turned out an excellent and useful book, this time with contributions from academic and colleagues from the print media. Books on the Taliban tend to date quite quickly -- there is always a new trend taking place -- but this book doesn't really have that problem: there's a very pleasing amount of background material relating to 'how we reached this point' which means each chapter retains utility.
Highlights include Joanna Nathan on Taliban propaganda, Thomas Ruttig on the Haqqanis in southeast Afghanistan (a must-read article on its own), Martine van Bijlert on insurgent networks in Uruzgan province, Graeme Smith on a survey conducted with Kandahar's Taliban and many more. Read this book!
Highlights include Joanna Nathan on Taliban propaganda, Thomas Ruttig on the Haqqanis in southeast Afghanistan (a must-read article on its own), Martine van Bijlert on insurgent networks in Uruzgan province, Graeme Smith on a survey conducted with Kandahar's Taliban and many more. Read this book!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5.0 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Decoding the New Taliban
20 May 2010
By DD Lawrence
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is unique and brilliant, I haven't been able to thoroughly read the book because so many others have been borrowing the piece to use as analysis.
Anyone serving in the military and/or studying the new emerging Taliban political force, this book is a must. This book is not the same old string information, it offers a descriptive breakdown of factions.
Anyone serving in the military and/or studying the new emerging Taliban political force, this book is a must. This book is not the same old string information, it offers a descriptive breakdown of factions.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Afghanistan Taliban 2008
12 Nov 2010
By William Garrison Jr.
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
"Decoding the New Taliban: Insights from the Afghan Field" by Antonio Giustozzi (editor); (2009), English, hardback, 318 pgs. An anthology of 14 articles by various authors: Introduction by A. Giustozzi; (1) The Taliban and the Opium Trade by G. S. Peters; (2) Reading the Taliban [local magazines, communications, suicide attacks] by J. Nathan; (3) The Resurgence of the Taliban in Kabul: Logar and Wardak [attacks on the 275 schools] by M. O.T. Elias; (4i) Loya Paktia's Insurgency: The Haqqani Network as an Autonomous Entity by T. Ruttig; (4ii) Roots of the insurgency in the Southeast by S. Trives; (5) The Return of the Taliban in Andar District: Ghazni by C. Reuter & B. Younus; (6) the Taliban in Helmand: an oral history by T. Coghlan; (7) Unruly Commanders and Violent Power Struggles: Taliban Networks in Uruzgan by M.van Bijlert; (8) Taliban in Zabul by A.A. Zabulwal; (9) What Kandahar's Taliban Say [how to interview Taliban] by Graeme Smith; (10) The Taliban's Marches: Heart, Farah, Baghdis and Ghor by A. Giustozzi; (11) Taliban and Counter-Insurgency in Kunar by D. Kilcullen; (12) Northern Exposure for the Taliban by S. A. Moghaddam; (13) The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan by C. Franco; & glossary. Much of the data/discussion in this book is from 2007-2008. Contains a lot of tight, relevant, informative writing - not verbose editorialization.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-read
9 Mar 2011
By Juanelo
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I'm currently serving a 12-month tour in Afghanistan, and will return after an 18-month stateside break. I had read a few other books on the Taliban in preparation for this deployment, but this book is the best by far. I agree with DD Lawrence's comment about it being a good source for analysts hoping to get a better understanding of this group. I wish I could read all of what was left out of the book, but I'm hoping for another one by the time I prepare for my return. I plan on purchasing a few more copies to pass out to some of my colleagues in other provinces. Strongly recommended!
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