The Taliban: An Organizational Analysis

Major Shahid Afsar, Major Chris Samples, Major Thomas Wood, 'The Taliban: An Organizational Analysis', Military Review, May-June 2008

ABSTRACT: Despite their quick overthrow in 2002 by a small coalition of U.S. forces and anti-Taliban groups, the Taliban has not gone away. In fact, today, in the face of thousands of NATO and U.S. troops, a growing Afghan National Army (ANA), and a popularly elected government, the movement’s influence in Afghanistan is increasing. It continues to wage an insurgency that has prevented the new government from establishing legitimacy, and it has created massive unrest in Pakistan. Clearly, it behooves us to know something more about this archaic but formidable enemy."

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EXCERPT: "The Taliban organization is a network of franchises, an arrangement that fits well with tribal traditions. A small militant group begins calling itself 'the local Taliban.' It gains some form of recognition from the central Taliban hierarchy in return for its support and cooperation. The new cell supports Taliban grand strategy, but retains local freedom of action. This modus operandi preserves tribal loyalties and territorial boundaries. A typical Taliban village cell has between 10 and 50 part-time fighters and a smattering of ideologically motivated persons and mercenaries from other areas.

"The cell runs its own intelligence collection, logistics, and population-control activities with coordination and support from other cells. [...] Essentially performing most tasks independently, the cell has a reciprocal relationship with other Taliban cells for physical and intelligence support; sequential interdependence for passage of information and couriers, equipment, and sometimes finances; and pooled interdependence with the higher hierarchy for media operations, IED-making, technical intelligence collection, specialized training, and additional financial support."