The Afghanistan people are mainly Muslim but they belong to different tribes or ethnics:

- The Pashtun, living in the south, are the majority (42%).

- The Uzbeks (9%), Tajiks (27%) live in the north.

- The Hazaras (9%) are mainly Shia Muslins but there are also some Sunnis. They live in poor central Afghanistan.

- Aimak (4%). They are of Mongolian origin and Sunni Muslims. They live in the North/North West Afghanistan.

- Turkmen (3%). They live in North East Afghanistan.

- Baloch (2%). They live in Western Afghanistan.

- Others (4%).

After occupying Afghanistan for about ten years, the Russians finally reluctantly left in 1989. The various Afghan tribes or ethnic groups started to fight among themselves and against the Communist regime imposed by the Russians. When this government was overthrown in 1992, the Northern tribes, grouped together in what became known as the "Northern Alliance", took Kabul, looted it, destroyed what was left, and killed a large number of people. Inside the Pashtun tribe, a group of younger men called "Taliban" organised themselves, and fought the Northern Alliance. They took over Kabul in 1996 and most of the country with the exception of the northern part, at the end of 1996. The Taliban were fundamentalist Muslin, and they imposed the Koranic Law on the country.

The women were their first victims; very soon they were obliged to wear the burka, a cloth that covers them from head to toes; they could not work outside their home; they could not leave their house unless they were accompanied by a close male relative. The men, on the other hand, had to grow long beards, and to live according to the Islamic law. This led immediately to a total collapse of the economy, and the people became poorer and poorer. Moreover, since the Taliban were preaching the Holy War (Jihad) against all the nations that did not follow the Islamic law, the international community broke all political relations with them until, finally, their only embassy was in Pakistan. The Taliban went as far as destroying all statues, including two ancient worldwide-known Buddha statues in Bamian province.

The whole world, the United Nations, and the OCSE asked the Afghan authorities to desist in their intent but without success. Both statues were blown to pieces. The Taliban were not popular anywhere in the world, and only the fundamentalist Muslims approved their behaviour. The Taliban saw in Osama bin Laden, himself a fundamentalist Muslim, the true defender of Islam. Many joined him and his al-Qaida organisation to fight the Holy War in the name of Islam. The Taliban were the rulers of Afghanistan at the time of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York City and Washington DC by the al-Qaida organisation. The USA wanted to punish and destroy Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida. The Taliban had accepted them as permanent guests in their country and refused to hand them over. As a result the US and its allies - mainly Britain- first bombed, and then invaded Afghanistan. The war lasted only a few days due to the huge difference in strength between the two sides, and the Taliban regime collapsed. The remaining Taliban and al-Qaida members fled to the mountains at the border with Pakistan; they also found refuge among the autonomous Pakistani tribes, largely Pashtun, living on the other side of the border.

Until the end of 2002 the Taliban and the al-Qaida survivors kept a low profile. However, at the beginning of November 2002, there were some indications that Taliban forces were reorganising in the border area of Pakistan for possible terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. This fear increased with the victory of the fundamentalist Islamic parties in the latest elections in Pakistan. These parties, always close to the Taliban, gained control of most provincial governments along the border. By March 2004, the Taliban were feeling strong again. They threatened to launch reprisals against the US and Pakistani forces in the mountains of the South Waziristan province of Pakistan if they did not stop their military actions against the Afghan militants and their al-Qaida allies. In response, the Pakistani soldiers staged some military operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida in the region. The main battle involved about 400 Taliban and al-Qaida militants defending a surrounded stronghold. A cease-fire was agreed after both sides suffered heavy casualties. It is not clear if al-Qaida?s deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was there and succeeded to escape once more. In any case he was not captured.

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