The history of the Taliban is crucial in understanding their success now – and also what might happen next
- Written by Ali A. Olomi, Assistant Professor of History, Penn State
The Taliban came to the fore during Afghanistan's civil war that followed the Soviet pullout of 1989. Robert Nickelsberg/Getty ImagesThe rapid takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban left many surprised. To Ali Olomi, a historian of the Middle East and Islam at Penn State University, a key to understanding what is happening now – and what...