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| 28.0
TALIBAN RULE |
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October 1996 |
Consolidation of Taliban Control: The Taliban with support
from Pakistan consolidate their control over Afghanistan in all but
the Northern Provinces. Forms an ultra-fundamentalist national Government. |
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Late 1996 |
Bin Laden Returns to Afghanistan: With the Taliban in control,
Osama bin Laden comes back to Afghanistan after 3 years in the Sudan.
He is based in Kandahar where he builds his fundamentalist Islamic
network known as Al-Qaeda. |
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June 1997 |
Battle for Mazar-i-Sharif: The Taliban seize the city, but
then are driven out by opposition Uzbekh forces led by General Dostum’s
Deputy, General Malik. |
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October 1997 |
Dostum Returns to Mazar-i-Sharif: General Dostum returns
from exile in Turkey to take over Mazar-i-Sharif. There seems to have
been a massacre of 2000 Taliban soldiers in this area during this
time. |
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February 4, 1998 |
Takhar Earthquake: Devastating earthquake leaves more than
5,000 dead and destroys more than 1500 houses in the Takhar Region. |
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April 17, 1998 |
US Envoy in Kabul: The US Ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson,
visits Kabul for talks with the Taliban regime. This is the first
high-ranking diplomatic visit to Kabul by a US official since 1974. |
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April 26 - May 7 1998 |
United Nation Sponsored Talks: UN sponsors talks between
warring Afghan factions in Peshawer, Pakistan. The talks soon become
deadlocked. |
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May 1998 |
Taliban Offensive: After the failure of UN peace talks, the
Taliban launch an offensive against the Northern Alliance. |
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August 7, 1998 |
Bombing of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania: U.S. embassies
in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar-as-Salaam, Tanzania are attacked by suicide
truck bombers linked to Osama bin Laden. 213 people die as a result
of the bombing in Kenya, with thousands injured, most of them Kenyan
citizens. 11 people die in Tanzania. |
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August 15-20, 1998 |
Taliban Recapture Mazar-i-Sharif: After an intense week-long
battle, the Taliban capture Mazar-i-Sharif. Abdur Rashid Dostum fleest
the city. The situation along the Uzbekh and Tajik borders is destabilised
and the Russians begin sending new troops to the border. |
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August 20, 1998: |
US Bombs Afghanistan: After the bombings at the US Embassies
in Tanzania and Kenya in July 1998, the USA launches missile strikes
in the Afghan area of Khost to target the terrorist centers of bin
Laden who claims responsibility. |
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October 15, 1999 |
UN Resolution 1267: After the unanimous passage of UN Security
Council Resolution 1267, the USA and other governments imposes political
and economic sanctions against the Taliban regime because their support
for bin Laden. Resolution 1267 demands that the Taliban turn over
Osama bin Laden "without further delay to appropriate authorities
in a country where he has been indicted, or to appropriate authorities
in a country where he will be returned to such a country, or to appropriate
authorities in a country where he will be arrested and effectively
brought to justice." |
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October 12, 2000 |
Attack on the USS Cole: The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole
in the Yemeni port of Aden is attacked by terrorists linked to Osama
bin Laden. The attack kills 17 crewmembers and injured 42. |
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September, 2000 |
Fall of Taloqan: Taloqan is captured and occupied by the
Taliban. |
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December 19, 2000 |
UN Resolution 1333: UN Security Council Resolution 1333 is
unanimously adopted. This Resolution demands that the Taliban abide
by UN Security Council Resolution 1267 by turning over Osama bin Laden
to a country where he can brought to justice, closing all terrorist
training camps in Afghanistan, and complying with other UNSC demands.
It calls for additional sanctions against the Taliban Government for
their continuing support of terrorism. |
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March 2001 |
Cultural Devastation: Despite pleas from Governments, scholars
and Islamic clergy from around the world, the Taliban destroy ancient
historical statues in the Kabul Museum, historical sites in Ghazni,
and the giant Bamiyan Buddhas from the 5th century. This devastation
is met with global condemnation. |
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April 2001 |
European Visit of Opposition Leader: In the wake of the cultural
devastation, Ahmad Shah Masood visits Europe to gather support against
the Taliban. |
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September 8, 2001 |
Assassination of Ahmad Shah Masood: A key Afghan opposition figure,
Ahmad Shah Masood was gunned down by assassins posing as a television
interview team. He dies a few days later from wounds sustained in
the attack. The opposition blame Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden for
the attack. |
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September 11, 2001 |
Terrorist Attack on USA: In one of the boldest, attacks in
modern history, terrorists fly planes into both towers of the World
Trade Center in New York City, and into the Pentagon just outside
of Washington, D. C. Another plane crashes in Pennsylvania before
hitting any target. In total, over 5000 people are killed. The US
Government blames Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden for the attack. |
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September 12, 2001 |
War on Terrorism: USA President George Bush declares a ‘War
on Terrorism’. In a show of unity for the President’s declaration
of war, NATO unanimously invokes clause 62 of the NATO Treaty and
Australia invokes the ANZUS Treaty. Other nations pledge support.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair leads an international effort
to support the USA Government. |
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September 12, 2001 |
UN Resolution 1368: UN Security Council Resolution 1333 is unanimously
adopted. It "unequivocally condemns in the strongest terms the horrifying
terrorist attacks" in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania and calls
on "all states to work together urgently to bring to justice the perpetrators,
organizers, and sponsors" of the attacks. |
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September 20, 2001 |
USA Reaction: President George W. Bush addresses a Joint Session
of Congress and the American people, outlining a comprehensive U.S.
and international effort to end global terrorism. He names Osama bin
Laden, Al-Qaeda and a loose network of terrorist groups as prime suspects. |
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October 7, 2001 |
USA and the United Kingdom Attack Afghanistan: President Bush announces
that the U.S. and U.K. military have launched strikes against Al-Qaeda
terrorist camps and Taliban military installations in Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Blair makes a similar statement. |
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October 8, 2001 |
NATO Support for USA: NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson states
that NATO Ambassadors have expressed their full support for the actions
of the United States and the United Kingdom against Al-Qaeda installations
October 7. |
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© 2001 by Kevin
Vang
Website by Ahmet Bektas
(web)
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