Mcgregors Theories X and Y

Compare McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y style of leadership and consider the types of organizations in which each style of leadership might be most appropriate. Douglas McGregor devised his concept of Theory X and Theory Y in the USA in the 1950’s using a survey of managers, which he then proposed in his book, ‘The Human Side of Enterprise’ in the 1960’s. Theory X states that a manager distrusts his subordinates, believes they don’t enjoy work and therefore must be controlled.Theory Y, on the other hand, speculates that a manager believes their employees enjoy work and wish to contribute, the manager is therefore more likely to include them in the decision making process and employ a more democratic style of leadership (Marcousse 2003). The two theories are not opposite ends of one spectrum, but rather two separate lines of continuum that describes the attitude and perception a manager has of their employees. The type of motivation that the e mployees receive from their manager is down to their management style.These Theories match up with Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’. McGregor makes the point that the way in which a manager runs and controls his team has massive impacts on the happiness in employees, relating to esteem and self actualisation. These are two factors of motivation mentioned by Maslow in his theory. In comparing these two theories, X and Y, we must take into account different factors that may affect the two ideas and how they may do so in different scenarios or places of work.The general idea is that Theory Y is the path of the â€Å"enlightened manager† (Chapman 1995) who runs a democratic form of leadership, and that it receives better results than theory X, whose manager employs more of an autocratic dictatorship. However this cannot always be believed. In different cases a manager may do better in his work to tell employees the best and most effective way to complete a task, knowing through experience. FW Taylor (1856-1917) believed in efficiency and complete control of a task provided to the manager.This idea related to such methods as the assembly line, a process broken down into simple tasks and completed individually by a group of workers along a line. Employed by such companies as Ford in the early 1900’s, in producing cars, this method gave great results, however keeping workers motivated was difficult, part of Taylor’s method was to â€Å"devise a pay scheme to reward those who complete or beat tough output targets, but penalize those who cannot, or will not, achieve the productivity Taylor believed was possible. (pg 218) For the manager, Theory X is a self – fulfilling method, the workers are likely to develop a lack in interest in their work and do it solely for the wage (Marcousse 2003). There are two scenarios in which Theory X can escape a degree of criticism for producing a lack of motivation from its workers(Marcousse 2003). The part time worker has partially already given in to the idea that they will not be receiving much independence and delegation of responsibility.This is due to the amount of time they have committed to their work. For example, a part time security guard might be asked to stand guard on a gate for an hour every morning to let personnel through, however once they have completed this task they are unlikely to achieve much more than changing the channel on their TV. The job simply requires a pair of eyes at one point in the morning, and the rest of the time they are simply on call.There is no enjoyment or form of learning with this job; the part time worker is simply there to take home some money at the end of the month, satisfying his basic needs for financial security, a mutual understanding between employer and employee. A large majority of the time there is little for the security guard to watch over. When something does arise that requires more attention, someone of highe r authority is only a phone call away.In this, theory X is the logical management style, as to use theory Y would mean a greater chance of mistakes being made by someone who doesn’t have the same experience and qualifications as the elected official. The other scenario is in a moment of chaos (Marcousse 2003). At this point, due to the limited time scale in such moments, someone needs to take full control and make quick decisive decisions. Such a case is easily understood when put into the confines of an army unit under fire.Someone must give direct orders to keep the enemy under pressure and move their men to safety, or face either death or capture. Theory Y would consume too much time to listen to all possible ideas and make a decision, with young men who have been trained to take orders rather than come up with them. Efficiency is the key in this scenario, Taylor would be completely right in giving total control to a senior soldier to try and ensure the safety of his soldi ers. Encouraging an employee to work for a great amount of time during the week or without the threat of danger

Analysis on the function of Total Domain Awareness Essay

Thesis Statement The raging mount of terrorism and other sort of violence has been considered as a major plague in the country (Scott-Donelan).   Consequently, the dilemma caused by the aforementioned perspectives has caught the attention of the government, mandating those who were perceivably obliged for the eradication of such predicament lead to an echelon of initiatives which apparently falls on the bounds of taxing and various technological innovations.   Hence, the most debated issue belying the arena of controversy in such regard is the commencement of â€Å"Total Domain Awareness†. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the light of thoroughly understanding the essence and the purpose of â€Å"Total Domain Awareness† shall be sought through the enlightenment of the factors which triggered the birth of the subject under study.   Moreover, the sagacity of what seemingly signifies the importance of TDA is traced in the history by which it presupposes as well as the key players implementing the perception of TDA. Furthermore, since it had been stressed that TDA is a manifestation of the immediate response of the government towards the plagues which is bugging the country, it is fair enough to dwell on the arena of the dynamics affecting on the whole picture of its purpose then later tackling the potency of the application through a critical analysis on institutions or organizations (Shahbazian, Rogova and Valin) which settle their activities with the help of TDA. Background of TDA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For the benefit of the internalization of the term, it is best to dig deep in the definition of each word of the phrase; Total – domain — and awareness[1].   In the field of technology and incident monitoring, it is termed as the core treatment in obliterating and decreasing the prevalence of uncontrollable ‘criminals’ or law offenders through the attachment of a technological device in a certain â€Å"unit† for the purpose of speedy tracking (Ziman). Total Domain Awareness is a form of ‘government approach’ with the use of a device to serve as â€Å"spy† in the activities of those inhabiting the territory upon which the device has been attached.; thus, tracing all the possible locations (domain) of the person through the use of a ‘portal based environment’.   The cited pioneer key player of the said technological device is the popular Lockheed Martin Corporation[2], in collaboration with NAFTA. Issues giving birth to TDA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As established in the agreement of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the main purpose of the organization is to serve as the vanguard in lashing the private and public sectors of the state to collaborate together in uplifting the array of importance of business in the national and international trade arena, delight of transportation, assurance of security and other environmental concerns.   However, since that any state is inevitable to have dilemmas caused by a vortex of uncontrollable reasons hence the only means to expunge the said quandary of crisis is to impose and implement measures and innovations to lessen the possibility of its occurrence. Terrorism challenging the government Terrorism has been one of the most debated issues in contemporary times, spawning huge concerns both globally and locally. The weight of such concern is drawn from the fact that terrorism has brought fear to the lives of many, quite apart from the fact that it has destroyed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians. Its long term effects can also be equally devastating, if not more, noting that the world market and individual economies of countries are, to a certain extent, affected by terrorist activities. Even the mere â€Å"presence† of terrorists is enough to spoil the budding hopes of nations seeking peace amidst the growing face of danger. However, the basis for the growing concern over the fear harbored from the dregs of what we call â€Å"terrorism† is yet to be resolved. The reason to this rests on the fact that there is no single definition of terrorism, one that is universal and transcends the differences in ethnicity, culture, religion and political background to name a few. For the most part, terrorism is held as a form of activity, usually through violent measures, in achieving a certain type of goal where the orientation of the â€Å"agents† of terrorism are inclined to sacrifice themselves for the realization of a given mission. Consequently, the objectives being pursued by terrorists can also be drawn out from a set of ideologies that border on several concerns, the widely-known types of which are either from an ethno-religious context or from a political environment. What sets terrorism apart from any other form of activity engaged upon by individuals or a group of individuals relatively operating from a wide scope to a specified area is the basic fact that terrorism is an organized activity. However, terrorism is not only an organized form of activity. It is also founded on principles that serve as the guiding tenet for these organized activities, the means of which settle from the most violent down to the crude installment of fear in the lives of civilians or certain groups of individuals. On the contrary horizon of countering terrorism is still vague as of the time being because US means of realizing the annihilation of terrorism is not transparent in its genuine cause. President Bush’s tactics are always under scrutiny because of its failure in providing hard facts or concrete ways of waging anti-terrorism to another counter (Scott-Donelan). For example the case of Iraq, in which he endorsed that this country obtains weapons of mass destruction, thus he wage war in Iraq. In the end, there’s no single evidence of such weapon. Countering terrorism is a must but sometimes the vagueness of how it would be done is also dangerous because a given country that is suspected of terrorism is vulnerable to jeopardizing consequences.   How technology shall serve of help in eradicating the crap of terrorism is still at stake. Violence caused by Mass Media   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The presence of mass media as a tool of communication has increased largely because of the technological innovations consistently being introduced not only in advancing the productivity rate of media organizations but also in expanding the capacity of the various media outlets to include a wider range of topics (Hudson). With this expansion, the subjects incorporated into the mass media has also been augmented (Graber) such that former topics that were once rarely untouched have now been constantly infused with unceasing publicity such as those that tackle Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The level of morality of individuals are conceived to be one by which their respective behavior are dependently being implied to.   With regard to behavioral psychology, it had been stressed that an individual’s personality is the manifestation of the influences which one had been able to acquire all throughout his childhood carried until adulthood (Wright). Americans’ somewhat insatiable appetite for violence had been depicted and described in the violence saturate of their culture.   Ã‚  In an article written by Lillian BeVier, she elaborated various examples on how media had taken a huge part on violence in today’s generation. Her findings led her to an echelon of realistic and obvious results such as: songs urging to rape women, killing police officers, committing suicide, and all other heinous crimes which are said to be the message conveyed by some songs (â€Å"The National Entertainment State†; Niemeyer). However, the issue of violence being a triggering factor for such violence were not thoroughly given substantial evidence with regards to the exposure on media, she had clearly emphasized that there is a need for the government, the Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, nor any state legislature to provide the discretionary and lawful measures as having to be given the power to legislate such constraints to avoid producers or purveyors commit such insatiable mistakes on the field of media communication. Analysis and Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the given issues above, it is evident that the wrath of violence in the contemporary society is outrageously uncontrollable.   Given with such statement, it may be taken to assumption that the government is desperate in looking for ways to control the rising number of violence and crime counts in the country that they tend to jump in the valley of initiatives.   Trying to apply any sort of application which they ought to believe is feasible enough to help the law enforcers in incarcerating those who has affronted the law and thus needs jurisprudence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In essence, the organizations such as NASCO[3], NAFTA and Lockheed Martin had been cited as the catalysts of the so-called â€Å"Orwellian Nightmare† technology aimed for the purpose of security among the inhabitants of the country through the form of a device which possesses the ability to keep in track of the â€Å"location† of any form – it has the capability of gathering, correlating, and interpreting fragments of multi-source entities such as Radar, AIS, & GPS tracks, Open Source, Intelligence, Watch list & Law Enforcement Report, CCTV, Bioterrorism sensors.   Hence, gathering together all data into one collaborative portal-based environment in an automated scheme (Hansen and JonesReport).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In further deliberation of TDA, it is evident that its purpose is mainly for â€Å"tracking†.   A deeper forethought on TDA shall lead to the discussion of two assumptions: for terrorism reasons, and for the government to have a â€Å"sensor† on all the modes of transportation in the country (Corsi). Consequently, the efficiency of the new technology is still fresh in the ocean of controversy since that critics somehow perceive the idea of its implementation as rather a form of ‘fraud’ from the government, nevertheless, an income-generating machinery which is not considered as an â€Å"A† list in the needs and understanding of many. Incident Monitoring In collaboration with the issues raised above, a critical comprehension of the main purpose and essence of TDA in the society is explicitly rendered by the government as that which will â€Å"help† in monitoring incidents (Strandburg and Raicu).   Perhaps, the government is apparently stating the extrinsic evidence and apprehension of the definition of TDA.   Taking the brighter side of its establishment would lead to an illustration of necessity indeed (Hansen and JonesReport).   Yet, the question on its real intent is undeniably questionable in the internalization of those whom has gone way beyond the shallowness of ‘plainly’ understanding. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In reality, TDA lends a hand to the masses especially during emergent incidents, in view of the fact that it has the ability to ‘track’ the location, then those who are vested with the obligation to respond to the immediate call for help will not have a hard time in searching for the site where the incident took place.   In addition to that, cases such as kidnapping and car napping will not be a weight to law enforcers in getting to the culprits (Ziman).   With the aforementioned device, it will be easier to track the robbers and all the other sort of goons floating in the scenery. In the case of taxing, â€Å"run-away debtors† will be locked in the most abrupt time since that they shall be easily tracked in the hastiest method of confinement.   Like what is often seen on ‘detective’ inclined movies, the world will be a serene and ideal place to live in, at least for a certain shape (Paul).   Less criminals – everyone shall be spied, and so all must be careful in their actions – quite a paradise in assertion.   Yet, the outnumbering refutes to the â€Å"real† purpose of the government still remains laid on the table. Works Cited Corsi, Jerome R. â€Å"Bush Administration Quietly Plans Nafta Super Highway.† Human Events, 2006. Graber, Doris A. â€Å"Mass Media and American Politics.† Political Science Quarterly 95.4 (1980): 701. Hansen, Nathan M., and JonesReport. â€Å"Nasco, Lockheed Martin, & ‘Total Domain Awareness’: Lockheed Martin’s Plan to Tax and Track All Modes of Transportation in North America.† Jones Report, 2007. Hudson, Heather. â€Å"New Communications Technologies: Policy Issues for the Developing World.† International Political Science Review 7.3 (1986): 334. â€Å"The National Entertainment State.† National Review, 2006. 13-30. Vol. 283. Niemeyer, Gerhart. â€Å"Sex and Violence.† National Review 27.29 (1975): 834. Paul, Ron. â€Å"The Nafta Superhighway.† Texas Straight Talk, 2006. Scott-Donelan, David. Tactical Tracking Operations. Colorado: Paladin Press, 1998. Shahbazian, E., G. Rogova, and P. Valin. Data Fusion for Situation Monitoring, Incident Detection, Alert and Response Management. Washington: IOS Press, 2005. Strandburg, Katherine, and Daniela Stan Raicu. Privacy and Technologies of Identity: A Cross-Disciplinary Conversation. 1 ed. New York: Springer, 2005. Wright, Peter. â€Å"Factors Affecting Cognitive Resistance to Advertising.† The Journal of Consumer Research 2.1 (1975): 6. Ziman, John. Technological Innovation as an Evolutionary Process. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003. [1] Definition: Total – A whole quantity; an entirety.   Domain (law) – The land of one with paramount title and absolute ownership.   Awareness – The state of being fully conscious of pertinent stimuli and really experiencing a task or situation. [2] Lockheed Martin is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company.   Aside from that, the company is also considered as the world’s largest defense contractor (by revenue). As of 2005, 95% of Lockheed Martin’s revenues came from the United States Department of Defense, other U.S. federal government agencies, and foreign military customers. See http://www.lockheedmartin.com for more information and data on the company’s goals and objectives. [3] The National Association of Security Companies (NASCO) is the nation’s principal contract security trade association.   NASCO is leading efforts to set beneficial fundamentals for the private protection industry and security officers by monitoring state and federal legislation and measures affecting the quality and efficiency of private security entities.   See http://www.nasco.org for more information.

Compare and contrast Burke's narrative of the scientific revolution Assignment

Compare and contrast Burke's narrative of the scientific revolution with Merchant's - Assignment Example This film primarily focuses on highlighting the impacts of science and technology on the western culture. Episode 04 of the movie talks about how â€Å"printing has transformed knowledge†. Storage, use, and processing of information were significantly changed by Gutenberg’s discovery of printing (Burke @-7:40). In episode 05, Burke talks about â€Å"how science has revised the heavens†. The main issue addressed in this episode is that the heavens do not revolve around the earth (Burke @-9:10). The key issues that are presented by both Merchant and Burke are that scientific and technological advancements have changed human societies. Merchant narrates that science and technological advancements have significantly transformed the environment and its fraternity in a negative way, while Burke believes that science and technological advancements have influence human societies in a positive way. Merchant believes that science and technology have led to excessive destruction of the natural environment and its fraternity. Activities like logging, hunting, and tapping at the onset of increasing urbanization and industrialization that took place in European nations, influenced Indians to begin destroying their natural environment (Merchant 143). Burke on the other hand, claims that written materials made it possible for information to be stored in hard copies, and this in turn also made it possible for history to be stored in the form of writing for easy remembrance. The ability to keep recorded financial statements among other records reduced the rate of corruption in the Catholic Church, and this is what also led to the emergence of Lutheran movements (Burke

Commodity Chains Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Commodity Chains - Essay Example In this regard, the paper will discuss Diamonds from Angola produced by DeBeers De Beer operates in over 25 nations and mining occurs in Namibia, Angola, South Africa, Botswana and Canada among others. In Botswana mining is done via the mining firm Debswana while in Namibia it occurs through Namdeb, which is a 50-50 joint venture with the Namibian government. Due to its massive market share, the firm has dominated diamond sale, mining, trading, and industrial manufacturing sectors. It is headquartered in Luxembourg and was founded in 1888 by Cecil Rhodes. In 2012, the company got revenue of $6.1 billion. It has over 20,000 employees. The key people in De Beer Group of Companies are Mark Cutifani as the Chairman and Philippe Mellier as the chief executive officer (De Beers Group, 2014). According to McConnell and Brue (421), De Beer used monopoloid practices all through the 20th century. However, there are numerous amounts of hours that are spent on examining the piles of rough diamonds, dividing them as well as subdividing them into over 7,000 categories. In the diamond industry, from to cutting to polishing is an art that requires several years of apprenticeship and skill. Subsequently, the stones are re-sorted into a further 5,000 categories. From the dealers, to cutters, to polishers, and to jewellery sellers, the price of a diamond usually increases by about 10-fold by the time it leaves the De Beers vaults in Charterhouse Street and arriving in the shop shelves. The diamond industry relies upon a standard supply at a stable price, and that is what De Beers provides.  In this perspective, De Beer has been involved in various controversies including price fixing and acquiring diamonds from war torn nations, such as, Angola. Angola is the seventh largest nation in Africa with a population of 21.47 million according to the 2013 World Bank statistics. The country measures about 1,246,620 km2. In relation to the socio-economic conditions of the nation,

Defining Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Defining Terrorism - Essay Example As report declares a group can be treated as an individual who batters the society. Society again can be of varying types. A patriarchal society implies that men have the right to dominate over others. The cultural belief that husbands have the right to batter wife leads to terrorism. Hence for domestic violence to flourish three factors become necessary – the desire to dominate, culture that tolerates violence and stressful conditions which limit the sufferers capabilities to respond. This paper discusses that the terrorist activity results from financial, emotional, and psychological instability. They are paranoids and split personalities. They undergo depression, anxiety, and anger. They use violence to control and get what they want. Terrorist violence is anger-driven and children to display tantrums. Men who batter their wives also inflict mental injury on their children. Jealousy could also be a reason to instigate the terrorist. Sexual jealousy and infidelity is a common ground for domestic violence. Anger and hatred instigate a person to inflict torture. The various ways in which domestic violence takes place starts from verbal use and moves on to physical violence. It shows the hatred the terrorist has for the victim at the same time gives rise to a reciprocal feeling of hatred in the victim also. This immediately gives a feeling of fear and powerlessness in the victim. They even threaten the victim of dire consequences if they reveal the torture to other members in the family.

Miracles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Miracles - Essay Example is not irrational to accept the testimony of witnesses who had nothing to gain from their testimony, of the occurrence of Christs resurrection" Scalia told the audience. "What is irrational is to reject ... without any investigation of the possibility of miracles†¦ ("Belief in Miracles Should," 2001) It is interesting to note the legal perspective that Justice Scalia engages and to wonder what the writer’s of the New Testament, especially in the area of the many miracles preformed, had intended further audiences to glean from such things. Is it a sense of absolute fact, a sense of complete incredulity, or is it a sense of hope? Take the example of Lazarus (John 11:38-44), perhaps the most famous miracle next to Christ’s own Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension. In a way Lazarus foreshadowed these events and even Christ’s remarks afterward bring some light for the reason behind any miracle. Before raising Lazarus from the dead, Christ speaks the following words to Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters: (25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? After Christ speaks the words, â€Å"Lazarus, Come Forth† and Lazarus rises many that were there were converted by the sight and became believers in Christ. Others, went to the Pharisees and told them who replied with a sense of jealous competition that they needed to stop him. â€Å"(48) If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him.† They did not, however, say they did not believe in his miracles. (33) And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; (34) And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. (35) And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. (36) And he charged

The Challenges Faced By Organizations When Managing Information Essay

The Challenges Faced By Organizations When Managing Information Technology in a Global Business Environment - Essay Example This paper illustrates that organizations often formulate business strategies to gain competitive benefits and information technology helps in gaining competitive edge and advantage in the long run. However, managing information technology is also considered as a challenge by a number of academicians and researchers. It is often believed that with a number of benefits; there are a series of challenges in the form of managing technologies, using them efficiently, and enhancing the acceptance rate. There is no doubt that with competition as the biggest challenge; forms often try to get more benefitted and ahead of others by making effective and efficient use of technologies. The impact of information technology is hard to analyze considering the fact that it requires the thorough analysis of the firms’ productivity and value creation in last few years. Thus, the discussion revolves around analyzing the views and opinions of other researchers in a critical manner to assess the ov erall impact in last few years. For this purpose, a number of academic papers, journals, and articles have been critically analyzed to form the general and later specific conclusion. Carr stated that information technology plays an important and decisive role in transforming business strategies through innovative applications and technologies. Carr further added that few companies attain advantages from specialized applications that may not offer the strong economic incentive for replication but there is no dearth of organizations using IT for business enhancing business processes and activities. Chen, et al stated that not many organizations are successful in delivering value from the IT investment and only handful of them become successful in terms of delivering value and business benefits.

Women and Girls Trafficking for Jihad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women and Girls Trafficking for Jihad - Essay Example The practice has raised eyebrows and worldwide concern when it was alleged cases of women and young girls trafficking were reported. In this case, women and other young girls are forcefully captured and held as captives for sexual Jihad notoriously propagated by the Tunisian women. It stresses on some of the major sins that are condemned by the Islamic religion. One of them is adultery. It is considered one of the greatest sins in the eyes of Islam. Thus anyone who commits this sin is said to have done a grievous deed and therefore he or she must be punished for the sin committed. This becomes even worse when the girls or women who are used in the performance or propagation of this sin are trafficked and forced into the acts (Rashid, 2000). Adultery is strongly condemned in the Muslim faith since it is regarded as an evil that breeds other evils in the society. This is indicated in the words of Allah in the Quran, which states that â€Å"Do not go near to adultery. Surely it is a shameful deed and evil, opening roads (to other evils).† (17:32). It is an indication that regardless of the gender, Muslims must refrain from adultery which is regarded as the most evil and shameless deed. In addition, besides the evil in itself, adultery is also shunned because it also breeds other forms of evil in the society. In this case of the jihadists, adultery creates the need to traffic women and young girls in an unlawful manner. Therefore, it acts as a start of the circle of more new evils. In addition, although the Quran acknowledges the act of slavery, it prohibits trafficking of girls and women and in particular does not condone any sexual relations with the abducted girls. In this sense, the Tunisian women who are involved in these activities greatly go against the Islamic laws and are eligible for punishment (Kassam, 2010).   

Case Analysis Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Case Analysis - Coursework Example The surplus khaki comes in different colors such as French navy, deep moss, chino black, chino steel and chino ginseng. The stripe khaki has two colors namely navy stripe and khaki stripe. The weekend straight fit khaki is available in stone and khaki. The price for these types of khaki pants is $44.50. The women’s section uses different classification for pants. The pants are arranged according to the type of cut such as straight leg, wide leg, curvy, demi-boot cut, and the on-sale pants. The sizes for women vary from regular, petite and tall. The khaki pants for men in this website fall under casual pants which ae narrowed down to pleated, flat front and cargo. The pleated khaki pants has 24 items, the flat front khaki pants has 22 items while the cargo type has 4 items. The name of the items includes the brand, the fit and the front type. The brand names are Dockers, St. John’s Bay and Stafford among others. The fit of the types may be classic, loose and comfort-fit. By clicking on the picture, the next page shows the features of the khaki pants which are the individual fit waistband, â€Å"no wrinkle† finish, classic fit and soft microsanded fabric. The colors may range from black, British khaki, cafà ©, cement, heather grey, midnight navy, and moss. The suggested shirts, shoes and belts that may go with the khaki pants are visible on the side of the screen which also includes the price. The prices differ depending on the size so the khaki pants are priced from $29.9 to $46.00. Khaki pants fall under the category casual pants which are similar to Gap.com however the keyword khaki cannot be found on the name of the item. Instead, the word chino is commonly used for the khaki type of pants. The fit of the khaki pants for men can be traditional, comfort, tailored or relaxed. The waist style ranges from regular, comfort, drawstring and elastic. The front style can either be

1st Amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

1st Amendment - Essay Example Freedom of speech should also be limited whereby one takes away someones rights such as threats and discrimination. Freedom of speech should also be limited for matters of national security whereby information shared should be confidential( Freedom of Expression in the United States, 2013) Yes, freedom of speech can improve society. Freedom of speech allows citizens to freely criticize the government which responds to answer to its actions unlike whereby speech is restricted, unfair criticisms tend to rise and may spread all over the country. Freedom of speech gives the society political right which allows them to resist to oppression, injustice and have free elections. Freedom of speech allows citizens to freely express their minds on vital issues of the society and access information which promotes the free flow of thoughts that preserve democracy and self-actualization for the healthy development of the society. Pure freedom is speech is not beneficial in todays world since unlimited freedom of speech is damaging to the development of the society and the government service to its citizens. In scenarios whereby speech is unlimited, unfair criticisms are made against the state in which case the state cannot respond. This results in poor relations between the state and its citizens and its a step backwards to national development. The modern society often abuses the freedom of speech to hurt and harm others. For example; Television stations, air adult content without putting a warning message and minors end up being exposed to indecent material. They should be limited to airing those programs at later hours. No, allowing people to freely spread hatred, incite violence and ridicule others religions and nations results in a divide and lack of peace between the people, different religions and countries. It also violates the freedom of speech, freedom of expression and the right to

Individualistic Countries Essay Example for Free

Individualistic Countries Essay The Rise of Collectivism â€Å"Harmony And The Dream† by David Brooks emphasizes that the ideal of collectivist societies like China become more appealing than individual societies. Brooks defines Americans as individuals and Asians as contexts by some experiments. There are obvious differences between individualistic countries and collective societies. The former emphasizes rights and privacy, but the later prefer harmony and duty. The author also lists the example of the opening ceremony in Beijing. The example shows that harmonious society contributed to the fast speed of China. Therefore, the influence of harmony is larger than the impact of American Dream. â€Å"If you show an American an image of a fish tank, the American will usually describe the biggest fish in the tank and what it is doing. If you ask a Chinese person to describe a fish tank, the Chinese will usually describe the context in which the fish swim.† Brooks uses comparison to explain the different views between American and Chinese. Americans pay more attention to the only one, but Chinese focus on the context. The example helps us to understand the divide between individualist mentality and collectivist mentality. Definition is also used in the article. â€Å"The individualistic countries tend to put rights and privacy first. People in collective societies tend to value harmony and duty.† This definition deepen the understanding of differences and shows the thesis of the article. The last one is transition. Before paragraph12, the author prefers Eastern collectivist societies. But Brooks also narrates the reasons why individualism can sweep the field. The author thinks subconscious influences and permeability of human’s brain are two essences. Western people are deeply influenced by individualism. In conclusion, Brooks tend to approve the ideal of collective collective. He also admits the success of western individualism.

FATA and NWFP Taliban India Security

FATA and NWFP Taliban India Security CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION â€Å"A host of wandering Talib-ul-ilums, who correspond with the theological students in Turkey and live free at the expense of the people.† Winston Churchill, 1898[1] 1. The present ongoing conflict in Pakistans tribal belt and in Afghanistan has serious security implications for India. The Mehsuds, Wazirs and Afridis were the tribals used by the Pakistan Army in 1947-48 to attack the state of Jammu and Kashmir, leading to occupation of what is now called the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). The Pakistan Army again used them before and during the war of 1965. Zia-ul-Haq used them for suppressing a Shia revolt in Gilgit in 1988[2]. The same elements were again used to infiltrate into Kargil, leading to Kargil War. 2. If the US and other NATO forces fail to prevail over these Terrorist Tribesmen in the Pakistan-Afghanistan tribal belt, these tribesmen, fresh from their victories in that region, would move over to Kashmir to resume their aggression against India. What we are now seeing in Kashmir is the beginning of the end of one phase of the aggression involving Terrorists of the 1980s vintage. We might see the beginning of a new phase involving better-trained and better-motivated Terrorists of the latest stock. 3. The tribal belt of Pakistan and Afghanistan was the chess board of the ‘Big Game played between colonial powers. The British established ‘Durand Line† demarcating the tribal areas which could not be governed. The British encouraged raising and maintenance of militia in FATA and NWFP, so as to thwart the Russian designs in South Asia, especially India[3]. The area was kept as a buffer to the Russian empire which had reached up to modern Uzbekistan. 4. The militia tribesmen of FATA and NWFP, after the departure of British from the subcontinent, were utilised operationally for the first time by Pakistan in 1947 against India. This strategy highlighted the advantage of utilising non state actors as means of aggression. The tribal invasion of 1947 resulted in occupation of approximately 35% of J K by Pakistan.[4] 5. Approximately 70,000 tribesmen attacked India in 1947 and were driven back up to LOC till ceasefire agreement in 1948[5]. These tribesmen after the attack dispersed back into tribal areas of FATA and NWFP. The tribal populace thereafter supported and participated in the resistance movement confronting the Soviets in Afghanistan. The Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1988, and full attention of these insurgent tribes was shifted to India. The existence of these elements in the FATA and NWFP was not given due consideration by India till late 1980s when insurgency erupted in J K. In past, the tribal militia had no name, but now to keep pace with the media and generate support, the tribesmen have assigned names/nomenclature to their organisations; the most prominent nomenclature amongst all of them being the Taliban[6]. 6. The Taliban is an ideology which majority of insurgent groups find easy to imbibe. The various warring tribes in FATA and NWFP have come under a common umbrella of Taliban ideology in recent years. The main cause for this mass acceptance of Taliban ideology is due to large influx of Al-Qaida operatives post US led â€Å"War on Terror.[7] 7. The resurgence of the Taliban and ongoing CI operations by Pakistan army, along with deteriorating situation in FATA and NWFP has major security implications for India. The proximity of North Indian frontiers to the conflict zone coupled with the current insurgency in JK, the need of the hour is to redefine security policy and take speedy initiatives to put effective deterrent in place. METHODOLOGY 8. Statement of Problem. Considering the continued aggressive attitude of the tribesmen from FATA and NWFP in the past towards India, their reorganisation under Taliban leading to current conflict in Pakistan may result in renewed and increased threat to the North Indian frontiers. The paper seeks to highlight that the Taliban are a threat in being for Indias security. 9. Hypothesis. There is an urgent need to identify the critical vulnerabilities of the Taliban and identify additional security initiatives that need to be undertaken by India. Justification of the Study 10. The threat of Taliban from FATA and NWFP to North Indian frontiers has been underestimated. The tribes in FATA and NWFP have existed as militia and mercenaries for over 100 years; however they have been given nomenclature/name like Taliban only recently. The first organised offensive of these tribesmen into India was in 1947 to annexe the state of J K. Thereafter, since 1990 these tribesmen have infiltrated into J K state as foreign mercenaries / terrorists fuelling insurgency. 11. Considering the continued aggression and threat from the tribesmen from FATA and NWFP since independence of India, there exists a knowledge gap with regard to their origins. Relatively little research has been directed towards exploring their transformation into an umbrella organisation the Taliban, probably because of the obvious difficulties with studying a covert organisation. The absence of a logical explanation for the existence of these aggressive tribesmen as mercenaries and militia has complicated the threat evaluation process. This study describes the Taliban phenomenon, elaborates upon their strengths and weaknesses. The study endeavours to predict the Talibans future strategic course of action and recommends measures to counter their strengths and exploit their weaknesses in order to design a formidable CI/CT effort. The Taliban have emerged as front runner terrorist outfit in the troubled FATA and NWFP. The study of their ideology will also provide inputs towards the ir grand strategy and objectives. All these inputs will enable correct assessment of security threat to India and aid in development of strategy to counter this menace. The thesis may also be of interest to field operatives, helping them to understand their adversary. 12. Scope. The history bears the testimony to the vulnerability of Indian sub continent to invasions from North Western Frontiers. The rise of Taliban in FATA and NWFP of Pakistan, their reorganisation and rejuvenation is of grave concern to India, which cannot be ignored. The paper focuses on the history, ideology and overall grand strategy of Taliban highlighting the impending threat to India and way ahead. Method of Data Collection 13. The data for this paper has been collected primarily through secondary sources, the books available in the library. Some material has also been garnered from various college lectures. Periodicals and papers written by famous socialists and historians have also been referred to. Bibliography is placed at appendix A. 14. Tertiary sources include various articles compiled and published from time to time by renowned authors in various reference books and articles available from the internet. Organisation of dissertation 15. It is proposed to study the subject in the following manner:- (a) Chapter I: Introduction. This chapter describes the purpose of the thesis and the statement of problem. It argues the need for developing a broader understanding of the Taliban in order to develop a better approach to deal with counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism efforts in the North Western frontiers. (b) Chapter II: The Problem Genesis. This chapter covers the historical perspective of the problem. The chapter brings out the circumstances leading to the genesis of the Taliban phenomenon. (c) Chapter III: The Taliban Organisation. Chapter III focuses on the structure of the Taliban. The chapter analyses their formal and informal layout and operational mechanisms. The leadership and decision-making processes of Taliban will also be highlighted to assess the motivation and beliefs of Taliban operatives to give a better understanding of their recruitment and human resource processes. (d) Chapter IV: Analysis of Taliban. Chapter IV analyses the strengths and weaknesses of Taliban utilising the Commanders Estimate of Situation method. The Strategic and Operational Objectives are derived from research. These are analysed to determine strategic and operational Centres of Gravity. Finally critical vulnerabilities are determined, which will be utilised to develop Indian Course of Action to tackle the Taliban menace. (e) Chapter V: Taliban Threat An Indian Perspective. This chapter brings out the national opinion on the existence of Taliban threat. The chapter highlights the vulnerabilities of India and its borders and the threat in being. (f) Chapter VI: Recommendations and Way Out. The final chapter gives a way out for overcoming the emerging Taliban threat. The chapter will suggest recommendations for planning effective CI/CT strategies to counter the Taliban strengths and exploit their weaknesses. CHAPTER II THE PROBLEM GENESIS â€Å"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.† Sun Tzu[8] 1. Introduction. The study of background leading to genesis of Taliban will help in identifying the patterns of past actions of Taliban and aid in analysing current behaviour. This chapter will cover various aspects of Taliban history, highlighting the influence of ancient tribal warrior culture, the invasion by USSR leading to rise of Mujahideen[9], relevance of Madrassas[10] and their religious ideology, civil war following withdrawal of USSR forces, Rise of Taliban, the downfall of Taliban and current insurgency in the Afpak region. [11] History 2. Throughout the history invaders have tried in vain to overpower the Pashtun dominated region of Afpak. The first recorded invasion of this region was by Alexander in 326 BC, thereafter a number of armies appeared on the scene including those of Persian Empire, Huns, Turks, Mongols, British, Russians and recent ones being the US troops[12]. The conquerors were either defeated or absorbed into the tribal culture of the Pashtuns thereby maintaining the independence of the region. Despite the apparent ease in conquering the Pashtun areas, no outside power has ever been able to completely subdue it. The tribal and military orientation has shaped the culture and outlook of the area. As Johnson writes, â€Å"A Pashtun is never at peace, except when he is at war.†[13] The people of this region have therefore for centuries been inclined to reject any form of strict authority even at the cost of discord and insecurity.[14] 3. The â€Å"Great Game† in nineteenth century shaped the current political landscape of the region. The Pashtuns had their first encounter with modern military power through three Anglo- Afghan Wars in 1839, 1878 and 1919[15]. Both Russia and Britain desperately tried to get a foothold in Afghanistan, but were unable to gain headway. Finally both parties agreed to create a buffer in shape of Afghanistan between their zones of influence. The international boundary known as Durand Line was drawn between British India and Afghanistan in 1893[16]. The Pashtuns continued to maintain strong ethnic and family connections across the international boundary. The British accorded the tribes on other side of border a semi autonomous status that was maintained after creation of Pakistan in 1947 in the form of FATA[17]. 4. The Pashtun areas on both sides of Durand Line continued to exist peacefully till 1973, when Zahir Shahs four decade rule ended. The instability after his departure resulted in emergence of Communist ideological Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan and it finally overthrew government in 1978. The Communist reform package, which included drastic changes in land ownership, new taxes, compulsory education for women, and participation of women in non-traditional roles in society, was resisted by traditional and orthodox religious elements of Afghanistan, led by the Mujahedeen of Afghanistan. As Larry P Goodson commented â€Å"These reforms struck at the very heart of the socio-economic structure of Afghanistans rural society; indeed, their sudden nationwide introduction, with no preliminary pilot programs, suggest that this was their real purpose.†[18]Finally, Soviet Union deployed troops in Afghanistan in December 1979 to aid their communist ally against the Islamic militia s and to counter the threat of radical Islamist power along its soft underbelly of the Muslim majority Central Asian republics. The Soviet involvement led to increased Mujahedeen resistance and calls for jihad.[19] 5. The ten year occupation resulted in Soviet 40th army loosing 13,883 personnel, plus 650 more in affiliated units. Despite heavy investments in men and material the Soviets were not able to gain unopposed access. Therefore after a long and costly counter insurgency effort the Soviet Union withdrew its forces from Afghanistan in Feb 1989, leaving a Communist Government headed by Najibullah.[20] 6. The exit of Soviet forces was followed by a civil war which resulted in overthrow of Najibullahs government in April 1992. The defeat of the communist government revealed the differences in the fractured alliances of Mujahedeen parties[21]. Each faction had its leader or warlord in a geographical region of the country with aspirations for power. In fighting broke out among the warlords leading to widespread looting and rapine. This strife between the warlords and a war weary population set the stage for the radical ideas of the Taliban to so easily take hold in Afghanistan. â€Å"The Taliban mythology cites their creation as a reaction to the injustices that were perpetrated during the mujahedin era of Afghan politics.†[22] 7. The cadre of the Taliban emerged from the Pashtun refugee camps. It was there, in some of the Madrassas, that a selectively interpreted version of Islam, Wahabism[23], influenced students (talib) to adopt an ultraconservative approach to social issues and politics[24]. Despite differences with the fundamentalist religion espoused by the Taliban, the people gathered behind them because of promises to deliver peace by eliminating the menace of the warlords and narcotics. This tradition and the aura of a righteous religious student on the quest for peace gave students immense rapport with the Pashtun people. The popularity of the Taliban rapidly spread and they experienced continued success in consolidating power. 8. On 10 Nov 1994 Taliban seized Kandahar, the organisation gained religious legitimacy among the Pashtuns when their leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, wore the sacred cloak of Prophet Mohammad in public and declared himself Amir Al-Muminin (leader of the Faithful)[25]. This event can be considered turning point in the Taliban movement for providing it a charismatic leader, who could thereafter take advantage of the tribal religious sentiments of Pashtuns. 9. After the control of Kandahar, the Taliban progressed in quick succession and by 1997 controlled 95% of Afghanistan. The Taliban established order in Afghanistan, but it was of a fearsome medieval kind. The Talibans government policy had become well known. Women were rendered anonymous, refused work or education. Justice was implemented by Islamic law. Television, music and photographs were banned. Gradually, the Taliban led by Mullah Muhammad Omar lost support of international community and afghan populace due to very strict enforcement of its version of Islamic law. Mullah Omar during his reign in Afghanistan interacted with Osama bin Laden and Taliban hosted Al Qaeda training camps. 10. The attack on United States of America on 11 Sep 01 by Al Qaeda operatives and the Talibans refusal to extradite bin Laden led to launch of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The operation resulted in rapid fall of Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The majority of Taliban fighters dispersed back into Afghan society, while its leadership went underground. [26] 11. In the Pakistani border areas with Afghanistan, the FATA and areas of NWFP, the tribal populace had supported the Taliban movement since its inception. The populace in these areas has been at odds with the Pakistani security forces since its independence. 12. The current problem of insurgency in Pakistan has roots in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, when FATA was used as launch pad for Mujahedeen sponsored by Pakistan and U.S. These areas turned into hotbed of terrorism, which was further fuelled by Madrassas, continued supply of modern weapons from U.S and heavy influx of Afghan refugees. Once the Soviets were ousted from Afghanistan, majority of foreign Mujahideen settled in FATA and NWFP. The radical elements in FATA and NWFP supported the Taliban after commencement of Operation Enduring Freedom. Therefore Pakistani government became a target for its crucial support to OEF. Pakistani troops are heavily committed to FATA and NWFP, currently over 1, 00,000 troops are deployed to counter pro Taliban terrorists[27]. On 14 Dec 07, the Taliban â€Å"movement† in Pakistan coalesced under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud to form an umbrella organization called Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)[28], having allegiance to Mullah Om ar. Environment 13. The Taliban is an organisation and therefore dependent on environment. The environment in which they operate places constraints and also provides for opportunities. The major components of environment are discussed below. 14. Physical Environment. The most important environmental factor is the physical terrain in which the Taliban operate. The terrain in Afghanistan, FATA and NWFP is very harsh and mountainous covering an approximate area of 270,000 sq miles. The harsh and inaccessible mountainous terrain is conducive for insurgent activities. The area also has inaccessible spaces which are governed by tribes that allow terrorists freedom of manoeuvre[29], while it makes organised conventional military operations ineffective and expensive in terms of troops and resources. The rugged geography has embodied the regions culture, which has remained unaffected by time. 15. Culture. The culture is most important factor concerning the situation. The culture of area depends greatly on Pashtunwali code of honour that predates Islam and is specific to the Pashtun tribes.[31] The Pashtunwali is the traditional norm by which people of Pashtun tribes are expected to conduct themselves. A Pashtun must adhere to the code to maintain his honour and to retain his identity. If one violates this code they are subject to the verdict of Jirga.[32] 16. Religion. The religion is another pillar of the Taliban, Afghanistanis are 99 % Muslim, consisting of 80 % Sunni and 19 % Shia[33]. In Afghanistan, Islam has been mixed with pre-Islamic beliefs and tribal customs of Pashtunwali[34]. The Taliban transformed the tradition to ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam. The basics of this ideology stem from Madrassas founded during the Soviet Afghan war. The increased influence of Saudi Arabia lead to Madrassas shift to orthodox Islam which looks to â€Å"follow Salafist model and thoughts†[35]. The attraction of Salafi movement is rooted in its ability to provide a domain in which a resistance identity is created through discourses, symbols and everyday practices. Within this the members are required to organise themselves into small tight-knit communities that stand distinctly apart from open society. To some extent it can be identified as a sect, demanding complete loyalty, unwavering belief and rigid adherence to a distinctive lifestyl e.[36] However as written by Rashid â€Å"The Taliban represented nobody but themselves and they recognised no Islam except their own.† The majority of Afghanistans populace did not traditionally follow this interpretation of the religion but had to contend with its enforcement during the Taliban reign.[37] 17. Ethnicity. The ethnic breakdown of Afghanistan and Tribal areas of Pakistan is as follows[38]:- Ser No Tribe Percentage (a) Pashtun 42 (b) Aimak 4 (c) Tajik 27 (d) Turkmen 3 (e) Hazara 9 (f) Balochi 2 (g) Uzbek 9 (h) Others 4 Table 1 18. The Pashtuns have a majority in the Taliban Organisation, with minimal participation of other tribes. As a result during the Taliban rule and ensuing insurgency other tribes were targets of attacks. The coalition of northern tribes (Turkman, Tajik and Uzbek) made up bulk of the northern alliance troops that allied with US troops to overthrow Taliban in 2001. 19. Pashtun Tribal Breakdown. The Pashtuns are further sub-divided into several tribes and sub-tribes spread throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Pashtuns in Pakistan are larger in number than those of Afghanistan and are mostly concentrated in FATA and NWFP. These tribes are interconnected in a complex interplay of obscure genealogies, mythical folklore, historical alliances and conflicts, which makes it very difficult to differentiate and draw lines between the groups. However, there are five major tribal groups of Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These are the Durranis, Ghilzai, Karlanri, Sarbani and Ghurghusht, with Durrani and Ghilzai as the most influential (Figure 3).[40] 20. Since 1747, the Durrani tribal confederation has provided the leadership within the Southern Pashtun areas. The trend started with Ahmad Shah Durrani, when he founded the monarchy. Ahmad Shah is considered the founder of modern Afghanistan because he was able to unite the factional tribes. The present President of Afghanistan is also from Durrani tribe. The traditional folklore connects the Durranis with the Sarbani tribal group.[41] 21. The Ghilzai tribal group, which is concentrated in the eastern Afghanistan, has historically been an arch-rival of the Durranis. Some of the important leaders of Taliban today, including Mullah Omar belong to this tribal group.[42] 22. The Karlanris are the third largest group of the Pashtun tribes and are referred to as the hill tribes. They occupy the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Waziristan, Kurram and Peshawar.[43] 23. The Sarbani are divided into two major geographically separated groups. The larger group is located north of Peshawar, while the smaller one is scattered in northern Balochistan. This group because of their links with the Durranis are considered part of the traditional aristocracy of Pashtun tribes.[44] 24. The last major group is Ghurghusht. These are settled throughout northern Balochistan.[45] Some factions of this tribe can also be found in NWFP. Resources 25. The primary sources and assets available to Taliban are religious militant outfits, human terrain[46] or manpower and opium trade. The analysis of Taliban resources can be carried out by determining the availability and quality. The religious militant outfits include Al Qaida and similar sectarian organisations. The Al Qaida provides vital support to the Taliban organisation. The support of Al Qaeda provided the Taliban cause legitimacy in a multitude of intercontinental terrorist organisations. The Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden pledged his support to Mullah Omar, the leader of Taliban. Al Qaeda provides Taliban with assistance in form of financial support, manpower, technology (high end weapons) and training.[47] 26. The other strong supporters of Taliban include Tehreek-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), which is active in the FATA and Swat regions of NWFP. [48] There are other supporting insurgent groups from central Asia like Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). 27. Few of the Madrassas in the Pashtun belt propagate radical version of Islamic ideology and therefore are convenient recruiting grounds for Taliban. The Leadership of Islamic movement has fallen in the hands of Pashtuns as they were able to oust Soviets. Since the Madrassas had played important role in Anti-Soviet Jihad, these institutions acquired reputation of both as recruiting grounds for Mujahidin and centres of learning.[49] 28. Human terrain. The human terrain [50] is most important asset for the survival of Taliban. There are approximately 28 million Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This large pool of Pashtuns provides recruits, support personnel, money, weapons and an intelligence network to aid in waging insurgency. 29. The Pashtuns have been amenable to Taliban, as they do not dominate the Kabul administration. The Pashtun mistrust of the government was further heightened by inability of Afghan Transitional Administration, as it could not protect Pashtuns from human rights abuses from the warlords and insurgents since fall of the Taliban government. 30. The people and recruits of Taliban after the fall of Kabul remerged with the local populace, providing outstanding and real time intelligence. With more than two generations of war-hardened inhabitants to select from, the Taliban recruited experienced fighters who know the terrain and can survive harsh environment. In addition a large amount of ordnance, weapons and ammunition, which were stored by Mujahedeen during Afghan -Soviet war; have fallen into the hands of Taliban. The human resource factor cannot be a permanent asset for Taliban due to the power struggle between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IROA) and Taliban. 31. Drug Trade. As per the western accounts, the revenue from drug trafficking and Opium trade in Afghanistan can be considered as an asset for Taliban organisation. The Afghanistan with its increased dependence on revenue from Opium trade has turned into a narco-state.[51] The record of 2006 Opium harvest was estimated at over $ 3 billion.[52] The following years estimates are even higher. Afghanistan currently produces 93 percent of the worlds Opium trade and half of Afghanistans GDP depends on the Opium trade.[53] The share of Taliban from the flourishing opium trade is not available. However, it is established that Taliban capitalise on the drug trade by taxing the farmers, landowners and drug traffickers. 32. Historically, on assuming control of Afghanistan, the Taliban agenda was to eliminate Opium trade[54], but now it has become essential for their survival[55]. The Opium serves three main purposes for Taliban:- (a) It provides the populace an illegal economy to operate outside the umbrella of government, to the detriment of Kabul. The drug traffickers and the Taliban mutually support each other with weapons, personnel and funding in a concerted effort to destabilise the current legitimate Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IROA) government. (b) It provides necessary funding for the insurgency.[56] (c) It is primarily exported to the west (affects the western society), especially Europe, where 90 % of heroin supply comes from Afghanistan. Other Environmental Factors 33. The other environmental factors that affect Taliban are the regional players in the South Asia, NGOs and Humanitarian agencies and presence of Coalition forces, which include Pakistani and Afghani soldiers. 34. Regional Players. The regional players directly influence the Taliban as they have direct bearing on the overall political scenario affecting the movement. The area of influence of Taliban stretches across Central Asia to the Indian Subcontinent. This area is of immense strategic importance, its components share historical roots, affinities and enmities having overbearing influence on interrelationships and domestic issues. Most of the Afghanistans issues considered as domestic are more likely regional in character.[57] 35. Pakistan. The direct involvement of Pakistan in Soviet-Afghan war, in support of Mujahidin, along with United States of America and Saudi Arabia has created a complex legacy that is affecting Pakistan even today because of continuous turmoil and violence linked to the issue. Pakistan has critical interests in Afghanistans stability because of close economic and cultural links. The stable Afghanistan provides for economic opportunities for Pakistan, as it ensures access to resource rich Central Asian region. The stability will also ensure stability in Pashtun dominated western Pakistan, where at present Taliban presence is destabilising the entire FATA and NWFP. 36. Months after the official beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, Al Qaeda and Taliban militants poured over Afghanistans border into Pakistan and found refuge in FATA. The region home to more than 3 million Pashtuns was an ideal sanctuary. The tribes native to FATA adhere to the pre-Islamic tribal code of Pashtunwali, which by custom extends assistance to strangers who request protection. By spring 2002, less than a year after the initial invasion of Afghanistan, that sanctuary became even safer after President Bush decided to pull most of Americas Special Operations Forces and CIA paramilitary operatives off the hunt for Osama bin Laden, so they could be redeployed for a possible war in Iraq.[58] All of these factors greatly alleviated pressure on the remaining Taliban and Al Qaeda forces. Between spring 2002 and spring 2008, militants were able to consolidate their holdover north-western Pakistan. Baluchistans capital, Quetta, is home of the Talibans main Shura or council.[59 ] The Talibans overall leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar has found refuge in the city.[60] The support of Pakistan to Taliban is considered essential till they gain strong foothold in Afghanistan. However few western writers contend that the Taliban have already taken control of 10% to 20 % of area in Afghanistan, and therefore no longer require sanctuary in Pakistan. The ISI has already drawn distinction between extremist groups focused on destabilising Pakistan and those primarily concerned with war in Afghanistan. On ground, the Taliban based in Pakistan (TTP) have taken allegiance to Mullah Omar, the supreme Commander of Taliban. Also Pakistan being a strategic partner of coalition forces, the pressure to cleanse the Taliban sanctuaries is mounting.[61] 37. Iran[62]. The proximity of Iran with Afghanistan has not resulted in cultural affinities, except in Herat area. Iran never gave importance to Afghanistan until Soviet invasion. Irans primary focus was on the Persian Gulf region. Afghanistan is today strategically important due to concern that other powers might take advantage of weak state to menace Iran. The Iranian belligerence with Taliban is resulting from their Sunni outlook and prosecution of Shia minorities. At present Iran is interested in expanding its economic role in Afghanistan. A stable afghan state is beneficial to Iran in long run, so it opposes a Taliban led insurgency. However, there have been reports of Iran supporting the Taliban covertly.[63] Iranian actions may be due to close relations of IROA with United States of America. Because of US-Iranian incompatibility, the Iranian long-term strategic interests are in jeopardy due to sustained US presence in Afghanistan. Therefore, Iran may manipulate Taliban insurgency to its ow n advantage.[64] If this situation materialises, the Taliban may be able to overcome some key shortfalls (like advanced anti-air weaponry, guided missiles) and gain inroads into Shia groups in Afghanistan (mainly Hazara tribe). 38. Soviet Central Asian Republics. The former Soviet Central Asian Republics also influence the current situation. Their ethnic ties with the non-Pashtun northern Afghanistan minorities have made them oppose the Taliban due its pro FATA and NWFP Taliban India Security FATA and NWFP Taliban India Security CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION â€Å"A host of wandering Talib-ul-ilums, who correspond with the theological students in Turkey and live free at the expense of the people.† Winston Churchill, 1898[1] 1. The present ongoing conflict in Pakistans tribal belt and in Afghanistan has serious security implications for India. The Mehsuds, Wazirs and Afridis were the tribals used by the Pakistan Army in 1947-48 to attack the state of Jammu and Kashmir, leading to occupation of what is now called the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). The Pakistan Army again used them before and during the war of 1965. Zia-ul-Haq used them for suppressing a Shia revolt in Gilgit in 1988[2]. The same elements were again used to infiltrate into Kargil, leading to Kargil War. 2. If the US and other NATO forces fail to prevail over these Terrorist Tribesmen in the Pakistan-Afghanistan tribal belt, these tribesmen, fresh from their victories in that region, would move over to Kashmir to resume their aggression against India. What we are now seeing in Kashmir is the beginning of the end of one phase of the aggression involving Terrorists of the 1980s vintage. We might see the beginning of a new phase involving better-trained and better-motivated Terrorists of the latest stock. 3. The tribal belt of Pakistan and Afghanistan was the chess board of the ‘Big Game played between colonial powers. The British established ‘Durand Line† demarcating the tribal areas which could not be governed. The British encouraged raising and maintenance of militia in FATA and NWFP, so as to thwart the Russian designs in South Asia, especially India[3]. The area was kept as a buffer to the Russian empire which had reached up to modern Uzbekistan. 4. The militia tribesmen of FATA and NWFP, after the departure of British from the subcontinent, were utilised operationally for the first time by Pakistan in 1947 against India. This strategy highlighted the advantage of utilising non state actors as means of aggression. The tribal invasion of 1947 resulted in occupation of approximately 35% of J K by Pakistan.[4] 5. Approximately 70,000 tribesmen attacked India in 1947 and were driven back up to LOC till ceasefire agreement in 1948[5]. These tribesmen after the attack dispersed back into tribal areas of FATA and NWFP. The tribal populace thereafter supported and participated in the resistance movement confronting the Soviets in Afghanistan. The Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1988, and full attention of these insurgent tribes was shifted to India. The existence of these elements in the FATA and NWFP was not given due consideration by India till late 1980s when insurgency erupted in J K. In past, the tribal militia had no name, but now to keep pace with the media and generate support, the tribesmen have assigned names/nomenclature to their organisations; the most prominent nomenclature amongst all of them being the Taliban[6]. 6. The Taliban is an ideology which majority of insurgent groups find easy to imbibe. The various warring tribes in FATA and NWFP have come under a common umbrella of Taliban ideology in recent years. The main cause for this mass acceptance of Taliban ideology is due to large influx of Al-Qaida operatives post US led â€Å"War on Terror.[7] 7. The resurgence of the Taliban and ongoing CI operations by Pakistan army, along with deteriorating situation in FATA and NWFP has major security implications for India. The proximity of North Indian frontiers to the conflict zone coupled with the current insurgency in JK, the need of the hour is to redefine security policy and take speedy initiatives to put effective deterrent in place. METHODOLOGY 8. Statement of Problem. Considering the continued aggressive attitude of the tribesmen from FATA and NWFP in the past towards India, their reorganisation under Taliban leading to current conflict in Pakistan may result in renewed and increased threat to the North Indian frontiers. The paper seeks to highlight that the Taliban are a threat in being for Indias security. 9. Hypothesis. There is an urgent need to identify the critical vulnerabilities of the Taliban and identify additional security initiatives that need to be undertaken by India. Justification of the Study 10. The threat of Taliban from FATA and NWFP to North Indian frontiers has been underestimated. The tribes in FATA and NWFP have existed as militia and mercenaries for over 100 years; however they have been given nomenclature/name like Taliban only recently. The first organised offensive of these tribesmen into India was in 1947 to annexe the state of J K. Thereafter, since 1990 these tribesmen have infiltrated into J K state as foreign mercenaries / terrorists fuelling insurgency. 11. Considering the continued aggression and threat from the tribesmen from FATA and NWFP since independence of India, there exists a knowledge gap with regard to their origins. Relatively little research has been directed towards exploring their transformation into an umbrella organisation the Taliban, probably because of the obvious difficulties with studying a covert organisation. The absence of a logical explanation for the existence of these aggressive tribesmen as mercenaries and militia has complicated the threat evaluation process. This study describes the Taliban phenomenon, elaborates upon their strengths and weaknesses. The study endeavours to predict the Talibans future strategic course of action and recommends measures to counter their strengths and exploit their weaknesses in order to design a formidable CI/CT effort. The Taliban have emerged as front runner terrorist outfit in the troubled FATA and NWFP. The study of their ideology will also provide inputs towards the ir grand strategy and objectives. All these inputs will enable correct assessment of security threat to India and aid in development of strategy to counter this menace. The thesis may also be of interest to field operatives, helping them to understand their adversary. 12. Scope. The history bears the testimony to the vulnerability of Indian sub continent to invasions from North Western Frontiers. The rise of Taliban in FATA and NWFP of Pakistan, their reorganisation and rejuvenation is of grave concern to India, which cannot be ignored. The paper focuses on the history, ideology and overall grand strategy of Taliban highlighting the impending threat to India and way ahead. Method of Data Collection 13. The data for this paper has been collected primarily through secondary sources, the books available in the library. Some material has also been garnered from various college lectures. Periodicals and papers written by famous socialists and historians have also been referred to. Bibliography is placed at appendix A. 14. Tertiary sources include various articles compiled and published from time to time by renowned authors in various reference books and articles available from the internet. Organisation of dissertation 15. It is proposed to study the subject in the following manner:- (a) Chapter I: Introduction. This chapter describes the purpose of the thesis and the statement of problem. It argues the need for developing a broader understanding of the Taliban in order to develop a better approach to deal with counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism efforts in the North Western frontiers. (b) Chapter II: The Problem Genesis. This chapter covers the historical perspective of the problem. The chapter brings out the circumstances leading to the genesis of the Taliban phenomenon. (c) Chapter III: The Taliban Organisation. Chapter III focuses on the structure of the Taliban. The chapter analyses their formal and informal layout and operational mechanisms. The leadership and decision-making processes of Taliban will also be highlighted to assess the motivation and beliefs of Taliban operatives to give a better understanding of their recruitment and human resource processes. (d) Chapter IV: Analysis of Taliban. Chapter IV analyses the strengths and weaknesses of Taliban utilising the Commanders Estimate of Situation method. The Strategic and Operational Objectives are derived from research. These are analysed to determine strategic and operational Centres of Gravity. Finally critical vulnerabilities are determined, which will be utilised to develop Indian Course of Action to tackle the Taliban menace. (e) Chapter V: Taliban Threat An Indian Perspective. This chapter brings out the national opinion on the existence of Taliban threat. The chapter highlights the vulnerabilities of India and its borders and the threat in being. (f) Chapter VI: Recommendations and Way Out. The final chapter gives a way out for overcoming the emerging Taliban threat. The chapter will suggest recommendations for planning effective CI/CT strategies to counter the Taliban strengths and exploit their weaknesses. CHAPTER II THE PROBLEM GENESIS â€Å"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.† Sun Tzu[8] 1. Introduction. The study of background leading to genesis of Taliban will help in identifying the patterns of past actions of Taliban and aid in analysing current behaviour. This chapter will cover various aspects of Taliban history, highlighting the influence of ancient tribal warrior culture, the invasion by USSR leading to rise of Mujahideen[9], relevance of Madrassas[10] and their religious ideology, civil war following withdrawal of USSR forces, Rise of Taliban, the downfall of Taliban and current insurgency in the Afpak region. [11] History 2. Throughout the history invaders have tried in vain to overpower the Pashtun dominated region of Afpak. The first recorded invasion of this region was by Alexander in 326 BC, thereafter a number of armies appeared on the scene including those of Persian Empire, Huns, Turks, Mongols, British, Russians and recent ones being the US troops[12]. The conquerors were either defeated or absorbed into the tribal culture of the Pashtuns thereby maintaining the independence of the region. Despite the apparent ease in conquering the Pashtun areas, no outside power has ever been able to completely subdue it. The tribal and military orientation has shaped the culture and outlook of the area. As Johnson writes, â€Å"A Pashtun is never at peace, except when he is at war.†[13] The people of this region have therefore for centuries been inclined to reject any form of strict authority even at the cost of discord and insecurity.[14] 3. The â€Å"Great Game† in nineteenth century shaped the current political landscape of the region. The Pashtuns had their first encounter with modern military power through three Anglo- Afghan Wars in 1839, 1878 and 1919[15]. Both Russia and Britain desperately tried to get a foothold in Afghanistan, but were unable to gain headway. Finally both parties agreed to create a buffer in shape of Afghanistan between their zones of influence. The international boundary known as Durand Line was drawn between British India and Afghanistan in 1893[16]. The Pashtuns continued to maintain strong ethnic and family connections across the international boundary. The British accorded the tribes on other side of border a semi autonomous status that was maintained after creation of Pakistan in 1947 in the form of FATA[17]. 4. The Pashtun areas on both sides of Durand Line continued to exist peacefully till 1973, when Zahir Shahs four decade rule ended. The instability after his departure resulted in emergence of Communist ideological Peoples Democratic Party of Afghanistan and it finally overthrew government in 1978. The Communist reform package, which included drastic changes in land ownership, new taxes, compulsory education for women, and participation of women in non-traditional roles in society, was resisted by traditional and orthodox religious elements of Afghanistan, led by the Mujahedeen of Afghanistan. As Larry P Goodson commented â€Å"These reforms struck at the very heart of the socio-economic structure of Afghanistans rural society; indeed, their sudden nationwide introduction, with no preliminary pilot programs, suggest that this was their real purpose.†[18]Finally, Soviet Union deployed troops in Afghanistan in December 1979 to aid their communist ally against the Islamic militia s and to counter the threat of radical Islamist power along its soft underbelly of the Muslim majority Central Asian republics. The Soviet involvement led to increased Mujahedeen resistance and calls for jihad.[19] 5. The ten year occupation resulted in Soviet 40th army loosing 13,883 personnel, plus 650 more in affiliated units. Despite heavy investments in men and material the Soviets were not able to gain unopposed access. Therefore after a long and costly counter insurgency effort the Soviet Union withdrew its forces from Afghanistan in Feb 1989, leaving a Communist Government headed by Najibullah.[20] 6. The exit of Soviet forces was followed by a civil war which resulted in overthrow of Najibullahs government in April 1992. The defeat of the communist government revealed the differences in the fractured alliances of Mujahedeen parties[21]. Each faction had its leader or warlord in a geographical region of the country with aspirations for power. In fighting broke out among the warlords leading to widespread looting and rapine. This strife between the warlords and a war weary population set the stage for the radical ideas of the Taliban to so easily take hold in Afghanistan. â€Å"The Taliban mythology cites their creation as a reaction to the injustices that were perpetrated during the mujahedin era of Afghan politics.†[22] 7. The cadre of the Taliban emerged from the Pashtun refugee camps. It was there, in some of the Madrassas, that a selectively interpreted version of Islam, Wahabism[23], influenced students (talib) to adopt an ultraconservative approach to social issues and politics[24]. Despite differences with the fundamentalist religion espoused by the Taliban, the people gathered behind them because of promises to deliver peace by eliminating the menace of the warlords and narcotics. This tradition and the aura of a righteous religious student on the quest for peace gave students immense rapport with the Pashtun people. The popularity of the Taliban rapidly spread and they experienced continued success in consolidating power. 8. On 10 Nov 1994 Taliban seized Kandahar, the organisation gained religious legitimacy among the Pashtuns when their leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, wore the sacred cloak of Prophet Mohammad in public and declared himself Amir Al-Muminin (leader of the Faithful)[25]. This event can be considered turning point in the Taliban movement for providing it a charismatic leader, who could thereafter take advantage of the tribal religious sentiments of Pashtuns. 9. After the control of Kandahar, the Taliban progressed in quick succession and by 1997 controlled 95% of Afghanistan. The Taliban established order in Afghanistan, but it was of a fearsome medieval kind. The Talibans government policy had become well known. Women were rendered anonymous, refused work or education. Justice was implemented by Islamic law. Television, music and photographs were banned. Gradually, the Taliban led by Mullah Muhammad Omar lost support of international community and afghan populace due to very strict enforcement of its version of Islamic law. Mullah Omar during his reign in Afghanistan interacted with Osama bin Laden and Taliban hosted Al Qaeda training camps. 10. The attack on United States of America on 11 Sep 01 by Al Qaeda operatives and the Talibans refusal to extradite bin Laden led to launch of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The operation resulted in rapid fall of Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. The majority of Taliban fighters dispersed back into Afghan society, while its leadership went underground. [26] 11. In the Pakistani border areas with Afghanistan, the FATA and areas of NWFP, the tribal populace had supported the Taliban movement since its inception. The populace in these areas has been at odds with the Pakistani security forces since its independence. 12. The current problem of insurgency in Pakistan has roots in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, when FATA was used as launch pad for Mujahedeen sponsored by Pakistan and U.S. These areas turned into hotbed of terrorism, which was further fuelled by Madrassas, continued supply of modern weapons from U.S and heavy influx of Afghan refugees. Once the Soviets were ousted from Afghanistan, majority of foreign Mujahideen settled in FATA and NWFP. The radical elements in FATA and NWFP supported the Taliban after commencement of Operation Enduring Freedom. Therefore Pakistani government became a target for its crucial support to OEF. Pakistani troops are heavily committed to FATA and NWFP, currently over 1, 00,000 troops are deployed to counter pro Taliban terrorists[27]. On 14 Dec 07, the Taliban â€Å"movement† in Pakistan coalesced under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud to form an umbrella organization called Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)[28], having allegiance to Mullah Om ar. Environment 13. The Taliban is an organisation and therefore dependent on environment. The environment in which they operate places constraints and also provides for opportunities. The major components of environment are discussed below. 14. Physical Environment. The most important environmental factor is the physical terrain in which the Taliban operate. The terrain in Afghanistan, FATA and NWFP is very harsh and mountainous covering an approximate area of 270,000 sq miles. The harsh and inaccessible mountainous terrain is conducive for insurgent activities. The area also has inaccessible spaces which are governed by tribes that allow terrorists freedom of manoeuvre[29], while it makes organised conventional military operations ineffective and expensive in terms of troops and resources. The rugged geography has embodied the regions culture, which has remained unaffected by time. 15. Culture. The culture is most important factor concerning the situation. The culture of area depends greatly on Pashtunwali code of honour that predates Islam and is specific to the Pashtun tribes.[31] The Pashtunwali is the traditional norm by which people of Pashtun tribes are expected to conduct themselves. A Pashtun must adhere to the code to maintain his honour and to retain his identity. If one violates this code they are subject to the verdict of Jirga.[32] 16. Religion. The religion is another pillar of the Taliban, Afghanistanis are 99 % Muslim, consisting of 80 % Sunni and 19 % Shia[33]. In Afghanistan, Islam has been mixed with pre-Islamic beliefs and tribal customs of Pashtunwali[34]. The Taliban transformed the tradition to ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam. The basics of this ideology stem from Madrassas founded during the Soviet Afghan war. The increased influence of Saudi Arabia lead to Madrassas shift to orthodox Islam which looks to â€Å"follow Salafist model and thoughts†[35]. The attraction of Salafi movement is rooted in its ability to provide a domain in which a resistance identity is created through discourses, symbols and everyday practices. Within this the members are required to organise themselves into small tight-knit communities that stand distinctly apart from open society. To some extent it can be identified as a sect, demanding complete loyalty, unwavering belief and rigid adherence to a distinctive lifestyl e.[36] However as written by Rashid â€Å"The Taliban represented nobody but themselves and they recognised no Islam except their own.† The majority of Afghanistans populace did not traditionally follow this interpretation of the religion but had to contend with its enforcement during the Taliban reign.[37] 17. Ethnicity. The ethnic breakdown of Afghanistan and Tribal areas of Pakistan is as follows[38]:- Ser No Tribe Percentage (a) Pashtun 42 (b) Aimak 4 (c) Tajik 27 (d) Turkmen 3 (e) Hazara 9 (f) Balochi 2 (g) Uzbek 9 (h) Others 4 Table 1 18. The Pashtuns have a majority in the Taliban Organisation, with minimal participation of other tribes. As a result during the Taliban rule and ensuing insurgency other tribes were targets of attacks. The coalition of northern tribes (Turkman, Tajik and Uzbek) made up bulk of the northern alliance troops that allied with US troops to overthrow Taliban in 2001. 19. Pashtun Tribal Breakdown. The Pashtuns are further sub-divided into several tribes and sub-tribes spread throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Pashtuns in Pakistan are larger in number than those of Afghanistan and are mostly concentrated in FATA and NWFP. These tribes are interconnected in a complex interplay of obscure genealogies, mythical folklore, historical alliances and conflicts, which makes it very difficult to differentiate and draw lines between the groups. However, there are five major tribal groups of Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These are the Durranis, Ghilzai, Karlanri, Sarbani and Ghurghusht, with Durrani and Ghilzai as the most influential (Figure 3).[40] 20. Since 1747, the Durrani tribal confederation has provided the leadership within the Southern Pashtun areas. The trend started with Ahmad Shah Durrani, when he founded the monarchy. Ahmad Shah is considered the founder of modern Afghanistan because he was able to unite the factional tribes. The present President of Afghanistan is also from Durrani tribe. The traditional folklore connects the Durranis with the Sarbani tribal group.[41] 21. The Ghilzai tribal group, which is concentrated in the eastern Afghanistan, has historically been an arch-rival of the Durranis. Some of the important leaders of Taliban today, including Mullah Omar belong to this tribal group.[42] 22. The Karlanris are the third largest group of the Pashtun tribes and are referred to as the hill tribes. They occupy the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Waziristan, Kurram and Peshawar.[43] 23. The Sarbani are divided into two major geographically separated groups. The larger group is located north of Peshawar, while the smaller one is scattered in northern Balochistan. This group because of their links with the Durranis are considered part of the traditional aristocracy of Pashtun tribes.[44] 24. The last major group is Ghurghusht. These are settled throughout northern Balochistan.[45] Some factions of this tribe can also be found in NWFP. Resources 25. The primary sources and assets available to Taliban are religious militant outfits, human terrain[46] or manpower and opium trade. The analysis of Taliban resources can be carried out by determining the availability and quality. The religious militant outfits include Al Qaida and similar sectarian organisations. The Al Qaida provides vital support to the Taliban organisation. The support of Al Qaeda provided the Taliban cause legitimacy in a multitude of intercontinental terrorist organisations. The Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden pledged his support to Mullah Omar, the leader of Taliban. Al Qaeda provides Taliban with assistance in form of financial support, manpower, technology (high end weapons) and training.[47] 26. The other strong supporters of Taliban include Tehreek-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), which is active in the FATA and Swat regions of NWFP. [48] There are other supporting insurgent groups from central Asia like Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). 27. Few of the Madrassas in the Pashtun belt propagate radical version of Islamic ideology and therefore are convenient recruiting grounds for Taliban. The Leadership of Islamic movement has fallen in the hands of Pashtuns as they were able to oust Soviets. Since the Madrassas had played important role in Anti-Soviet Jihad, these institutions acquired reputation of both as recruiting grounds for Mujahidin and centres of learning.[49] 28. Human terrain. The human terrain [50] is most important asset for the survival of Taliban. There are approximately 28 million Pashtuns in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This large pool of Pashtuns provides recruits, support personnel, money, weapons and an intelligence network to aid in waging insurgency. 29. The Pashtuns have been amenable to Taliban, as they do not dominate the Kabul administration. The Pashtun mistrust of the government was further heightened by inability of Afghan Transitional Administration, as it could not protect Pashtuns from human rights abuses from the warlords and insurgents since fall of the Taliban government. 30. The people and recruits of Taliban after the fall of Kabul remerged with the local populace, providing outstanding and real time intelligence. With more than two generations of war-hardened inhabitants to select from, the Taliban recruited experienced fighters who know the terrain and can survive harsh environment. In addition a large amount of ordnance, weapons and ammunition, which were stored by Mujahedeen during Afghan -Soviet war; have fallen into the hands of Taliban. The human resource factor cannot be a permanent asset for Taliban due to the power struggle between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IROA) and Taliban. 31. Drug Trade. As per the western accounts, the revenue from drug trafficking and Opium trade in Afghanistan can be considered as an asset for Taliban organisation. The Afghanistan with its increased dependence on revenue from Opium trade has turned into a narco-state.[51] The record of 2006 Opium harvest was estimated at over $ 3 billion.[52] The following years estimates are even higher. Afghanistan currently produces 93 percent of the worlds Opium trade and half of Afghanistans GDP depends on the Opium trade.[53] The share of Taliban from the flourishing opium trade is not available. However, it is established that Taliban capitalise on the drug trade by taxing the farmers, landowners and drug traffickers. 32. Historically, on assuming control of Afghanistan, the Taliban agenda was to eliminate Opium trade[54], but now it has become essential for their survival[55]. The Opium serves three main purposes for Taliban:- (a) It provides the populace an illegal economy to operate outside the umbrella of government, to the detriment of Kabul. The drug traffickers and the Taliban mutually support each other with weapons, personnel and funding in a concerted effort to destabilise the current legitimate Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IROA) government. (b) It provides necessary funding for the insurgency.[56] (c) It is primarily exported to the west (affects the western society), especially Europe, where 90 % of heroin supply comes from Afghanistan. Other Environmental Factors 33. The other environmental factors that affect Taliban are the regional players in the South Asia, NGOs and Humanitarian agencies and presence of Coalition forces, which include Pakistani and Afghani soldiers. 34. Regional Players. The regional players directly influence the Taliban as they have direct bearing on the overall political scenario affecting the movement. The area of influence of Taliban stretches across Central Asia to the Indian Subcontinent. This area is of immense strategic importance, its components share historical roots, affinities and enmities having overbearing influence on interrelationships and domestic issues. Most of the Afghanistans issues considered as domestic are more likely regional in character.[57] 35. Pakistan. The direct involvement of Pakistan in Soviet-Afghan war, in support of Mujahidin, along with United States of America and Saudi Arabia has created a complex legacy that is affecting Pakistan even today because of continuous turmoil and violence linked to the issue. Pakistan has critical interests in Afghanistans stability because of close economic and cultural links. The stable Afghanistan provides for economic opportunities for Pakistan, as it ensures access to resource rich Central Asian region. The stability will also ensure stability in Pashtun dominated western Pakistan, where at present Taliban presence is destabilising the entire FATA and NWFP. 36. Months after the official beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, Al Qaeda and Taliban militants poured over Afghanistans border into Pakistan and found refuge in FATA. The region home to more than 3 million Pashtuns was an ideal sanctuary. The tribes native to FATA adhere to the pre-Islamic tribal code of Pashtunwali, which by custom extends assistance to strangers who request protection. By spring 2002, less than a year after the initial invasion of Afghanistan, that sanctuary became even safer after President Bush decided to pull most of Americas Special Operations Forces and CIA paramilitary operatives off the hunt for Osama bin Laden, so they could be redeployed for a possible war in Iraq.[58] All of these factors greatly alleviated pressure on the remaining Taliban and Al Qaeda forces. Between spring 2002 and spring 2008, militants were able to consolidate their holdover north-western Pakistan. Baluchistans capital, Quetta, is home of the Talibans main Shura or council.[59 ] The Talibans overall leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar has found refuge in the city.[60] The support of Pakistan to Taliban is considered essential till they gain strong foothold in Afghanistan. However few western writers contend that the Taliban have already taken control of 10% to 20 % of area in Afghanistan, and therefore no longer require sanctuary in Pakistan. The ISI has already drawn distinction between extremist groups focused on destabilising Pakistan and those primarily concerned with war in Afghanistan. On ground, the Taliban based in Pakistan (TTP) have taken allegiance to Mullah Omar, the supreme Commander of Taliban. Also Pakistan being a strategic partner of coalition forces, the pressure to cleanse the Taliban sanctuaries is mounting.[61] 37. Iran[62]. The proximity of Iran with Afghanistan has not resulted in cultural affinities, except in Herat area. Iran never gave importance to Afghanistan until Soviet invasion. Irans primary focus was on the Persian Gulf region. Afghanistan is today strategically important due to concern that other powers might take advantage of weak state to menace Iran. The Iranian belligerence with Taliban is resulting from their Sunni outlook and prosecution of Shia minorities. At present Iran is interested in expanding its economic role in Afghanistan. A stable afghan state is beneficial to Iran in long run, so it opposes a Taliban led insurgency. However, there have been reports of Iran supporting the Taliban covertly.[63] Iranian actions may be due to close relations of IROA with United States of America. Because of US-Iranian incompatibility, the Iranian long-term strategic interests are in jeopardy due to sustained US presence in Afghanistan. Therefore, Iran may manipulate Taliban insurgency to its ow n advantage.[64] If this situation materialises, the Taliban may be able to overcome some key shortfalls (like advanced anti-air weaponry, guided missiles) and gain inroads into Shia groups in Afghanistan (mainly Hazara tribe). 38. Soviet Central Asian Republics. The former Soviet Central Asian Republics also influence the current situation. Their ethnic ties with the non-Pashtun northern Afghanistan minorities have made them oppose the Taliban due its pro