Non-Subscriber Extract
Taliban communications, old and new
12 November 2007
The Taliban use a variety of ways to communicate and influence the people of Afghanistan and supporters in other Muslim countries. While their 'night letters' reflect traditional Afghan practice and are aimed at a domestic audience, the adoption of the internet and multimedia formats is a more controversial development for the movement and seems largely intended for an international audience.
The term 'night letters' has been applied to a variety of forms of written communication, including pamphlets and underground 'newspapers', communal messages and threats against individuals. The term was originally used to describe the messages covertly distributed by the various mujahideen factions fighting Soviet forces in Afghanistan during the 1980s. It was quickly re-adopted after the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001. A March 2002 AP article reported that residents in Afghanistan's southern and eastern provinces said they had received night letters calling for 'holy war'.
Night letters signed by the Taliban were being used as both a method of intimidation and to disseminate information and propaganda. They generally accuse the US of leading an alliance of Christian and Jewish invaders that threatens Afghan and Islamic values. They typically condemn any Afghan that co-operates with the foreigners. However, they also warn locals to avoid certain areas or people that might be subjected to insurgent attacks.
Often posted outside mosques and addressed to a village as a whole, communal night letters reflect a traditional way of spreading information in rural Afghanistan. They often outline laws and edicts issued by Taliban clerics. Indeed, this seems to be an established way for local leaders to communicate with their people in a society that has little access to, or tolerance of other types of media. These types of night letters are consequently not exclusive to the Taliban.
The Taliban refer to themselves as representatives of 'The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan', the name used by their ousted regime. Some are stamped with a logo which features a book (presumably the Quran) flanked by wreaths (like those seen on the official Afghan flag) and curved swords.
Most seem to be written and distributed locally. Communal night letters typically list a number of districts and carry a warning or order for residents. Often just a few are issued, pinned to mosques, or occasionally in a street. Sometimes a large number are issued door to door. Local sources tell Jane's that pro-Taliban elders order youths to carry out this distribution.