Ahmed Rashid Quotations

We're seeing a complete breakdown of law and order. The army is holed up in its barracks or in its bunkers.

I think within a year or so, perhaps, if 9/11 had not happened, in Afghanistan would have been a very broad-based general uprising against the Taliban.

[Mullah Omar] gave himself this religious title. So it was something that all those people there who swore an oath of loyalty to him as a religious leader could not easily get rid of.

I met a lot of the senior Taliban, and I asked them precisely [about Mullah Omar]. The most common answer was he is humble. And that was very true. We never had reports of Mullah Omar living luxuriously or making money in large quantities or anything like that.

Despite all the dire predictions made in 2001, the Afghans have given the international community, its aid workers and soldiers a large window of opportunity to repair the damage done by 25 years of war. That window, which has stayed open for nearly five years, with amazing good will from the Afghans, is threatening to close unless the world wakes up and deals with the crisis.

There are many Dostums. If you bring up records right now of warlords, you wouldn't find a single clean person in Afghanistan.

What we are seeing right now is a huge intelligence effort similar to the one that captured Saddam Hussein, which involved hundreds of people on the American side. It wasn't just a few special forces wandering around and I think for that they need a great deal of Pakistani cooperation.

They've gone in with a steam roller in an area which is extremely pro-Taliban and pro-al Qaeda.

They have a sanctuary, they have a logistical framework, and they have a recruiting base in Pakistan, and that is essential for a successful guerrilla struggle.

It's fulfilling all the wishes of those who believe in a clash of civilizations and so far moderate voices have been drowned out.

All Muslims were repulsed by the cartoons, even non-practicing ones whose Muslim identity is more cultural than religious. That doesn't mean there hasn't been manipulation.