Hybrid Threats

The Taliban is arguably one of the biggest hybrid threats that US forces face today. Every soldier knows them as our enemy. But what is their history? How have they been able to sustain themselves for so long? These are some of the questions I will try to answer while highlighting the threat they pose internally in Afghanistan and abroad.
The first thought that comes to mind when thinking about the Taliban is terrorist organization. One cannot forget, however, that the Taliban was the recognized legal government of Afghanistan since its inception in 1991. In 1994, the Taliban captured the city of Kandahar in its first military victory. Initially, most of the people were thankful for the restoration of order they brought. The Taliban quickly and swiftly enacted their interpretation of Sharia Law to rule the provinces that they had taken over.
After the attacks on US soil, operations began in Afghanistan that led to the Taliban’s defeat in Kunduz, Kabul, Jalalabad and finally Kandahar. The Taliban was quieted but not defeated. Around 2006 the Taliban resurfaced as more of an insurgency than anything else. Afghan and Pakistan soldiers had a long history of defeating occupations and this fact strengthened their resolve. Their strategy shifted from regular combat engagements to suicide bombings, terrorist activities, and the targeting of civilians. All are tactics normally employed by some hybrid threat organizations. The Pakistan government continued to fund the Taliban with money and fighters to resist the US forces.
While Pakistan supported the Taliban in Afghanistan they also supported the Haqqani Network in Pakistan. This group would conduct cross borders operations to include rocket attacks, complex attacks, and VBIED strikes in Afghanistan against US forces. They are closely tied to the Taliban network, the ISI in Pakistan, and also have ties to senior leadership in