INSIDE AFGHANISTAN

October 2001
		What is the climate like for the people of Afghanistan? If the Taliban should fall from power, who would take their place? Two experts respond to your questions.

Forum introduction Would a Western-style democracy be best for Afghanistan? How do we prevent a repetition of the power vacuum after the Soviets left? Would a new Afghan government commit to freedom of religion? What is happening to commerce in Afghanistan? What do we know about the Northern Alliance? How can we endure the voices of women will be heard? Is there a feasible solution for a multi-ethnic Afghan state?     Online Special: The Response Online Special: Afghanistan Sept. 28, 2001: Two experts discuss the battle between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. Sept. 20, 2001: A look at Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

For over two decades, living in Afghanistan has meant learning to live with constant conflict, poverty and a perpetual threat of danger. After a ten-year struggle against a Soviet invasion ended in 1989, Afghans faced yet another hurdle -- a fractured political climate inside its borders. After years of infighting, a radical Islamic group called the Taliban rose to power in 1996, controlling as much as 90 percent of Afghanistan's territory. Now, following the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, officials in the U.S. and elsewhere say the Taliban are an integral factor in the survival of Osama bin Laden -- the prime suspect in the attacks -- and his al-Qaida network. President Bush has warned the Taliban they must turn over bin Laden, who has resided in Afghanistan since 1996, or face U.S. strikes. "These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion," Mr. Bush told a joint session of Congress Sept. 20. "The Taliban must act and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate." But Taliban leaders say they have not seen any evidence that bin Laden is responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks and will not turn him over. "We cannot hand [bin Laden] over to the United States," Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan, told Reuters. "We are ready to try him before an Islamic court or under Islamic law. If we send him to the United States, there will be no justice." Meanwhile, in a summary of its evidence against bin Laden released Oct. 4, the British government said bin Laden "could not operate his terrorist activities without the support of the Taliban regime." And while the political battle over bin Laden rages, the situation for Afghanistan's people continues to deteriorate. The United Nations says Afghanistan is facing a humanitarian crisis of "stunning proportions," and aid organizations have asked for contributions to help as many as 7.5 million refugees survive the coming winter. If the Taliban is forced to surrender power, what will happen to Afghanistan? How would such a handover affect Afghanistan's people? What can be done to build a stable government? Taking your questions are Patricia Gossman, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and a consultant on human rights issues in Central and South Asia, and Thomas Gouttierre, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.