Changes

The Taliban started as the one of the armed Afghan factions, known collectively as the "Mujahadeen", or "Holy Warriors", funded by the [[CIA]] during the Afghan conflict against the former Soviet Union.<ref>http://www.isreview.org/issues/20/ahmed_afghanistan.shtml</ref>The Taliban connection to the Mujahadeen weakened following the Soviet withdrawal and Afghan civil war. The majority of the Taliban leadership were born during the brutal Soviet occupation, and educated at Saudi funded Wahhabist madrassas. The majority of Mujadaeen appear to have taken on the Jihadist ideology as a unifying tool against the Soviets - nothing more. The Taliban however took on the Jihadist ideology as a way of life and subsequently fought a war with the remnants of the communist government and the warlords to gain control of Afghanistan by late 1996. The Taliban rule was positively received by the majority of the population,{{fact}} as despite the brutal application of Sharia law, the rule brought the first stable government known to the region for 40 years.  

The Taliban started as the one of the armed Afghan factions, known collectively as the "Mujahadeen", or "Holy Warriors", funded by the [[CIA]] during the Afghan conflict against the former Soviet Union.<ref>http://www.isreview.org/issues/20/ahmed_afghanistan.shtml</ref>The Taliban connection to the Mujahadeen weakened following the Soviet withdrawal and Afghan civil war. The majority of the Taliban leadership were born during the brutal Soviet occupation, and educated at Saudi funded Wahhabist madrassas. The majority of Mujadaeen appear to have taken on the Jihadist ideology as a unifying tool against the Soviets - nothing more. The Taliban however took on the Jihadist ideology as a way of life and subsequently fought a war with the remnants of the communist government and the warlords to gain control of Afghanistan by late 1996. The Taliban rule was positively received by the majority of the population,{{fact}} as despite the brutal application of Sharia law, the rule brought the first stable government known to the region for 40 years.  

The Taliban had close links to separatist Islamic insurgents in the [[Russian Federation]] province of [[Chechnya]], who waged [[Chechen Wars|two bloody wars]] in 1994 and 2000 against the Russian government. Chechen fighters solidified the link to their Taliban allies by aiding them in their current struggle against the NATO occupation. Anecdotally, it has been noted that the Chechnyans are valued by the Taliban military commanders, as they have extensive training and experience in the operation of Soviet heavy weapons against high value targets. .<ref>http://muslimvillage.net/story.php?id=370</ref>

The Taliban had close links to separatist Islamic insurgents in the [[Russian Federation]] province of [[Chechnya]], who waged [[Chechen Wars]] in 1994 and 2000 against the Russian government. Chechen fighters solidified the link to their Taliban allies by aiding them in their current struggle against the NATO occupation. Anecdotally, it has been noted that the Chechnyans are valued by the Taliban military commanders, as they have extensive training and experience in the operation of Soviet heavy weapons against high value targets. .<ref>http://muslimvillage.net/story.php?id=370</ref>

==Taliban Rule==

==Taliban Rule==