RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AL QAEDA AND THE AFGHAN TALIBAN

The history between the two groups can be traced back to the Afghan jihad against the Soviet Union. AlQaeda and an important sub-group of the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, are bound by ties of marriage among families of key leaders. Al-Qaeda also remains popular among the rank-and-file of the Taliban. There appears to be a firm political basis for the relationship. Both groups fit into each other’s ideology-based political projects.