(THE CONVERSATION) The rapid takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban left many surprised. To Ali Olomi, a historian of the Middle East and Islam at Penn State University, a key to understanding what is ...

The Taliban didn’t rise from nowhere — they were built, funded, and armed in the shadow of the Cold War. Born in the madrassas of Pakistan and fueled by American and Saudi dollars, they were first ...

In March 2001, the Taliban shocked the world by dynamiting the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan. Two decades later, they are back in power and claim to be making strides to preserve Afghanistan's ...