Neo-Taliban? Thinking Through Typological Differences

Abstract

There is a need for discursive categories to characterize differences among the Taliban. Drawing from interviews with IEA leadership and extensive examination of local social media and new sources, this study introduces four typologies within the Taliban movement. These are inter-related and mutually dependent, and from their juxtaposition we consider some implications for the trajectory of the regime. We argue that the Taliban’s ideology has not changed, but rather that its constituency is changing, particularly among those with greater access to technology and transnational resources.