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Taliban (Rise to Power)
The Taliban emerged from the Kandahar region of southern Afghanistan in 1994, founded by Mullah Omar. Composed largely of Pashtun fighters trained in Pakistani madrassas, they exploited the chaos of the Afghan Civil War (1992–1996) by presenting themselves as restorers of order and Islamic law. They captured Kabul in September 1996 and controlled roughly 90% of Afghanistan by 2001, imposing a harsh interpretation of sharia law and providing sanctuary to al-Qaeda.