1. Background -- 2. Genesis of the Taliban Phenomenon -- 3. The Military Dimension -- 4. Reconciliation Efforts by Rabbani's Government Before the Fall of Kabul -- 5. The Drug Problem in Taliban-Controlled Areas -- 6. Pakistan's Policy Towards the Taliban -- 7. The Roles and Interests of Other Powers -- 8. The United Nations -- 9. Military Balance -- 10. Impact on the Region -- 11. Future Prospects -- App. i. Biographical Sketches of Important Afghan Personalities -- App. ii. The Peshawar Accord -- App. iii. The Islamabad Declaration -- App. iv. Text of the Agreement on Narcotics Control -- App. v. Extract from the Report of the Secretary-General on the Situation in Afghanistan and its Implications for International Peace -- App. vi. Chronology of Events.