Publication

This paper considers the role the Taliban might play in the 2014 Afghan elections based on interviews with some of its members. It suggests that while the Taliban have disrupted elections since 2004 with varying levels of success, the upcoming election could see a change in approach by some parts of the organization. The author believes this election is the first time some segments of the Taliban have begun to consider alternatives to violent disruption and that the internal division within the Taliban surrounding the election is a point of weakness that could be exploited.