Zakira Rasooli
Introduction
Three weeks before the collapse of the Republic in Afghanistan, I sat in a café frantically reporting violent content on the Taliban’s Facebook accounts that incited fear. I was staff at an Afghan NGO that partnered with Facebook to identify content that glorified violence and violent extremism. The gravity of the situation in Afghanistan weighed heavily on my heart. The partnership with Facebook was a crucial step for us in our fight against the Taliban's use of social media to incite terror and spread violent content. But as I looked around, fear and uncertainty hung in the air like a thick fog. The café was filled with tense conversations. A group of men huddled together, discussing the recent assassination of Dawa Khan Menapal, a high-ranking government official who dared to speak out against the Taliban. They debated ways to leave Afghanistan before the Taliban took over. Meanwhile, within a close distance to me, there were three teenage boys seated, glued to their phones, watching videos of the Taliban's advances in Badakhshan and talking to each other about how unforgiving and brutal the Taliban are towards the military, police, and special forces of Afghanistan. Despite my efforts to put aside my own emotions, I felt overwhelmed by the fear and pain I saw in the faces of those around me.
As I logged into Facebook to begin my work to report disturbing content on Facebook, I couldn't help but feel that the Taliban had already taken over the platform. Their propaganda videos were spreading like wildfire, even on trusted news agencies' pages. The Taliban used strategic terror-inspiring communication tactics. They preached on religious purification narratives, evoking the sense that they alone represented Islam. I had never before seen a Taliban presence on Facebook, yet now they were omnipresent, directly engaging with and shaping public opinion, poisoning and overwhelming everyone with fear. It was like cancer that had spread to every corner of social media, leaving no one untouched – children, young and old, men and women were exposed to the disturbing reality of the Taliban's violence and war against the Afghan government.
Now, more than two years have passed since the collapse of the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan government (hereafter referred to as the Republic government) and the return of the Taliban in the form of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (hereafter referred to as the Second Emirate of the Taliban). Yet the questions surrounding the fall of the Republic and the rapid capture of Afghanistan by the Taliban still remain unanswered and subject to ongoing debates. For example, the US government recently released to the public its After Action Review on Afghanistan, tabulating its failures and shortcomings.1 Various factors contributed to the fall of Afghanistan. These include the political decisions by the Trump and Biden Administrations, decisions by the US and Afghan military, as well as wider geopolitical issues. This policy brief explores the significant role social media played in aiding the Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan.
This paper will delve into how social media was co-opted to create a new front in warfare by directly involving civilians and using manipulated narratives. The Taliban used violent content as a weapon. The Taliban used social media to pursue their strategies and defeat the morale of the Afghan Republic government, military, and the public. The paper will analyse the Taliban's public relations campaign strategy on social media over the last twenty years, with a particular focus on the period following the collapse of the Republic. The paper will explore the ways in which autocratic and repressive groups like the Taliban exploit social media platforms to disseminate their political ideologies, propaganda, and messages, aiming to manipulate and sway public opinion. Furthermore, the paper will examine how the Taliban utilise social media to communicate with a global audience and its implications for their legitimacy and recognition by the international community.
From Technophobia to Tech-Savvy: The Role of Social Media in Contemporary Warfare
The Taliban's initial regime from 1995 to 2001 was characterised by a technophobic approach and aversion to modern technology like social media as well as traditional media such as television and radio.2 However, following their overthrow by the US and NATO allies, the Taliban underwent a transformation, becoming tech-savvy. Like other terror groups, the Taliban began to harness the power of social media to wage their war against the United States, NATO forces, and the Afghan Republic government.3
Recognising the significance of media, including social media, in contemporary warfare, the Taliban established their own websites and social media pages, acknowledging that wars today cannot be won without effectively utilising media.4 Abdul Sattar Mawandi, a Taliban representative, once said: "Wars today cannot be won without the media. Media is directed to the heart rather than the body, while the weapon is directed to the body; if the heart is defeated, the battle is won, and the body is defeated." 5 This highlights the Taliban's understanding of the power of media in shaping public opinion and influencing conflicts, even for organisations that were previously resistant to embracing technology.
Eventually, along with the Taliban's military advances, starting in 2020, they started a social media propaganda campaign to aid the military operation. This campaign created a new front in warfare by directly involving civilians and using manipulated narratives and violent content as weapons to neutralise resistance and weaken the morale of the Afghan national force, local authorities, and the public.6
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