[This book] explores ... how has a seemingly anachronistic band of religious zealots managed to retain a tenacious foothold in the struggle for Afghanistan's future ... [It] investigates ... questions relating to the character of the Taliban, its evolution over time, and its capacity to affect the future of the region.--Dust jacket
"This report documents the results of a study, not about the Pashtun people, but about beliefs about the Pashtun people. The purpose of this study was to identify the range of perceptions or misperceptions of Pashtun communities among policymakers, experts, and other opinion leaders, including some who have a degree of influence over policy and strategy decisions in the Pashtun belt of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In a sense, it was an effort to catalog Pashtun 'stereotypes'-- standardized schemes of thought about Pashtuns--and determine the degree to which those stereotypes are held by English speakers with influence over both public opinion and the policies that affect or are affected by Pashtuns"--Page 1.