Eric Lob is an associate professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University. He is the author of the book Iran’s Reconstruction Jihad: Rural Development and Regime Consolidation after 1979 (Cambridge University Press, 2020). His articles have appeared in the International Journal of Middle East Studies, Iranian Studies, Middle East Critique, The Middle East Journal, Third World Quarterly, and others.
question. and from my perspective, the taliban are actually torn. 0n the one hand, they are this proven ideological violent jihadist group with, as i say, this long connection with al-qaeda. 0n the other hand, then off to govern landlocked and poor state with neighbours who all view them as a source of potential security threats. yeah, ben. that has also been one of the main reasons, i understand, that groups like isis see the taliban as having beard away from the purest ideology ofjihad for about you see this playing out in the future? ., ., , ., ~ future? how do you? ithink the taliban future? how do you? ithink the taliban is future? how do you? ithink the taliban is now future? how do you? ithink the taliban is now in future? how do you? ithink the taliban is now in a - future? how do you? ithink the taliban is now in a very - the taliban is now in a very delicate stage of regime