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The Northern Alliance (who prefer the title United Front) are a group of factions who had the
common goal of toppling the Taliban regime that was formerly in power in Afghanistan. They fought against the Taliban control that had expanded from Kandahar in 1994 to capture most of Afghanistan by September 2001.
In November and December of
2001, the Northern Alliance was successful in advancing to control much of the country,
including the capital Kabul. This was facilitated by extensive bombing of Taliban forces
and military infrastructure by the United States during the U.S.-led attack on Afghanistan.
Northern Alliance forces previously showed themselves unable to rule effectively, however, turning on each other after they
took control in Kabul in 1992 from the
Soviet-backed regime. This bloody feuding between forces loyal to President Burhanuddin Rabbani and rival factions ultimately cleared the way for the Taliban conquest in 1996.
Many members are ethnic Tajiks (which may be a factor in Tajikistan's willingness to help the United States
in the conflict), Uzbeks and Hazaras - ethnic
minorities in Afghanistan. The factions in the Alliance consist of members from the former mujahedin, others from different minority groups and remnants of the former Soviet-backed communist government.
The Northern Alliance enjoys support from India, while the Taliban were close to
Pakistan until the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack when Pakistan backed off due to pressure and the
hope of debt relief.
The political leader of the alliance is Burhanuddin
Rabbani. There are several military leaders controlling different factions within the alliance, including Abdul Rashid Dostum, General Mohammed Fahim and Ismail Khan. Ahmed Shah Massoud was the main military leader and an important
political figure in the alliance until his death, which was publicly confirmed on September 13, 2001, following an attack by assassins four days before on
September 9.
Human rights groups say the Northern Alliance was responsible for brutal excesses during the factional civil strife that raged
before the Taliban took over most of the country in 1996.
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