Helmand (Eagle of the Nile)

The Islamic Emirate of Helmand (Pashto: د هلمند اسلامي امارات, Da Helmand Islami Amarat), was founded in 2003 when the Taliban lost control of South Afghanistan and was forced to focus its power on holding their strongest province, Helmand. The Taliban currently holds control over much of Helmand, although Afghan forces have begun to regain control some small pockets on the border. The Islamic Emirate does not enjoy recognition from any sovereign state, and it is still claimed as part of Afghanistan by the central government of the country.

Fall from Grace
Kabul, they center of government control for the Taliban, fell to a coalition of Iranian and Arab armies in February of 1999. The Taliban army, scattered, began to fall victim to Northern Alliance attacks. With the coalition armies being expierenced in mountainous warfare, the Taliban was pushed down to their stronghold area, South Afghanistan. Once Kabul had been liberated, the Arab and Iranian forces began to do sweeps without concern, conducting bombing raids on areas suspected of holding Taliban soldiers. The Taliban in Southern Afghanistan became more and more fractured as these sweeps went on.

South Afghanistan Campaign
After the Afghan presidential election of 2000, where the incumbent president Burhanuddin Rabbani was reelected, the coalition forces began to leave Afghanistan, with all troops exiting by March of 2001. During this pullout, the Afghan Army, significantly less advanced than the Arab and Iranian armies that occupied the country before it, was unable to control the influx of successful Taliban advances into Afghan territory.

Helmand Stronghold
After the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush invaded Afghanistan to "finish off" the Taliban located in south Afghanistan. Coalition forces lead by the American military invaded the country later that year and decimated Taliban forces.

The leaders of the Taliban agreed to focus their power on protecting the province of Helmand, the province in which they had the most influence and the most soldiers at the time. By going on the defensive against forces inexpierenced with heavily mountainous terrain, the Taliban secured Helmand Province by the beginning of 2002.