Why Are the Taliban So Resilient?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 8 February 2018
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Taliban have staged devastating attacks in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, in recent weeks. And a BBC study has discovered the group is active across the majority of the country – pushing beyond its traditional southern stronghold into eastern, western and northern parts. Seventeen years after the Taliban were toppled by a US-led invasion, it is clear the insurgent group has not been defeated. Why are the Taliban so resilient?
Presenter: Helena Merriman Producers: Ruth Alexander and Josephine Casserly
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hello just before the podcast begins I want to tell you about the assassination. |
| 0:04.3 | It's a new podcast series from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:07.8 | My name's Owen Bennett Jones and I used to be the BBC's correspondent in Pakistan |
| 0:12.4 | and for years covered the story of one of the world's best |
| 0:15.0 | known politicians, Benazir Bhutto. |
| 0:17.8 | Then she was assassinated. |
| 0:19.7 | The assassination is all about my 10-year investigation into what happened. |
| 0:24.3 | There are already seven episodes with more to come. |
| 0:27.4 | Search for the assassination wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:32.2 | Welcome to the inquiry from the BBC World Service with me, |
| 0:35.0 | Helena Merriman. |
| 0:37.0 | Each week we bring you four expert witnesses, |
| 0:40.0 | answering one pressing question from the news. |
| 0:42.8 | Saturday 20th of January in Kabul, Afghanistan at the Intercontinental Hotel. |
| 0:54.0 | It's a busy evening. |
| 0:56.0 | The hotel's booked out for a big conference, |
| 0:58.0 | and guests are in the restaurant, enjoying dinner. |
| 1:01.0 | At 9 o'clock, six men slip into the kitchen through a back door. |
| 1:08.4 | They're armed with grenades and AK-47s. They walk into the restaurant and start firing. There's panic. Some |
| 1:19.2 | drop to the floor while others run upstairs, hiding under beds or in bathrooms. |
| 1:25.0 | The armed men run through the hotel, firing weapons and setting off grenades. |
| 1:31.0 | Soon Afghan Special Forces arrive. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.