the Taliban movement, espousing a ruthless version of Islamic law, perhaps
could bring order in chaotic Afghanistan and make it a cooperative ally.They
thus might give Pakistan greater security on one of the several borders where
Pakistani military officers hoped for what they called "strategic depth."
advance knowledge of his coming, and its officers may have facilitated his travel.
During his entire time in Sudan, he had maintained guesthouses and training
camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan.These were part of a larger network used
by diverse organizations for recruiting and training fighters for Islamic insur-
gencies in such places as Tajikistan, Kashmir, and Chechnya. Pakistani intelli-
gence officers reportedly introduced Bin Ladin to Taliban leaders in Kandahar,
their main base of power, to aid his reassertion of control over camps near