MEI - Taliban

With the Taliban firmly in control in Afghanistan, the group's extremist ideology, history of brutal repression, and deep links to a variety of militant and terrorist groups requires close monitoring of their leadership and affiliates, as well as their activities. At the same time, the interests of the United States — which does not recognize the current caretaker Taliban government — and the broader engagement community argue for efforts to explore avenues for meaningful engagements with the Taliban government. This necessity underscores the importance of understanding the Taliban's internal power dynamics, especially the key decision-makers and influencers within the regime.

This initiative, the first of its kind, seeks to map out the “who's who” of the Taliban regime and offer insights into its corridors of power. 

After seizing power on August 15, 2021, the Taliban leaders quickly re-established their new government under the banner of the group’s historic name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). They declared the new government "acting" (sarparast), without term limits, effectively leaving the tenure of their caretaker government indefinite. On September 7, 2021, the government announced their first cabinet and other key appointments. Since then, thousands of individuals have been appointed to key positions across the country, which includes both seasoned veterans and new figures rising within the regime's hierarchy. 

Launched in mid-2024, this mapping platform serves as a comprehensive repository of nearly all senior- and mid-level Taliban appointments—both civilian and military. It catalogues nearly 1,200 individuals holding various positions of authority, including in the executive office of the Taliban Emir, cabinet, security agencies, military, provincial- and district-level governance, mayors, judicial bodies, and independent commissions and government bodies. It also tracks appointees in the newly established Sharia and military courts, clerical (ulema) councils, as well as those involved in the Taliban’s foreign relations, finance and economic issues, media, public affairs, education, and culture, both domestically and abroad. For clarity, the mapping also identifies individuals who may not be formal members of the Taliban, but hold significant positions or have affiliations with the regime. These figures are labeled as "non-Taliban.

All individuals listed in this resource play crucial roles in supporting or shaping the Taliban's policies and actions, whether as decision-makers, policy implementers, enforcers, or influencers. However, limited public knowledge about these figures, whether related to their tribal and factional affiliations, leadership styles, or connections to criminal and terrorist networks, poses a significant challenge in understanding how the Taliban regime operates. This lack of identity insight further complicates efforts to explore effective pathways for either meaningful engagement or intervention with the regime. 

This platform bridges that gap by shedding light onto the Taliban’s internal power structure, helping identify key figures who may be open to dialogue and collaboration, as well as those involved in terrorism, narcotics, rights abuses, and other illicit activities. Such information is vital for crafting a targeted policy approach that can positively influence and shape events in the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, thereby both advancing American security interests and promoting internal stability, accountability, and human rights. 

Key features of the mapping include (still in progress): 

 

• Names and Aliases: Identifies individuals’ names and any known pseudonyms or nom de guerre. Given the Taliban's frequent use of aliases, this helps in identifying those who may operate under multiple identities. 
• Official Positions: This lists the official titles, and roles and responsibilities of Taliban officials and affiliates, outlining their positions within or in support of the regime. Despite frequent personnel changes and reshuffling, all individuals holding formal positions appears to be serving on an "acting" basis.  
• Photographs: The repository includes an extensive collection of over 1,000 recent photographs of Taliban leaders and key figures, offering visibility despite the group's historical secrecy. 
• Ethnicity and Tribe: It documents the known ethnic and tribal affiliation of the Taliban figures and affiliates, offering insights into the internal power distribution, key factions, and power bases.
• Province and District of Origin: Tracks available information about the individuals' home regions, which helps to identify local enforcers and implementers. 
• Other Identifying Information: Details known information about the individuals' background, education, age, past roles both under the current and previous Taliban regime, leadership style, and known links to other key actors, including militant and terrorist groups. This data helps to identify those who may wield influence over the Taliban’s policies and actions, particularly in critical areas like terrorism financing, narcotics, and organized crime. 

Data Collection and Analysis

The data for this project is drawn primarily from an extensive collection of publicly available open-source information gathered over a 3-year period. This open-source collection includes detailed documentation and analysis of numerous appointment orders issued by (or on behalf of) the Taliban's Emir, official appointment notices released by Taliban principals and spokespersons, and the identities of personnel disclosed in Taliban regime statements. Additionally, interviews and public appearances of Taliban officials and affiliated individuals were carefully reviewed and documented across various local and international media outlets, documentaries, conferences, and public events.

Additional efforts involved in-depth analysis of hundreds of branded and unbranded Taliban-linked social media accounts across platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Telegram, TikTok, and YouTube channels run by Taliban-linked individuals or entities. The team also conducted comprehensive reviews of internal Taliban documents and examined known public profiles of Taliban members and affiliates, along with sanction data, as provided in reports by the United Nations agencies, INTERPOL, the U.S., British, German, and French governments, and the European Union. All entries were meticulously cross-verified with these and other sources to ensure accuracy and reliability. 

All data presented in this repository has been rigorously vetted over months by subject-matter experts and U.S. counterterrorism professionals.

Most entries provided in this mapping are current as of August 2025. Real-time updates on future Taliban appointments, personnel changes, or internal reshuffling will be made available through this portal. For inquiries or to report errors or updates to any individual entries, please click here.