Special Sub-Topic: Afghanistan: Post Taliban Click Here To Play: Afghanistan: Post Taliban

What politico-militia group does Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostam lead?

Jombesh-i Milli. Dostam was the first Afghan commander to conduct an operation with US assistance to expel the Taliban from Mazar-i-Sharif in late 2001.

To which ethnic group does President Hamid Karzai belong?

Pashtun. Karzai has led Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban; first as Chairman of the Afghan Interim Administration, then as President of the Afghan Transitional Authority, and lastly as the first popularly elected President of Afghanistan.

Who was Afghanistan's first Interior Minister after the fall of the Taliban?

Yunis Qanuni. This Interior Minister lasted only 6 months.

What was the name of the international conference that selected Karzai to lead the post-Taliban Afghan Interim Adminstration?

Bonn Conference. This gathering also set several benchmarks that to achieved by 2006.

Which gathering selected the Afghan Transitional Authority in June 2002?

Emergency Loya Jirga. These gatherings are an Afghan tradition frequently held to settle major issues and, in themselves, can be considered a form of democracy.

This leader is the only person ever promoted to the rank of Marshal in the Afghan Military. Who is it?

Fahim Khan. This individual succeeded the famed "Lion of the Panjsher", Ahmad Shah Massood, as the Northern Alliance's military leader after Massood was assassinated by Al-Qaida on 9 September 2001.

This individual has served continually as Afghanistan's Foreign Minister since the fall of the Taliban. Who is it?

Abdullah Abdullah. This individual served in the same capacity in the Jamiat-i Islami prior to the fall of the Taliban.

What is the name of the UN-approved peacekeeping force that protects Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan?

International Security Assistance Force. This force is lead by a three-star NATO General.

Who has held several positions, including 4th Corps Commander, Herat Governor, and Energy Minister since the fall of the Taliban?

Ismail Khan. This individual's son, Mirwais Sadeq, was Afghanistan's second Aviation Minister to die during the post-Taliban era.

The post-Taliban era in Afghanistan has been marked by continued resistance from several insurgent groups. Who is the leader of the group known as "HiG"?

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Each of these leaders, with the exception of Homer Simpson, served in the resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan during the 1980s.