In her June 6, 1996, testimony before the Senate Committee on New Eastern and South Asia Affairs, Assistant Secretary for South Asia Robin Raphel said Afghanistan ” ‘has become a conduit for drugs, crime, and terrorism that can undermine Pakistan [and] the neighboring Central Asian states and have an impact beyond Europe and Russia,’… She warned that terrorist incidents in the Middle East had been traced back to Afghan training camps. She argued that the Taliban’s severe interpretations of Islam defied Afghan traditions and that ultimately the balance of power would shift toward a more tolerant theology.”
– Steve Coll, Ghost Wars, Page 330