For decades the Taliban’s leadership structure has been in the shadows: Even before the U.S. invasion in 2001, little was known about how the group operates beyond the names of a few top leaders.
Now the militants are trying to recast themselves in a more moderate mold: promising amnesty for their enemies, vowing to build an inclusive government with various ethnic groups, keep terrorist groups off Afghan soil and allowing women to work within the bounds of Shariah law. Those are all among conditions for the U.S. and its allies to recognize the group as the legitimate new rulers of