
Access to this video is a benefit for members through PBS Passport.
Back to Show
Watch Preview
Doc World
Afghanistan: The Wounded Land - Part 3: Taliban
Season 5
Episode 3
Although the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan was over, ethnic groups and Mujahideen factions kept fighting. And so, the country entered into a ruthless Civil War. With Pakistan's support and the blessing of the clergy, the Taliban emerged and triumphed, turning Afghanistan into a lab for a new type of Islamic state and the training ground for Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

55:16
A Toronto carpenter builds shelters for the unhoused, igniting hope and a battle with the city.

51:57
In rural Pakistan, a mother and daughter build a school where deaf youth find voice and future.

1:24:07
An Afghan pop star and two Afghan Star hopefuls see their lives upended after the Taliban’s return.

Unlock with PBS Passport
56:14
The Russia-Ukraine war from the perspective of Ukrainian women who have fled and stayed behind.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:27:23
In Hainan, China, young surfers aspire to join the national surf team and dream of the Olympics.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:32:46
Peacemakers call for an end to a war that has divided the Korean peninsula and its people.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:15:52
Powerful cleric Khadim Rizvi has one mission: to preserve Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:18:50
The last generation of monks to have studied where the Dalai Lama’s lineage began.

Unlock with PBS Passport
57:14
The inspiring story of Irish surfing and how its pioneers found peace during The Troubles.

Unlock with PBS Passport
54:27
After 9/11, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. Many Afghans hoped for peace and democracy.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:23
In 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. "Soviet Vietnam" began after a call for Jihad.

Unlock with PBS Passport
54:04
Afghanistan opened to the world in the 1960s. When communists seized power, a war began.