This article reflects on recent history and the context of current events in Afghanistan. There was Taliban rule in the country after the regime captured Kabul in 1996. The Taliban was defeated by the U.S.-led invasion, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which backed Afghanistan's Northern Alliance. Hamid Karzai was elected president on October 9, 2004, and in December 2004, Amirzai Sangin took up the position as the Minister of Communications. Afghanistan's population is 29.9 million, with 47% less than 15 years old. An estimated 80% works in agriculture. Due to the wars the country has been left in poverty with a lack of educated workers, poor infrastructure, and many residual land mines. Afghanistan's first telephone network was installed by Siemens AG in 1957 in Kabul with a capacity of 5,000 lines. In 1999, the cost of an international call was $1.20 per minute, it decreased to 80 cents a year later. Afghan-American entrepreneur Ehsan Bayat established the Afghan Wireless Communication Co. with support from the interim government, only a month after the Bonn agreement.