Who are Taliban? What they want?
Taliban were founded in 1994 in order to impose a puritanical Islamic order on Afghanistan. A 2018 estimate by Afghan and U.S. officials gauged that the Taliban included at least 60,000 fighters. These numbers have allowed the Taliban to remain a credible fighting force with the ability to win and hold territory. According to an October 2018 report, the Taliban controlled more territory in Afghanistan than it had since 2001, up to 45% of the country. The Taliban have operated as an insurgent force, attempting to expel NATO forces from Afghanistan and defeat the democratically elected Afghan government. As Western forces have begun to withdraw from the country in recent years and government authority has weakened, Taliban forces have filled the vacuum.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, August 12, 2021
(New York, N.Y.) — This week, the Taliban seized the Afghan provincial capitals of Pul-i-Khumri, Farah, Faizabad, and Ghazni, giving them estimated control of more than two-thirds of the country. The Taliban’s victories bring the total number of major cities captured in the last week to 10 and follow the killing of government senior media officer on Friday in Kabul. According to press reports, U.S. officials believe that Kabul could fall to the Taliban within a year, while some estimate it could happen within 90 days.
Presiden Joe Biden has ordered a full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan by August 31. On Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby declared it was ultimately up to the Afghans to defend their country from the Taliban and other threats. The United States continues to launch airstrikes from outside of Afghanistan in support of the Afghan military, but Kirby would not confirm whether the United States would continue to provide air support past the August 31 deadline or would limit counterterrorism strikes only to instances when specific plans to attack the U.S. homeland or U.S. allies are discovered.
Taliban spokespeople have issued a number of statements in recent days, including pledging an amnesty for those who worked for the Government. They have also pledged to be inclusive. They have said woman can work and girls can go to school. Such promises will need to be honoured, and for the time being — again understandably, given past history — these declarations have been greeted with some scepticism. Nevertheless, the promises have been made, and whether or not they are honoured or broken will be closely scrutinized.
