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Showing posts with the label TALIBAN

Afghans Who Were Forgotten

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                 When the US withdrew its forces from Afghanistan, it was clear that there was little hope that Washington and its European allies would still be interested in providing aid to the impoverished nation, especially since it had been seized by an adversary they had fought for two decades. Despite claims that famine and poverty were causing parents to sell their kids or that men were buying and selling their kidneys to feed their loved ones, warnings from the UN and other assistance organizations of a humanitarian catastrophe went largely unheeded. Despite pledges, very little aid—certainly not enough to feed hungry infants or prevent hunger—arrived.   The Afghan Taliban had to agree to the world demand for a broadly inclusive administration, women's education, and respect for human rights before receiving aid. There was little chance of assistance given the Taliban's obstinacy, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine seemed to have completely diverted attention awa

Return of Mediaeval Times

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                 A YEAR has passed since the Taliban stormed Kabul to restore control of Afghanistan, some 20 years after American soldiers toppled the country's hardline Islamic government in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Although there was a promise of some restraint, it was a return to the previous order.   Sadly, the Taliban government has completely returned to its previous practices. Afghanistan is experiencing a significant step backward as basic human rights are severely restricted, even though the war is over and there is a largely peaceful environment. The Taliban government may still be in contact with the outside community, but there is no indication that they have received official recognition.   Even those nations that had been in favor of a more lenient approach to them have expressed grave concern over the Taliban because of their own intransigence, which was encouraged by the hard-liners among them, regarding women and other human rights as well as their c