Taliban rule brings no real security to Afghans, RFE panel says
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Five years after the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan, the absence of war does not mean security for Afghans, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty panel concluded. Panelists cited women barred from education and work, a muzzled press, and stifled civil society as evidence that Taliban promises of stability ring hollow. The discussion featured former US national-security adviser H.R. McMaster and ex-Afghan Ambassador Shukria Barakzai.
Key Facts
- The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as international forces withdrew.
- Over the past three years, not a single female has graduated from university after a ban on females studying beyond sixth grade.
- In late May, the Taliban adopted a new law legalizing the marriage of girls as young as 9 years old.
- Taliban chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada has reportedly issued new directives banning the use of smartphones.
- Former US national-security adviser H.R. McMaster called the Taliban a transnational terrorist organization connected to Al-Qaeda and Pakistan's ISI.
Panel Assessment
The RFE/RL panel featured Vice President Lisa Curtis, former US national-security adviser General H.R. McMaster, ex-Afghan Ambassador to Norway Shukria Barakzai, and regional expert Ahmad Khalid Majidyar. Barakzai rejected the Taliban's claim of having brought stability, stating that security is more than the absence of war. She argued that if a girl cannot go to school, a woman cannot work or move freely, a journalist cannot speak out, and people cannot decide their country's future, that is not genuine security. The panel noted that Afghanistan remains at a critical crossroads five years after the Taliban retook power.
Taliban Restrictions
The Taliban has largely erased women from public life and imposed severe restrictions on their appearance, movement, and right to work and study. Over the past three years, not a single female has graduated from university after a sweeping ban on females studying beyond sixth grade. In late May, the Taliban adopted a new law legalizing the marriage of girls as young as 9 years old. Taliban chief Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada has reportedly issued new directives banning the use of smartphones.
International Pressure
McMaster urged countries to recognize the Taliban as a transnational terrorist organization connected to Al-Qaeda and Pakistan's ISI, which arm and equip them. He said the world needs to weaken the Taliban's security forces, which he described as arms of the government that brutally repress freedom.
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Taliban rule brings no real security to Afghans, RFE panel says
