It has now been almost two years since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. In recent weeks, a number of international assessments have been published looking at the state of the country under their leadership.
One UN report looked at the potential for terrorism in a country where ‘terrorist groups enjoy greater freedom… than at any time in recent history.’ Links between the Taliban and al-Qaeda are said to be ‘strong and symbiotic’, with al-Qaeda ‘rebuilding operational capability’ from its base in Afghanistan.
I understand that Iran has reached out to Afghan warlords from the country’s earlier conflicts to investigate supporting a wider uprising against the Taliban
Another UN report detailed the arbitrary shootings of former government and security personnel, public executions and flogging of ‘adulterers’. It also examined the continuing discrimination against women and girls, with the removal of their educational opportunities and access to almost all jobs. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, called this ‘gender apartheid’.
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