Afghan Taliban, a year after U.S. pullout, seek world's approval

Taliban members drive in a convoy to celebrate the first anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, along a street in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 31, 2022. REUTERS/Ali Khara

Afghanistan's Taliban marked the first anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces on Wednesday by calling on the international community to "learn" from the experience and accept them as the legitimate government.

The withdrawal, completed a minute before midnight on Aug. 30, 2021, came as the Taliban swept to power after a 20-year insurgency against U.S.-led forces who invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.