One year ago, Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in part because the U.S. had hoped for the best after withdrawing its forces from the country, without adequately preparing for the worst. In dealing with the Taliban today, President Joe Biden’s administration can afford no such illusions.
The past 12 months should’ve dispelled any optimism about the new regime. In its second turn in power, the Taliban again seems willing to host foreign terrorists, including former al-Qaida chieftain Ayman al-Zawahiri, killed by a U.S. drone strike in the heart of Kabul. Those Taliban leaders who favor less barbaric social policies — such as allowing girls to attend school — aren’t willing to challenge their more conservative counterparts over them.
The Pashtun-dominated movement shows little inclination to accommodate the country’s minorities or prevent revenge attacks on former enemies. If their enforcers haven’t yet replicated the horrific brutality they displayed in the 1990s, they’re nevertheless on their way to making Afghanistan one of the most repressive societies on Earth.
