Who Are Taliban?
Here are answers to questions about the militants who have seized control in Afghanistan again, including their origin story, their record as rulers, and why so many women fear their return.
In 1994, the Taliban were made up of former Afghan resistance fighters, known collectively as mujahedeen, who fought the invading Soviet forces in the 1980s. They aimed to impose their interpretation of Islamic law on the country and remove any foreign influence.
After the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996, the Sunni Islamist Organization put in place strict rules. Women had to wear head-to-toe coverings, weren't allowed to study or Work, and were forbidden from Traveling alone. TV, Music, and non-Islamic holidays were also banned.
That changed after September 11, 2001, when 19 men hijacked four commercial planes in the US, crashing two into the World Trade Center Towers, one into the pentagon, and another, destined for Washington, into a field in Pennsylvania. More than 2,700 people were killed in the attacks.
The attack was orchestrated by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who operated from inside the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Less than a month after the attack, US-allied forces invaded Afghanistan, aiming to stop th Taliban from providing the safe-heaven to al-Qaeda and stop Al-Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a base of operations for terrorist activities.
Two decades since they were ousted from power, the Taliban have been waging an insurgency against the allied forces and the US-backed Afghan Government.
Who are the Leaders?
The Taliban are led by Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, a senior religious cleric from the Taliban's founding generation.
He was named as the Taliban's leader in 2016 after the Group's previous leaders Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was killed in a US airstrike in Pakistan. Another key Player is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban co-founder, released in 2013 after being captured in 2010 in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. Baradar heads the group's political committee and recently met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
What do the Taliban want?
The Taliban have tried to present themselves as different from the Past; they have claimed to be committed to the peace process, an inclusive Government, and willing to maintain some rights for women.
Taliban Spokesperson Sohail Shaheen said women would still be allowed to continue their education from Primary to Higher education ----- a break from the rules during the Taliban past rule between 1996 to 2001. Shaheen also said diplomats, journalists, and non-p[rofits could continue operating the Country.
''That's our commitment, to provide a secure environment and they can carry out their activities for the people of Afghanistan,'' he said...
But many observers worry that a return of the Taliban rule is a return to Afghanistan two decades ago. When women's rights were severely restricted. In a tweet, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-general, said that hundreds of thousands were being forced to flee amid reports of serious human rights violations.
"International humanitarian law and human rights, especially the hard-won gains of women and girls, must be preserved," he said.
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