{"id":2289,"date":"2026-08-16T08:52:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T08:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=2289"},"modified":"2026-08-16T08:52:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T08:52:17","slug":"embattled-but-defiant-a-brutal-regime-holds-a-country-hostage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=2289","title":{"rendered":"Embattled but defiant, a brutal regime holds a country hostage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n<header class=\"sc-ad76bc40-0 fNDZoQ\">\n<div class=\"sc-5cbbddda-0 hjlPcO\">\n<div data-testid=\"article-author\" class=\"sc-5cbbddda-1 hPBdKJ\">\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"sc-5cbbddda-4 borCAt\">Elian Peltier<\/span><\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"article-datetime\" class=\"sc-5cbbddda-5 hxoHkT\"><span class=\"sc-a243f860-0 gjmXPs\"><time data-testid=\"storytile-timestamp\" datetime=\"2026-08-16T16:02:36+10:00\">August 16, 2026<!-- --> \u2014 4:02pm<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-7132c98c-0 efdRpd noPrint\" data-testid=\"article-actions\">\n<div class=\"sc-7132c98c-1 iddmiW\">\n<div class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-0 kbEYga\"><button aria-checked=\"false\" aria-label=\"Save article to read later\" role=\"switch\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-1 kmQlMe\"><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"none\" height=\"24\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" width=\"24\" class=\"sc-d1b14060-0 TUyao\"><default:path d=\"M5.75 4C5.75 3.86193 5.86193 3.75 6 3.75H18C18.1381 3.75 18.25 3.86193 18.25 4L18.25 19.7709L12.8004 16.9682C12.2981 16.7099 11.7019 16.7099 11.1996 16.9682L5.75 19.7709L5.75 4Z\"\/><\/default:svg><span class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-2 gaKrMl\">Save<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"sc-ba6ddcd9-0 kskMyR sc-d1b14060-3 cpmcTK\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button aria-label=\"Set font size to normal\" aria-pressed=\"true\" class=\"sc-f7fd8257-1 yiNod\">A<\/button><button aria-label=\"Set font size to larger\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"sc-f7fd8257-1 frqtnv\">A<\/button><button aria-label=\"Set font size to very large\" aria-pressed=\"false\" class=\"sc-f7fd8257-1 frqrHP\">A<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<aside class=\"sc-6f94ac39-6 esmrVF\"\/>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<p>The black and white flags of the Taliban were flying high along the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan\u2019s capital, as the group celebrated five years in power on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Shiny Mercedes drifted in front of graffiti praising the Taliban fighters\u2019 \u201csacrifice,\u201d the word painted in crimson, with depictions of drops of blood. Young Afghans chanted independence songs below posters hailing how \u201cthe carpet of democracy\u201d had been removed for Islamic rule.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-4820f69c-1 ZrhPA\"><button aria-label=\"enlarge image\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-5 dyWwUw\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 ikzfwY\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.9841%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/4aaf6b0243133bb018c57419d9783a0ec83aa9b1, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.9683%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/4aaf6b0243133bb018c57419d9783a0ec83aa9b1 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.0159%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/4aaf6b0243133bb018c57419d9783a0ec83aa9b1, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_2.0317%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/4aaf6b0243133bb018c57419d9783a0ec83aa9b1 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Five years on from the fall of Kabul, the Taliban maintains its grip on Afghanistan. But the regime faces a host of problems both at home and abroad. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/4aaf6b0243133bb018c57419d9783a0ec83aa9b1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/4aaf6b0243133bb018c57419d9783a0ec83aa9b1, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/4aaf6b0243133bb018c57419d9783a0ec83aa9b1 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 38 38\" height=\"38px\" width=\"38px\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-4 iMiYlW\"><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 22.029383, 7.619553)\"><default:path d=\"M1 8l6.36396103-6.36396103M8 7V1H2\"\/><\/default:g><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 7.0731, 21.523087)\"><default:path d=\"M8 1L1.63603897 7.36396103M1 2v6h6\"\/><\/default:g><\/default:svg><\/button><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 SuAZY\"><span>Five years on from the fall of Kabul, the Taliban maintains its grip on Afghanistan. But the regime faces a host of problems both at home and abroad. <\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jfXEoI\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jfhtQZ\">NYT<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But the triumphant tone is only half the story. The Taliban may be boisterous in Kabul and have a tight grip on power, yet elsewhere they find themselves targeted and face crises both at home and abroad.<\/p>\n<p>They face a conflict just <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/world\/asia\/firefights-erupt-between-pakistani-and-afghan-forces-along-border-20251012-p5n1v3.html\">short of open war<\/a> with neighbouring Pakistan. They\u2019re dealing with new waves of attacks from armed groups that want to topple them. Add to that mass unemployment, international isolation and growing domestic discontent, and the Taliban face their most serious threats since their return to power in 2021.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<aside class=\"sc-c8170ed7-0 kBAoLZ noPrint\" data-testid=\"related-story\">\n<h2 data-testid=\"related-story-heading\" class=\"sc-c8170ed7-1 iHMtRN\">Related Article<\/h2>\n<div class=\"sc-679b6ed4-0 VKgwt\" data-an-position=\"1\" imagepositions=\"top\" data-testid=\"story-tile\">\n<figure imagesizes=\"[object Object]\" class=\"sc-8825a2fb-0 kZkxVd\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/as-the-taliban-moved-on-kabul-and-locals-fled-this-australian-flew-into-its-airport-20220628-p5axac.html\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 ikzfwY\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.2118%2C$multiply_0.2805%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_64\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/48d21744abe23ca4a73cbc2abd577270ea73d632, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.2118%2C$multiply_0.5609%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_64\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/48d21744abe23ca4a73cbc2abd577270ea73d632 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.2118%2C$multiply_0.2842%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_64\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/48d21744abe23ca4a73cbc2abd577270ea73d632, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.2118%2C$multiply_0.5685%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_64\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/48d21744abe23ca4a73cbc2abd577270ea73d632 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Afghanistan \u201cbecame my identity\u201d, says Andrew Quilty, pictured in front of Kabul\u2019s Wazir Abad cemetery.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.2118%2C$multiply_0.5127%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_64\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/48d21744abe23ca4a73cbc2abd577270ea73d632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.2118%2C$multiply_0.5127%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_64\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/48d21744abe23ca4a73cbc2abd577270ea73d632, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.2118%2C$multiply_1.0255%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_64\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/48d21744abe23ca4a73cbc2abd577270ea73d632 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>It is too early to tell whether all those challenges will escalate and threaten their survival as a governing force. And as the scenes of celebration on Saturday showed, the Taliban are popular among many.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the threats they face have cracked the veneer of security and stability that the Taliban have heralded as their primary achievement \u2014 and their main selling point to the world.<\/p>\n<p>As workers were preparing Kabul for celebrations, a resistance group claimed responsibility for the killing of the Taliban mayor of a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan. Two weeks earlier, another Taliban official had been assassinated in the same province.<\/p>\n<p><b> A tight grip on power \u2013 and yet <\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<figure class=\"sc-4820f69c-1 emyPyO\"><button aria-label=\"enlarge image\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-5 dyWwUw\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 ikzfwY\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.086%2C$multiply_0.6032%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/20dc8e7bb30a28c957c25f5f504f58cc59b847bd, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.086%2C$multiply_1.2063%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/20dc8e7bb30a28c957c25f5f504f58cc59b847bd 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.086%2C$multiply_0.8095%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/20dc8e7bb30a28c957c25f5f504f58cc59b847bd, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.086%2C$multiply_1.619%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/20dc8e7bb30a28c957c25f5f504f58cc59b847bd 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\" In this undated photo from an unknown location, released in 2016, the leader of the Afghanistan Taliban Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada poses for a portrait. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.086%2C$multiply_0.7407%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/20dc8e7bb30a28c957c25f5f504f58cc59b847bd\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.086%2C$multiply_0.7407%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/20dc8e7bb30a28c957c25f5f504f58cc59b847bd, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.086%2C$multiply_1.4815%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/20dc8e7bb30a28c957c25f5f504f58cc59b847bd 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 jvMZxu\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 38 38\" height=\"38px\" width=\"38px\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-4 iMiYlW\"><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 22.029383, 7.619553)\"><default:path d=\"M1 8l6.36396103-6.36396103M8 7V1H2\"\/><\/default:g><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 7.0731, 21.523087)\"><default:path d=\"M8 1L1.63603897 7.36396103M1 2v6h6\"\/><\/default:g><\/default:svg><\/button><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 SuAZY\"><span> In this undated photo from an unknown location, released in 2016, the leader of the Afghanistan Taliban Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada poses for a portrait. <\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jfXEoI\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jfhtQZ\">AP<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Taliban are holding Afghan society in a chokehold that spares no one. Girls and women face restrictions to a degree unseen anywhere else in the world. Religious minorities are witnessing the forced closure of their places of worship. Anyone who voices criticism is repressed. United Nations staff members face arrests; journalists and rights workers suffer forced disappearances.<\/p>\n<p>The Taliban are collecting taxes and building roads, dams and canals. European countries have welcomed them in Brussels to facilitate the deportation of Afghan migrants and asylum seekers.<\/p>\n<p>They have expanded trade ties with Central Asian states and want the Trump administration to come back to Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p>Whenever a sign of dissent emerges in a province, the country\u2019s secretive and ultraconservative leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, places a key ally in a leadership position to keep things in check.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<p>And yet, the signs of trouble that have appeared in recent months are impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n<p><b> Troubles in the North <\/b><\/p>\n<p>Sporadic sounds of gunfire reverberated across the remote mountains of northeastern Afghanistan on a recent evening. Weary Taliban fighters peppered drivers with questions at checkpoints dotting the main road snaking through the province of Badakhshan.<\/p>\n<p>On the same road, two attackers had killed a senior provincial Talib official a week earlier. A small group of anti-Taliban fighters had briefly seized control of a police headquarters in a nearby district.<\/p>\n<p>Now fighting between the Taliban and another group opposing their rule was continuing in another district of Badakhshan. The province, bordering China, Pakistan and Tajikistan, is emerging as a hot spot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<figure class=\"sc-4820f69c-1 ZrhPA\"><button aria-label=\"enlarge image\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-5 dyWwUw\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 ikzfwY\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.9841%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/80dfb45a1a53d89b4d3a45e1026486838722a208, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.9683%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/80dfb45a1a53d89b4d3a45e1026486838722a208 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.0159%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/80dfb45a1a53d89b4d3a45e1026486838722a208, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_2.0317%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/80dfb45a1a53d89b4d3a45e1026486838722a208 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\" Police in Baharak market in Badakhshan Province.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/80dfb45a1a53d89b4d3a45e1026486838722a208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/80dfb45a1a53d89b4d3a45e1026486838722a208, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/80dfb45a1a53d89b4d3a45e1026486838722a208 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 38 38\" height=\"38px\" width=\"38px\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-4 iMiYlW\"><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 22.029383, 7.619553)\"><default:path d=\"M1 8l6.36396103-6.36396103M8 7V1H2\"\/><\/default:g><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 7.0731, 21.523087)\"><default:path d=\"M8 1L1.63603897 7.36396103M1 2v6h6\"\/><\/default:g><\/default:svg><\/button><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 SuAZY\"><span> Police in Baharak market in Badakhshan Province.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jfXEoI\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jfhtQZ\">NYT<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On a trip to the province this month, we talked to residents ready to support anti-Taliban groups because they said they were fed up with the Taliban\u2019s iron grip, the lack of job opportunities and the government\u2019s confiscation of natural resources.<\/p>\n<p>We drove through dozens of checkpoints and witnessed the heavy presence of intelligence officers in the isolated village where anti-Taliban fighters had stormed police headquarters.<\/p>\n<p>The clashes and the attacks have so far been scattered. The leader of one of the anti-Taliban groups described them as \u201copportunity targets\u201d aimed at challenging the Taliban\u2019s sense of control. But the leader, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the group\u2019s strategy, said the number of attacks would only increase in coming months.<\/p>\n<p><b> Tensions in the east <\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<p>An underequipped Afghan army waits nervously at the border with Pakistan. Once a sponsor of the Taliban, Pakistan has launched dozens of airstrikes on Afghanistan, killing 500 civilians since October, according to the United Nations, and has threatened to use even more force if the Taliban don\u2019t rein in militants who are staging attacks on Pakistani territory.<\/p>\n<p>The mistrust goes both ways: The Taliban have accused Pakistan of supporting the armed groups that have attacked Taliban outposts in Badakhshan.<\/p>\n<p>Whether, or to what extent, Pakistan is actively supporting anti-Taliban groups is not clear, but suspicions are running high.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Pakistanis are happy to be portrayed now as a potential patron for the armed opposition to the Taliban, because that increases their leverage over the group,\u201d said Fabrizio Foschini, a researcher at the Afghanistan Analysts Network.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<p><strong>\u2018Work, education, freedom\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The picture on the domestic front is also grim. Extreme hunger has been spreading fast from one province to another after aid cuts last year plunged millions into deeper food insecurity. The Taliban\u2019s ban on secondary and university education for women and girls is stifling development, experts say.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-4820f69c-1 ZrhPA\"><button aria-label=\"enlarge image\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-5 dyWwUw\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 ikzfwY\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.9841%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/3ac024b3e860fb81f80d5137d32f86ce8cee8b74, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.9683%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/3ac024b3e860fb81f80d5137d32f86ce8cee8b74 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.0159%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/3ac024b3e860fb81f80d5137d32f86ce8cee8b74, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_2.0317%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/3ac024b3e860fb81f80d5137d32f86ce8cee8b74 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Women waiting to be attended by a doctor at a mobile clinic in Badgor Village, Dewa Gal Valley, Kunar Province. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/3ac024b3e860fb81f80d5137d32f86ce8cee8b74\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/3ac024b3e860fb81f80d5137d32f86ce8cee8b74, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/3ac024b3e860fb81f80d5137d32f86ce8cee8b74 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 38 38\" height=\"38px\" width=\"38px\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-4 iMiYlW\"><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 22.029383, 7.619553)\"><default:path d=\"M1 8l6.36396103-6.36396103M8 7V1H2\"\/><\/default:g><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 7.0731, 21.523087)\"><default:path d=\"M8 1L1.63603897 7.36396103M1 2v6h6\"\/><\/default:g><\/default:svg><\/button><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 SuAZY\"><span>Women waiting to be attended by a doctor at a mobile clinic in Badgor Village, Dewa Gal Valley, Kunar Province. <\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jfXEoI\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jfhtQZ\">NYT<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Taliban have deprived 2.4 million Afghan girls of an education, according to UNESCO \u2014 the equivalent of all school-age girls in New York, Mexico City and Moscow combined \u2014 forced to stay home indefinitely.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-4820f69c-1 ZrhPA\"><button aria-label=\"enlarge image\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-5 dyWwUw\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 ikzfwY\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_0.9841%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/470519f5d3f1cfd9ab6654d129842c754cfb0136, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.9683%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/470519f5d3f1cfd9ab6654d129842c754cfb0136 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.0159%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/470519f5d3f1cfd9ab6654d129842c754cfb0136, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_2.0317%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/470519f5d3f1cfd9ab6654d129842c754cfb0136 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/470519f5d3f1cfd9ab6654d129842c754cfb0136\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/470519f5d3f1cfd9ab6654d129842c754cfb0136, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.151%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/470519f5d3f1cfd9ab6654d129842c754cfb0136 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 38 38\" height=\"38px\" width=\"38px\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-4 iMiYlW\"><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 22.029383, 7.619553)\"><default:path d=\"M1 8l6.36396103-6.36396103M8 7V1H2\"\/><\/default:g><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 7.0731, 21.523087)\"><default:path d=\"M8 1L1.63603897 7.36396103M1 2v6h6\"\/><\/default:g><\/default:svg><\/button><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 SuAZY\"><span>Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jfXEoI\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jfhtQZ\">AP<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<p>Some scattered signs of discontent have popped up. At a rare protest in June, demonstrators chanted \u201cWork, education, freedom,\u201d similar to what their Iranian neighbours chanted in 2022. And the leader of a large religious minority warned the Taliban in May: Don\u2019t squeeze Afghan society too much, or it will explode.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"sc-c8170ed7-0 kBAoLZ noPrint\" data-testid=\"related-story\">\n<h2 data-testid=\"related-story-heading\" class=\"sc-c8170ed7-1 iHMtRN\">Related Article<\/h2>\n<div class=\"sc-679b6ed4-0 VKgwt\" data-an-position=\"1\" imagepositions=\"top\" data-testid=\"story-tile\">\n<figure imagesizes=\"[object Object]\" class=\"sc-8825a2fb-0 kZkxVd\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/nsw\/former-taliban-extremist-warns-social-division-will-only-inspire-more-terror-attacks-20260812-p60nra.html\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 ikzfwY\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.3285954307397999%2C$multiply_0.2805%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_47%2C$y_180\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/8b4ccade16ad990181eaba0cc0deda42b0267320, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.3285954307397999%2C$multiply_0.5609%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_47%2C$y_180\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/8b4ccade16ad990181eaba0cc0deda42b0267320 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.3285954307397999%2C$multiply_0.2842%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_47%2C$y_180\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/8b4ccade16ad990181eaba0cc0deda42b0267320, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.3285954307397999%2C$multiply_0.5685%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_47%2C$y_180\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/8b4ccade16ad990181eaba0cc0deda42b0267320 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mubin Shaikh\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.3285954307397999%2C$multiply_0.5127%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_47%2C$y_180\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/8b4ccade16ad990181eaba0cc0deda42b0267320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.3285954307397999%2C$multiply_0.5127%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_47%2C$y_180\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/8b4ccade16ad990181eaba0cc0deda42b0267320, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.3285954307397999%2C$multiply_1.0255%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_47%2C$y_180\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/8b4ccade16ad990181eaba0cc0deda42b0267320 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><b> The potential to spiral? <\/b><\/p>\n<p>The Taliban know the world wants a stable Afghanistan \u2014 one that isn\u2019t a source of refugees, drugs or terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>They assert that the country no longer poses a security threat to the region or the West. They say that they have cracked down on the Islamic State militant group, and that they want peaceful relations, based on trade and diplomacy, including with the US.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<p>Since the Taliban no longer carry out suicide attacks, bomb schools or target the security forces they now represent, their main argument may hold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe greatest achievement we have had over the past five years is security,\u201d Afghanistan\u2019s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, said in an interview with The New York Times in Kabul on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>They don\u2019t want their various crises to spiral either.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"sc-4820f69c-1 ZrhPA\"><button aria-label=\"enlarge image\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-5 dyWwUw\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-d34e428-0 ikzfwY\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.9841%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/2f92e61ff3e51d2baadb18219f72bc663e76fde9, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.9683%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/2f92e61ff3e51d2baadb18219f72bc663e76fde9 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 750px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.0159%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/2f92e61ff3e51d2baadb18219f72bc663e76fde9, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_2.0317%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/2f92e61ff3e51d2baadb18219f72bc663e76fde9 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People at the remains of a house that was targeted during Pakistani airstrikes in June, at Mandakhel village, Paktia Province near the border with Pakistan, in Afghanistan.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/2f92e61ff3e51d2baadb18219f72bc663e76fde9\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_0.7725%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_86%2Cf_auto\/2f92e61ff3e51d2baadb18219f72bc663e76fde9, https:\/\/static.ffx.io\/images\/$zoom_0.092%2C$multiply_1.545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0\/t_crop_custom\/q_62%2Cf_auto\/2f92e61ff3e51d2baadb18219f72bc663e76fde9 2x\" class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<p><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"0 0 38 38\" height=\"38px\" width=\"38px\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-4 iMiYlW\"><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 22.029383, 7.619553)\"><default:path d=\"M1 8l6.36396103-6.36396103M8 7V1H2\"\/><\/default:g><default:g stroke=\"#F4F5F7\" stroke-width=\"2\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" transform=\"matrix(1, 0, 0, 1, 7.0731, 21.523087)\"><default:path d=\"M8 1L1.63603897 7.36396103M1 2v6h6\"\/><\/default:g><\/default:svg><\/button><figcaption data-testid=\"figure-caption\" class=\"sc-4820f69c-0 SuAZY\"><span>People at the remains of a house that was targeted during Pakistani airstrikes in June, at Mandakhel village, Paktia Province near the border with Pakistan, in Afghanistan.<\/span><cite class=\"sc-4820f69c-2 jfXEoI\"><span class=\"sc-4820f69c-3 jfhtQZ\">NYT<\/span><\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>All the ingredients for things to get out of control in Afghanistan again are here, analysts say: A vast population of unemployed young Afghans are fertile ground for radicalisation, especially as economic opportunities are nearly nonexistent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-c502198b-0 NkURW\">\n<p>And with animosity growing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, it is unclear who might come to the Taliban\u2019s aid: Afghanistan is, once again, a pariah state, with barely any allies.<\/p>\n<p>The past five years have brought some predictability and an end to almost two decades of fighting, which many Afghans have welcomed, despite the immense hardship and repression. But the country remains shattered, and the fragile peace is already at risk.<\/p>\n<p><strong>This article originally appeared in <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/15\/world\/asia\/entrenched-embattled-and-defiant-the-taliban-celebrate-5-years-in-power.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The New York Times<\/em><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"article-footer\" class=\"sc-780f6c39-0 fWnQtB\">\n<div class=\"sc-780f6c39-1 bhFzjY noPrint\">\n<div class=\"sc-780f6c39-2 ksUUFP\">\n<div class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-0 kbEYga sc-780f6c39-3 fMMhlQ\"><button aria-checked=\"false\" aria-label=\"Save article to read later\" role=\"switch\" type=\"button\" class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-1 kmQlMe\"><default:svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"none\" height=\"24\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" width=\"24\" class=\"sc-d1b14060-0 TUyao\"><default:path d=\"M5.75 4C5.75 3.86193 5.86193 3.75 6 3.75H18C18.1381 3.75 18.25 3.86193 18.25 4L18.25 19.7709L12.8004 16.9682C12.2981 16.7099 11.7019 16.7099 11.1996 16.9682L5.75 19.7709L5.75 4Z\"\/><\/default:svg><span class=\"sc-f9e3ccff-2 gaKrMl\">Save<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"sc-ba6ddcd9-0 yEdFV sc-d1b14060-3 cpmcTK\" role=\"tooltip\">\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"sc-3dbe4134-0 iIZygf sc-df8e6ee0-0 noPrint noPrint\" data-an-name=\"From our partners\" data-an-cu-group=\"everything\" data-an-cu-name=\"From our partners\" data-an-cu-position=\"4\" data-testid=\"from-our-partners-strap\">\n<header class=\"sc-84567ec1-0 hpMljf\">\n<h2 data-pb-type=\"hi\" class=\"sc-84567ec1-1 weWOF\"><span>From our partners<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Elian Peltier August 16, 2026 \u2014 4:02pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. AAA The black and white flags of the Taliban were flying high along the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan\u2019s capital, as the group celebrated five years in power on Saturday&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[4364,1168,4363,4362,4366,4367,4365],"class_list":["post-2289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international-news","tag-brutal","tag-country","tag-defiant","tag-embattled","tag-holds","tag-hostage","tag-regime"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2289"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2289\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}