As events unfold in Kabul news is starting to emerge that the fear and loathing of the Taliban takeover may be somewhat overblown. And as @AverageJoe has rightly pointed out in an excellent post, Afghanistan now has peace and should be allowed to follow their destiny, whatever that may be. Let's look at some promising signs:
The Taliban has declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join its government,
Evacuation flights from Afghanistan resumed as a Western security official told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday that the Kabul airport’s tarmac and runway – which troops from the United States control – were now clear of crowds.
The Taliban have meanwhile declared the war in Afghanistan over and a senior leader said the group would wait until foreign forces had left before creating a new governance structure.
The UN children’s agency (UNICEF) said Taliban representatives in some parts of Afghanistan have expressed support for educating girls...some Taliban local representatives had said they were waiting for guidance on the issue from their leaders, while others have said they want schools to run for girls.
The head of the Taliban’s Military Commission, Mullah Yaqoob, has issued a voice statement declaring that no one is allowed to enter anyone’s house, especially in the city of Kabul.
The group also issued a blanket amnesty and urged all government employees to return to work. The Mayor of Kabul and the acting Minister of Public Health were both among those who returned to their jobs on Tuesday.
The Taliban urged women to join its government as Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, made the first comments on governance from a federal level across the country after their blitz across the country. “The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims” Samangani said, using the militants’ term for Afghanistan. “They should be in government structure according to Shariah law.”
Pakistan’s foreign ministry stressed in a statement the importance of inclusive political settlement as the best way forward. “The Foreign Minister [Qureshi] ...“underlined that Pakistan would remain closely engaged with the US and other international partners in promoting efforts in support of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan”, and “stressed that continued US economic engagement with Afghanistan was of crucial importance as well”.
The Taliban declared a general amnesty for all government officials and urged them to return to work, two days after taking power following a lightning sweep through the country. “A general amnesty has been declared for all… so you should start your routine life with full confidence,” said a statement from the Taliban.
The Associated Press news agency says senior Taliban leader Amir Khan Muttaqi is in the Afghan capital negotiating with Kabul’s political leadership, including former President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who once headed the country’s negotiating council. The official says the talks under way in the Afghan capital are aimed at bringing other non-Taliban leaders into the government that Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen has said will be an “inclusive Afghan government”.
According to news reports Afghanistan plays its first ever test against Australia on Nov 17 in Hobart. Cricket is the #1 sport in Afghanistan which is now tolerated by the Taliban after their fighters started playing games and avidly following radio broadcasts of the national team, which boasts Rashid Khan, the world's #1 T20 bowler.
So the signs at this early stage look good that the 'forever war' is surely over. As AverageJoe points out, "Isn't this the first step of nation building?"
