Taliban announce 'amnesty,' urge women to join government

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By AHMAD SEIR, TAMEEM AKHGAR, KATHY GANNON and JON GAMBRELL

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee their rule.

Following a blitz across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents without a fight, the Taliban have sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s. But many Afghans remain skeptical.

Older generations remember the Taliban’s ultraconservative Islamic views, which included severe restrictions on women as well as stonings, amputations and public executions before they were ousted by the U.S-led invasion that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

While there were no major reports of abuses or fighting in the capital of Kabul as the Taliban now patrol its streets, many residents have stayed home and remain fearful after the insurgents’ takeover saw prisons emptied and armories looted. Many women have expressed dread that the two-decade Western experiment to expand their rights and remake Afghanistan would not survive the resurgent Taliban.



Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. On Monday, the U.S. military and officials focus was on Kabul’s airport, where thousands of Afghans trapped by the sudden Taliban takeover rushed the tarmac and clung to U.S. military planes deployed to fly out staffers of the U.S. Embassy, which shut down Sunday, and others. (AP Photo/Shekib Rahmani)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/technology-joe-biden-middle-east-kabul-taliban-1d4b052ccef113adc8dc94f965ff23c7

[orangecrush]

1. Uh huh

[Farmer-Rick]

2. You have to ask what is it the Taliban is offering people

That they have kept the US empire's military at bay for decades.

The Taliban is giving the Afghanistan people something or they would not be around today.

[IronLionZion]

10. They resisted the foreign invaders for 20 years

and finally drove them out. Or some version of that. Afghani people don't have much choice at this point. Military experts have explained the problems with the Afghan military without US intel and air support. But fewer have talked about the Taliban's decades of experience without fancy weapons or satellites or anything like that.

Rachel Maddow did a piece on the blatant corruption of the US supported Afghan government getting fabulously wealthy without much trickling down to regular people, so they weren't very popular.

[Lonestarblue]

13. Afghanistan is mostly a rural society, and rural areas tend to be more conservative--

just as our own religious extremists tend to live in more rural areas. Afghanistan relies heavily on its agriculture for exports:

“As reported in GAO-10-368, between 2007 and 2008 in Afghanistan, wheat was the most frequently cited primary crop produced during the summer planting season, followed by opium and potatoes on irrigated land and cotton and barley on rain-fed land, corn, sorghum, and rice were grown on irrigated land during the winter planting season. Some households also grew fruit and nut trees and grapes. Figure 2 shows the number of households that cultivated crops on irrigated land during the summer and winter months during 2007 and 2008.”
From https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-10-756sp.pdf

Notice that opium is the number two crop—mostly exported for heroin, not for use in legitimate drugs. That illegal drug trade funds a lot of Taliban activities and they reward farmers for growing the opium.

Afghanistan seems to be a country mired in the past but also one where too many people (mostly men) are worried about losing their religious power and their need to control the lives of all children and women. Sound familiar?

Even if the Taliban accepts women in government, I suspect they will require them to be covered from head to toe and will limit any power they have to make changes for education or the improvement of women’s lives.

[luv2fly]

3. Time will tell right?

And it won't take all that long to determine whether or not they truly are more moderate.

[christx30]

4. There are reports of the Taliban

shooting surrendering ANA soldiers. So I’m sure they will forgive me for having doubts.

[Botany]

5. The Taliban are scum. Why would anybody believe them?

n/t

[Javaman]

6. nope not a bait and switch at all. nt

[honest.abe]

7. Dont trust them at all but I will take anything that sounds like good news at this point.

Hope this is real.

[Irish_Dem]

8. This could be accurate for the following reasons:

1. Historically, once a ruthless rebel group gains power, it becomes expendable as a more moderate group takes over.
The moderate group is more likely to maintain long term power.

2. The Taliban is now being advised and partnering with China. China learned that maintaining absolute power using draconian harsh autocratic tactics over their entire population is not sustainable long term. And is not the path to regional or superpower status.

3. China must have a stable Afghanistan for a number of reasons. And China is willing to pay the Taliban for that stability.
China is too cunning to waste 20 years and $2 Trillion bombing Afghanistan into compliance. Decades of experience in Africa, soft colonization there, has taught China carrot is more effective than stick when it comes to international relationships.

4. The Taliban desires international status and legitimacy as well as wealth and power. They must understand that the ruthless persecution of women and children will make them a international pariah. At the least, they will make some pretense of treating women better than in the past.

My .02 for what it is worth. But I admit the Taliban is a wild card, and who knows.

[Deminpenn]

11. Interesting take

IIRC, in the northern provinces, women were/are treated more as equals by the ethnic groups controlling that area. Taliban might have to accomodate that. Perhaps the taliban recognize the genie of smart, educated women isn't going back into the bottle.

[Irish_Dem]

14. If the Taliban truly wants international legitimacy, the PR of treating women like cattle/slaves is

very bad PR in the 21st century.

And China, who is now advising the Taliban, are experts at two things:

1. Giving the populace just enough freedom to make them docile.
2. Managing public relations images for wide distribution.

I guess it all depends upon what the Taliban is going for. Do they want to be small time thugs with a religious ax to grind, or major players on the regional and international stage?

I think China is going to lean hard on the Taliban. China wants their rare earth minerals. And must have a stable Afghanistan for their Belt and Road initiatives. In addition, China must secure regional stability and dominance in Asia if it wishes to become a superpower. And it is going to be a superpower. So there we have it.

However as I said, the Taliban is a wild card, and so is Pakistan. So it is going to be quite interesting to see how this unfolds.

[ancianita]

18. Taliban have access to China through other countries like Tajikistan. And

there has been talk between the Chinese and Taliban.

China welcomes Taliban help with the Uighurs. Taliban might be willing to help China fight Uighurs in exchange for Belt and Road stability, but neither side are really tied to the Uighurs' interests nor the interests of the West. Taliban will likely help Uighurs while it engages in trade with China.
Yes, it will be interesting to see Afghanistan throw its chips in with China economically, but I'm pretty sure that leaning hard is not exactly China's style when building the Belt and Road.

We've been shown how military invasion isn't the way to cut trade deals with other countries, and it's likely that our exit allows entry and a softened path for China's Belt and Road success with the Taliban. It will likely go right through that little inland peninsular shaped strip, the 70 mile border they share, the one that's right near the Uighurs' province of Xinjiang.

[Irish_Dem]

27. When I say "lean hard," I mean Chinese seduction and carrot.

I don't mean hostile action at all. As you say, that is not China's style when doing its soft colonization of other countries.
They sent troops to Africa, but spent a huge amount of money building infrastructure, not destroying it by dropping bombs like the US does.

We know the Taliban and Chinese are talking, probably have been doing so for some time.

Interesting point about the Taliban helping China with their Uighur problem. I assumed the Taliban and China would reach an agreement to not meddle in each other's internal affairs. But you could be right, the Taliban could assist in some ways.
Perhaps the Uighurs could be re-settled elsewhere else in Asia, once China establishes itself as THE regional power in that part of the world.

Of course, yes, neither side is interested in Uighur interests or sentiments. But China wants to be the regional superpower, wants to be THE sole international superpower and will move pieces around on the chess board to achieve that aim.

Exactly, the US set up the perfect opportunity for China to move forward with its goals. Right, all you have to do is look at a map and see what China must be thinking.

[ancianita]

28. I see. Thanks.

I wasn't sure what you meant and wasn't implying anything in particular, just writing as thinking, is all, and writing the obvious so that I can actually see what I'm thinking. Anyway...

We in the West -- which has been a colonial construct, anyway -- would do well to watch and learn from the "carrot" approaches of older civilizations that have put up with our 'democratic outreach' activities. Because we have a hard era of constant transition and adaptation coming, and up ahead, we'd best try to coordinate with those we've deemed hostile in the past. These days, we can watch what works, do what we're good at, and sell what we're good at in order to rebuild trust in our worth as a constructive world neighbor.

[Irish_Dem]

32. I agree with your thoughts.

America's tendency is to bomb other countries into submission. Has been a disaster. All in the name of democracy.
We now know the GOP doesn't care about democracy anyway.

China has been coming at it from the other direction. Spending a lot of money on infrastructure, cutting deals, all every transactional.
They don't get into the internal, personal affairs of other countries. They keep their eye on the ball. The ball being trade deals, money, geopolitical power, etc.

Your suggestions are good ones. I don't know if the US has the political will, morality or consensus to use a sensible, pragmatic, trustworthy international strategy. They certainly don't when it comes to internal affairs.

[Deminpenn]

31. US just froze all Taliban financial assets

Regaining access to their money is a decent sized carrot to encourage them to adopt more moderate policies toward women and girls and others.

[Irish_Dem]

33. Exactly. Probably more of a viable strategy than carpet bombing civilians.

[RussBLib]

9. And Sharia Law?

The Taliban was big into that 20-30 years ago. If they have moderated from that, that would be a big advance.

[Deep State Witch]

12. The Scorpion and the Frog

The Taliban asking women to join the government is like the Scorpion and the Frog. Halfway through, that scorpion is gonna sting the frog. It's in their nature.

[Texin]

15. I hope no woman anywhere in Afghanistan falls for that ruse.

It sounds like the Taliban's method to collect women who have served in official governmental roles or would wish to do so in future) within the past 20ish years to then systematically execute them.

[ancianita]

16. Amnesty. For just having free will. It's human rights abuse under cover of patriarchal religion.

For the immutable human right of curiosity, learning, having a public role, having a say in one's own health and welfare.

[Baitball Blogger]

17. Humor them for two weeks so they will continue the amnesty and give us time to

evacuate people.

[PoliticAverse]

19. "Taliban told me to stand to the side 'because I'm a woman'"

[greenjar_01]

20. They had some DEI training during their time in Doha

[dalton99a]

21. "Nobody respects women more than the Taliban"

[hatrack]

22. Blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah

(automatic weapons fire)

Blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah

(sound of truncheons hitting skulls)

Blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah

And so on.

[Earth-shine]

23. Even if the Taliban "federal" government is sincere here, and willing to work with women ...

The Taliban is a loose association of warlords and gangs.

In the more rural areas, there will be nothing to stop the men from running roughshod over the women and terrorizing villages.

[oasis]

24. "Will you walk into my parlour?', said the spider to the fly".

[Jon King]

25. It will end up worse than 20 years ago.

20 years is nothing, so the angry 25-30 year olds are now livid 45-50 year olds looking for revenge and more angry than ever.

Saying the right things while in the rural areas it has already returned to the old days. Then they will impose more and more restrictions, working into the cities, until its likely even worse than 20 years ago.

[Mr. Evil]

26. They also said that they will be instituting strict Sharia law.

So, I think we all know where this is heading.

[andym]

29. Taliban founder Mullah Omar has been dead for years

His vision for the Taliban may no longer be held by successor co-founder Mullah Baradar, especially after spending almost a decade in prison in Pakistan.

[RVN VET71]

30. We are out of there, at last!

That is the important thing. It is now up to the U.S. Government to begin remaking America and its foreign policy I think it’s pretty obvious, isn’t it, that we’re no longer in a position to claim to be “Number 1” -- as if that ever meant anything to the lives of the average working stiffs in this country. So let’s just forget about ratings and concentrate on strengthening our democracy here, at home, and doing what government -- and only government -- can do to promote the general welfare of our citizens.

China is in the ascendant. We had a chance to keep up with her but failed miserably. So forget the competition for some mythical gold medal. I know the RW and even some here, at D.U. will bristle at the thought of the U.S. stepping out of the game and letting China reign supreme -- possible followed by the U.S., but who cares as long as the American economy is strong, our people are working and well paid -- or, if not working, well provided for -- and our colleges and universities once again attracting the best and brightest of our students and of students from other countries, and continuing to engage in forward looking research in the sciences and humanities.

This is not a manifesto. It’s just a couple of notions of where America might move towards in the future.