“Most of the people we are tracking now are afraid of even trying to pass through Taliban checkpoints,” said Michael P. Mulroy, a former CIA officer and Middle East leader in the Pentagon during the Trump administration.
Updated
Aug 29, 2021, 12:44 p.m. ET
“So if we’re not there, if the whole focus of the world is not on the Taliban, I have no inclination that they will do anything but prosecute people who have worked really closely with the US, probably and.” execute in many cases. ”“ said Mr Mulroy on Saturday.
Tens of thousands of Afghans who worked for the United States are said to be among the more than 114,400 people evacuated from the international airport in the capital, Kabul, since August 14. These included almost 5,500 US citizens, 50 of them on the last day alone, most of whom have American and Afghan passports.
The State Department said that another 350 Americans were waiting to be evacuated on Saturday and estimated that another 280 who claimed to be US citizens had either signaled they would not leave or had not signed up.
Understanding the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan
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Who are the Taliban? The Taliban emerged in 1994 amid the unrest following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989. They used brutal public punishments, including flogging, amputation and mass executions, to enforce their rules. Here is more about their genesis and track record as rulers.
Who are the Taliban leaders? These are the top leaders of the Taliban, men who for years have been on the run, in hiding, in prison and dodging American drones. Little is known about them or how they plan to rule, including whether they will be as tolerant as they say they are.
What is happening to the women of Afghanistan? When the Taliban was last in power, they banned women and girls from most jobs or from going to school. Afghan women have gained a lot since the Taliban was overthrown, but now they fear that they are losing ground. Taliban officials are trying to reassure women that things will be different, but there are indications that they have begun to reintroduce the old order in at least some areas.
Sunday’s joint statement was the latest in a series of diplomatic moves to force the Taliban to prosecute terrorists, uphold human rights and form an inclusive government after its militants took power from Western-backed leaders on August 15 of the country. and inconvenient – postponement for the United States and its closest allies, who invaded Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks and viewed the Taliban as an enemy.
In his statement on Friday, Taliban negotiator Mr Stanekzai said “we have no problems” with Afghans traveling abroad for medical treatment, business, education, or whatever he vaguely termed other reasons. “Nobody is going to stop you from traveling,” he said, according to a partial copy of his remarks provided by a US official to the New York Times.
But Mr Stanekzai said Afghan citizens must first obtain passports from the Afghan Interior Ministry and then try to obtain visas and other approved travel documents from foreign governments before they can leave the country. At best, it’s a process that can take months if not years; In the worst case, it will alert the Taliban who does not want to live under their rule.
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