Afghanistan Under the Taliban: From Bad to Worse

The Taliban, a militant Islamic theocratic group, is currently in its second reiteration of rule over Afghanistan. Waiting out the US-led coalition, the Taliban quickly forced the Afghan Army into one of world history’s most significant military collapses.

Despite the militant group’s humiliating withdrawal and lightning advance, the Taliban now face many issues ruling Afghanistan. Already a third-world country during the NATO-led intervention, Afghanistan is now deteriorating past the expectations of a failed state under Taliban rule.

Afghanistan Today

Immediately after capturing Kabul and waiting out the last American Forces from the airport, the Taliban promised they would respect the rights of the citizens. The promises the militant group made were quickly reneged on as the Shura council would enact hardline Sharia law throughout Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s ruling body has banned women from attending school and holding most public positions. The strict decisions have drawn the ire of the United Nations Security Council, which unanimously approved a resolution to end the draconian measures.

Nevertheless, the Taliban has ignored all international calls to respect the rights of the people and continues to carry out archaic methods of control. Public executions, lashings, and stoning have all been documented since the Taliban retook power in 2021.

Deteriorating Socioeconomic Issues

Afghanistan historically always had a third-world economy with little economic development. The West poured hundreds of billions in financial aid to help develop the nation during the 20 years of war, but rampant corruption ruined many proposed projects.

The Taliban has exacerbated Afghanistan’s socioeconomic issues since its takeover. Being a militant organization that only focused on spreading theocratic laws, the group rarely has any experience in economic development. During the end of the US-led occupation, 19 million Afghans were reported to live at the poverty level in 2020. According to the United Nations Development Program, the poverty line has increased to 34 million Afghans this year.

An overhaul of getting vital economic aid to Afghan civilians is the Taliban, who would use foreign funds for personal and nefarious purposes rather than looking out for the well-being of the people they rule over. With the organization remaining unrecognized, aside from very few states, foreign aid will continue dissipating under Taliban rule.

A Continued Safe Haven for Terrorist Organizations

One of the conductions of the Doha Agreement amended by Qatar between the U.S. and the Taliban was that Afghanistan would no longer become a haven for extremist organizations such as al-Qaeda. Nonetheless, Afghanistan continues to be a haven for al-Qaeda leadership.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s emir at the time, was located in a safe house in the heart of the Afghan capital of Kabul. The Taliban knew his location and possibly provided a haven to Zawahiri and other top leaders nationwide.

Continued violations of the Doha Agreement will continue to plague the Taliban in their fight for international recognition, leading to a domino effect for desperately needed aid for 40 million Afghan civilians.

Tensions with Neighbors

Despite its friendly relations with Pakistan, which uses the group as a proxy, the Taliban currently has hostilities with several neighboring countries. Tajikistan remains wary of Taliban rule and has a history of combating the militant group.

Many former Afghan government officials and military personnel who fought against the Taliban were ethnic Tajiks, including the former resistance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud. The national resistance fought the Taliban after their takeover of most of Afghanistan. Tajikistan supported it before the former was forced to flee to the latter after months of Taliban onslaught.

Both China and Russia have attempted to mend any possible military escalation in Central Asia, as both countries have vital regional strategic interests. There have been rumors that both Eastern powerhouses could recognize the Taliban, as Beijing and Moscow also eye Afghanistan’s rich natural resources. However, appeasing the Taliban in the international community has yet to happen.

A looming conflict with Iran has also put the Taliban on edge. The militant group actively targets the Shia Hazaras, drawing the ire of Tehran. Disputes over water rights nearly put the Taliban and Iran into full-blown conflict this summer.

The Taliban ultimately won the war in Afghanistan by biding their time and waiting out the US-led coalition. Not knowing how to run an already third-world economy, the Taliban’s theocratic and archaic laws have only exacerbated the cataclysm tens of millions of Afghans face. Nevertheless, the group now rules over a pile of ash, and the militants are solely responsible for the deterioration of Afghanistan.