Taliban’s Return: Afghanistan Safer but Far Less Free
Part of composite article Taliban’s 21.7 Million Enslaved: Afghan Women Erased in Five Years View full article →
Five years after the Taliban’s sudden takeover, Afghanistan has changed—but not in the way many hoped. In August 2021, a ten-day lightning offensive ended with the militants marching into Kabul as victors, toppling the U.S.-backed government. Panic swept the capital as people fled, some even clinging to the landing gear of departing planes. Today, experts say the country is more secure—but also far less free. “I feel sorrow,” one analyst told reporters, reflecting on the cost of stability.