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A30 world news
Diaranson 8 september 2021

Taliban form all-male Afghan government of old guard members

who would have struggled to some carried signs bemoan-
The statement spoke of pro- accept figures from previous ing the killing of their sons by
tecting the rights of minori- governments that they see Taliban fighters that they say
ties and the underprivileged, as corrupt and that they be- were aided by Pakistan. One
and it promised education lieve they were called upon sign read: “I am a mother.
“to all countrymen within to oust. When you kill my son, you
the framework of Sharia.” kill a part of me.”
Women were not mentioned “The fighters made the sacri-
in the three-page statement. fices. ... They are the decision At one point, a Taliban fight-
makers, not the politicians,” er responded: “We have an-
Abdul Salam Hanafi, an eth- said analyst and author Fa- nounced amnesty to every-
nic Uzbek, was named as zelminallah Qazizai, who has one who has killed our sons.”
second deputy to Hasan Ak- has written extensively about
hund. A long-time Taliban the Taliban. The Taliban moved quickly
member, he is unlikely to sat- and harshly to end the pro-
isfy demands for inclusivity Yet even with a Cabinet test as demonstrators arrived
and minority representation. dominated by ethnic Pash- near the presidential palace.
tuns, the Taliban’s fighting They fired their weapons
Besides Haqqani as head of force would appear to have into the air and arrested sev-
the police, the other top se- already attained some di- eral journalists covering the
curity post of defense minis- versity, with their ranks bol- demonstration. At one point,
ter went to Mullah Moham- stered considerably by ethnic a Taliban member waving a
mad Yaqoob , the son of Tal- Tajiks and Uzbeks. That may Kalashnikov rifle took a mi-
iban founder and near myth- have helped hand the Tal- crophone from a journalist
ic figure Mullah Mohammad iban a surprising win in the and began beating him with
Omar. mostly Tajik province of Ba- it. The journalist was later
(AP) — The Taliban on tarian aid, but the needs are dakhshan, which they over- handcuffed and detained for
Tuesday announced an massive, and the Taliban can The Haqqani network, ran with hardly a fight. When several hours.
all-male interim govern- hardly afford isolation. which dominates most of they last ruled, the province
ment for Afghanistan eastern Afghanistan, has been was the only one they failed “This is the third time I have
stacked with veterans of In announcing the Cabinet, blamed for dramatic attacks to control. been beaten by the Taliban
their hard-line rule from Taliban spokesman Zabihul- in Kabul in the past two de- covering protests,” the jour-
the 1990s and the 20-year lah Mujahid emphasized that cades and for orchestrating At Tuesday’s demonstration nalist told The Associated
battle against the U.S.- the appointments were tem- kidnappings, often of Ameri- that was broken up by gun- Press, speaking on condition
led coalition, a move that porary. He did not say how cans. Washington believes it fire, protesters had gathered he not be identified because
seems unlikely to win the long they would serve and still holds Mark Frerichs, a outside the Pakistani Em- he feared retaliation. “I won’t
international support the what would be the catalyst civilian contractor, who was bassy to accuse Islamabad of go again to cover a demon-
new leaders desperately for a change. abducted in January 2020 and aiding the Taliban’s assault on stration. It’s too difficult for
need to avoid an econom- hasn’t been heard from since. northern Panjshir province. me.”
ic meltdown. Since taking over Afghani- The Taliban said Monday
stan in mid-August after U.S. The new foreign minister they seized the province — A journalist from Afghani-
Appointed to the key post of troops withdrew, the Taliban will be Amir Khan Muttaqi, the last one not in their con- stan’s popular TOLO News
interior minister was Sirajud- have shown no indications another prominent figure trol — after their lightning was detained for three hours
din Haqqani, who is on the they will hold elections. from the Taliban’s last time advance through Afghanistan by the Taliban before being
FBI’s most-wanted list with in power. He faces a difficult last month. freed. He was given back his
a $5 million bounty on his The interim prime minister, task, given the Cabinet’s lack equipment and his video of
head and is believed to still Mullah Hasan Akhund, also of diversity. Afghanistan’s previous gov- the demonstration was intact.
be holding at least one Amer- headed the Taliban govern- ernment routinely accused
ican hostage. He headed the ment in Kabul during the last The Cabinet selection de- neighboring Pakistan of aid- On Saturday, Taliban special
feared Haqqani network that years of its rule. Mullah Ab- fied the many voices that had ing the Taliban, a charge Is- forces in camouflage fired
is blamed for many deadly at- dul Ghani Baradar, who had urged inclusivity and mod- lamabad has denied. their weapons into the air to
tacks and kidnappings. led talks with the U.S. and eration. Instead, it seemed end a protest march in Kabul
signed the deal that led to the to be a bow to the Taliban’s Dozens of women were by women demanding equal
The announcement came withdrawal, will be one of tens of thousands of fighters, among the protesters, and rights.
hours after Taliban fired their two deputies to Akhund.
guns into the air to disperse
protesters in the capital of A policy statement accompa-
Kabul and arrested several nying the Cabinet announce-
journalists, the second time ment sought to allay fears of
in less than a week that heavy- Afghanistan’s neighbors and
handed tactics were used to the rest of the world, but was
break up a demonstration. unlikely to calm the fears of
women, who didn’t get a sin-
Drawn mostly from Afghani- gle post.
stan’s dominant Pashtun eth-
nic group, the Cabinet’s lack “Our message to our neigh-
of representation from other bors, the region and the world
ethnic groups also seems is that Afghanistan’s soil will
certain to hobble its support not be used against the secu-
from abroad. rity of any other country,” the
statement said.
As much as 80% of Afghani-
stan’s budget comes from the It urged foreign diplomats,
international community, embassies, consulates and
and a long-running economic humanitarian organizations
crisis has worsened in recent to return to Afghanistan.
months. Near daily flights “Their presence is the need
from Qatar bring in humani- of our country,” it said.