The Taliban Declare ‘Amnesty’ In Afghanistan And Urge Women To Join The Government

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The Taliban say there is «amnesty across Afghanistan, the first remarks about how they might govern the country this time around. Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at a perimeter at the Kabul airport on Monday.





Shekib Rahmani/AP



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Shekib Rahmani/AP



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Photos: A View Of Afghanistan As The Taliban Take Over

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.

Germany, meanwhile, halted development aid to Afghanistan over the Taliban takeover. Such aid is a crucial source of funding for the country — and the Taliban’s efforts to project a milder version of themselves may be aimed at ensuring that money continues to flow.


The declaration marks the first remarks about how this regime might run Afghanistan


The promises of amnesty from Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, were the first comments on how the Taliban might govern on a national level. His remarks remained vague, however, as the Taliban are still negotiating with political leaders of the country’s fallen government and no formal handover deal has been announced.



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«The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan with full dignity and honesty has announced a complete amnesty for all Afghanistan, especially those who were with the opposition or supported the occupiers for years and recently, he said.

Other Taliban leaders have said they won’t seek revenge on those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign countries. But some in Kabul allege Taliban fighters have lists of people who cooperated with the government and are seeking them out.

Samangani also described women as «the main victims of the more than 40 years of crisis in Afghanistan.

«The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan doesn’t want the women to be the victims anymore, he said. «The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is ready to provide women with environment to work and study, and the presence of women in different (government) structures according to Islamic law and in accordance with our cultural values.





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Pakistani paramilitary soldiers stand guard as people enter Pakistan through a border crossing point in Chaman on Tuesday.





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The Picture Show
Photos: A View Of Afghanistan As The Taliban Take Over



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Stefano Pontecorvo, NATO’s senior civilian representative to Afghanistan, posted video online Tuesday showing the runway empty with U.S. troops on the tarmac. What appeared to be a military cargo transport plane could be seen in the distance.

«I see airplanes landing and taking off, he wrote on Twitter.

Overnight, flight-tracking data showed a U.S. military plane taking off for Qatar, home to the U.S. military Central Command’s forward headquarters. A British military cargo plane, headed to Kabul, took off from Dubai.

Still, there were indications that the situation was still tenuous. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul, now operating from the airport, urged Americans to register online for evacuations but not come to the airport before being contacted.

The German Foreign Ministry said a first German military transport plane landed in Kabul, but it could only take seven people on board before it had to depart again due to continued chaos.





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U.S. soldiers stand guard along a perimeter at the Kabul airport on Monday.





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U.S. soldiers stand guard along a perimeter at the Kabul airport on Monday.


Shekib Rahmani/AP


Biden stands firm in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan


Across Afghanistan, the International Committee of the Red Cross said thousands had been wounded in fighting as the Taliban swept across the country in recent days. However, in many places, security forces and politicians handed over their provinces and bases without a fight, likely fearing what would happen when the last American troops withdrew as planned at the end of the month.

A resolute U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday said he stood «squarely behind his decision to withdraw American forces and acknowledged the «gut-wrenching images unfolding in Kabul. Biden said he faced a choice between honoring a previously negotiated withdrawal agreement or sending thousands more troops back to begin a third decade of war.

«After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces, Biden said in a televised address from the White House.

Talks continued Tuesday between the Taliban and several Afghan government officials, including former President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, who once headed the country’s negotiating council. Discussions focused on how a Taliban-dominated government would operate given the changes in Afghanistan over the last 20 years, rather than just dividing up who controlled what ministries, officials with knowledge of the negotiations said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential details of the talks.

President Ashraf Ghani earlier fled the country amid the Taliban advance and his whereabouts remain unknown.