Taliban Vow No Haven for Terrorists, Breaking With Own Past
- Fundamentalist group holds first press conference in Kabul
- Militants have long history of repression of Afghan women
This article is for subscribers only.
The Taliban pledged to build an inclusive government, protect the rights of women “within the bounds of Shariah law,” and prevent Afghan territory from being used to target any other country, seeking to allay concerns the group intends to reimpose Islamic fundamentalism on Afghanistan.
The rhetoric from the militant group on Tuesday fits a pattern of reassuring comments since the Taliban seized the capital of Kabul on Sunday. But history argues against it: Their prior stint in power, until they were ousted by the U.S. military in 2001, was marked by an extremely conservative interpretation of Shariah laws that saw women face stoning or execution for non-compliance.