What does the Taliban stand for?

Militants tell women to stay at home as radical overhaul gets underway

Taliban fighters enter Kabul on 16 August 2021
Taliban fighters stand guard in Kabul today after its forces enter the capital
(Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

After the departure of US forces in Afghanistan, the Taliban quickly captured key cities and yesterday claimed victory as President Ashraf Ghani fled abroad and the embattled government collapsed. Here, Professor Natasha Lindstaedt, from the Department of Government at the University of Essex, writes that a look at the country’s strategic geographic location and the politics of the region (including support for the Taliban) tells us that this outcome was inevitable.

Over the past 20 years, the US has poured trillions of dollars into Afghanistan to oust the Taliban, an effort that was clearly unsuccessful.

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Julia O'Driscoll is the engagement editor. She covers UK and world news, as well as writing lifestyle and travel features. She regularly appears on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast, and hosted The Week's short-form documentary podcast, “The Overview”. Julia was previously the content and social media editor at sustainability consultancy Eco-Age, where she interviewed prominent voices in sustainable fashion and climate movements. She has a master's in liberal arts from Bristol University, and spent a year studying at Charles University in Prague.