Shot for not wearing burqa, women and children whipped
Local Afghans banned from Kabul airport...Safety threat
Biden faces mounting criticism head-on..."It was unavoidable"
[Asia Economy reporters Hyunwoo Lee and Suhwan Kim] The Taliban, which had promised to respect women's rights and normalize the country, has immediately broken that promise and begun a reign of terror, raising concerns in the international community. Women who went out without wearing burqas have been shot, and women and children have been whipped, leading to assessments that the Taliban's unauthorized rule before the Afghan war is being reenacted. The safe departure measures at Kabul Airport, promised to the U.S. government, are also not being properly upheld, putting the safety of Americans and Afghan locals who cooperated with U.S. forces at great risk.
On the 18th (local time), Wahidullah Hasami, one of the Taliban's senior leaders, said in an interview with major foreign media, "The new government will be governed according to Islamic law," emphasizing, "Whether women wear hijabs or burqas, and whether they attend schools and workplaces, all depend on the decisions of Islamic scholars." This directly contradicts the Taliban's announcement at a press conference the previous day that "women's rights will be respected, and employment and education will be allowed."
Shot for not wearing burqa... Unauthorized rule resumes
Locally in Afghanistan, there are already reactions that the Taliban have revealed their true colors and that the reign of terror has resumed. According to The New York Times (NYT), when a large protest against the Taliban regime was held in Jalalabad, a major city in Afghanistan, Taliban soldiers fired at the protesters, resulting in at least three deaths and dozens of injuries.
Additionally, according to U.S. Fox News, in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar Province in northeastern Afghanistan, a woman who went out without wearing a burqa was shot and killed by Taliban members. Around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Taliban soldiers whipped and fired shots at Kabul citizens trying to escape Afghanistan, indiscriminately assaulting and dispersing them. Numerous women and children were reportedly injured in the process.
Afghan locals banned from entering Kabul Airport
The Taliban are also not properly honoring the safe departure guarantees promised to the U.S. government. According to CNN, the day before, Taliban soldiers set up checkpoints at the airport entrance, allowing foreigners to enter but turning away Afghan locals without permitting them to pass.
Currently, 4,500 U.S. troops are gathered at Kabul Airport, which is under U.S. control, but outside the airport, the Taliban are in charge. CNN pointed out that this situation greatly threatens the safety of Americans still remaining in Afghanistan and Afghan locals who assisted U.S. forces. The U.S. Department of Defense announced the day before that approximately 11,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan, and the number of Afghan local collaborators is estimated at 80,000.
Biden: "Chaos-free withdrawal was impossible from the start"... Defends withdrawal decision despite criticism
In the U.S., bipartisan criticism of the Biden administration's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan continues, but President Biden is defending the withdrawal decision and attempting to push through it head-on.
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, President Biden argued, "I believed from the start that there was no way for U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan without chaos, and it was inevitable," emphasizing, "Our military had to move quickly to control the situation, and that is why we are now securing the airport and managing the situation."
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