Afghanistan After 3 Years of Taliban Rule: Women Silenced and Oppressed as ISIS and al-Qaeda Regroup
Three years after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, the Taliban's return to power has allowed terrorist groups like al Qaeda to regain a presence in the country. This has also resulted in the loss of basic freedoms for Afghan women and girls, which they had enjoyed during the two decades of Western-backed government following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.
To mark their third year in power, the Taliban held a parade at Bagram Airfield earlier this month. This sprawling base had been the primary hub for U.S. troops in Afghanistan as they hunted Taliban and al Qaeda militants in the 20 years following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.
During the parade, the Taliban showcased U.S. and NATO military equipment abandoned by the foreign forces during their chaotic withdrawal.
Additionally, Taliban fighters gathered in a diplomatic district of Kabul, outside the now-abandoned U.S. embassy compound, chanting "death to America" as they trampled a U.S. flag that had trailed from the back of a Ford truck previously used by the U.S.-backed police force.
