torsdag 19. august 2021

China, Russia are stage-managing the Taliban

The first Taliban press conference after last weekend’s Saigon moment geopolitical earthquake, conducted by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, was in itself a game-changer.  The contrast could not be starker with those rambling pressers at the Taliban embassy in Islamabad after 9/11 and before the start of the American bombing – proving this incarnation of the Taliban is an entirely new political animal.

Yet some things never change. English translations remain atrocious. Here is a good summary of the key Taliban statements. These are the key takeaways.