Many voices including within the Taliban claim it has learnt from its mistakes and is now more pragmatic and less extremist. The Taliban has learnt the art of sound byte diplomacy. Ironically, the Taliban learnt these lessons from its main enemy — the West. Moreover, the narrative of a changed Taliban was also fanned by certain sections in the US policymaking sector, which was based on a convergence of interests, especially Washington’s rush to exit Afghanistan. By participating in numerous multilateral and bilateral political negotiations, and by publicly sending high-level delegations to China and Russia, the Taliban started attaining political legitimacy.

Source: Indian Express August 16, 2021 13:41 UTC