Victorious, Taliban face fierce new test in AfghanistanDeputy PM Baradar led the Taliban's talks in Doha with the USKABUL - Having conquered Afghanistan, the Taliban now face the formidable task of keeping the peace within their own ranks and running a country on the brink of ruin, experts say. With that common enemy vanquished, just weeks into Taliban rule, the group's divisions appear to be coming into sharper relief. Without foreign recognition, the Taliban would be hard-pressed to manage what the UN has called an "economic crisis" in Afghanistan and a looming "humanitarian catastrophe". Outsiders and Taliban groups from western Afghanistan, including those with links to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, were largely excluded from the government. "This is good for Taliban cohesion, and will appeal to Taliban supporters, but risks alienating other Afghans and the international community."

Source: Bangkok Post September 17, 2021 01:52 UTC