After the fall of Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban quickly seized control of Afghanistan. Since then, the group has slowly engaged with the international community in search of support while steadily eroding human rights and political freedoms at home. How will the Taliban navigate their return to power, especially following their proclaimed appointment of Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir?
In this Pakistan Initiative conversation, Uzair Younus talks to Hassan Abbas, distinguished professor at National Defense University, about his recently published book The Return of the Taliban, the run-up to the fall of Kabul, and the group’s strategy in navigating their engagement on the world stage.
The South Asia Center serves as the Atlantic Council’s focal point for work on the region as well as relations between these countries, neighboring regions, Europe, and the United States.
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Image: Taliban members drive in a convoy to celebrate the first anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, along a street in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 31, 2022. REUTERS/Ali Khara