Taliban

The Taliban appears in Afghanistan, five years on: our correspondent visits as the governing movement in Afghanistan five years after returning to power. Tom Sass describes it as having a tight grip on the country: visible violence has fallen, but social control, gender restrictions, poverty and international isolation shape daily life.

The source’s internal politics are centered on Hibatullah Akhundzada and Taliban Hardline Rule. Hardliners are described as consolidating authority from Kandahar, taking control of revenue sources including mining contracts, and leaving more moderate Taliban figures too weak or frightened to challenge them.

Connections

• Afghanistan - country governed by the Taliban in the source.
• Hibatullah Akhundzada - amir whose hardline leadership anchors the episode’s internal-power account.
• Taliban Hardline Rule - concept for the regime pattern described by the episode.
• Girls Education Workaround, Humanitarian Isolation, and Forced Refugee Return - social and humanitarian effects attached to Taliban rule.