THE NOOSE TIGHTENS Taliban already backtracking on women’s rights
Taliban’s lightning rch continues, US UK rush to move ir citizens out he country
The Taliban seized more r cities on Friday as they d to take full control of anistan and inched closer to ul, with the United States Britain deploying thousands oops to evacuate their citifrom the capital. e evacuation orders came e Taliban took control of dahar - the nation’s secondest city - in the insurgency’s tland, leaving only Kabul pockets of other territories vernment hands. e Taliban also captured the tal of Logar province, just m from Kabul, with a local aker saying the insurgents in complete control of Pulam city. rlier on Friday, officials and ents in Kandahar told AFP government forces had drawn en masse to a milifacility outside the southern “Kandahar is completely uered. The Mujahideen hed Martyrs’ Square,” a Talispokesman tweeted, referto a city landmark. ours later, the Taliban said had also taken control of kar Gah, the capital of hbouring Helmand prov. A security source coned the fall of the city, telling that the Afghan military government officials had uated Lashkar Gah after ing a local ceasefire deal the militants.
t-day blitz
government has now effecy lost most of the country wing an eight-day blitz into n centres by the Taliban has also stunned Kabul’s rican backers. e first wave of the offensive launched in early May after nited States and its allies all withdrew their forces from anistan, with President Joe n determined to end two des of war by September 11. den insists he does not t his decision, but the speed and ease of the Taliban’s urban victories in recent days has been a surprise and forced new calculations.
US, UK to pull out staff
Washington and London announced plans late on Thursday to pull out their embassy staff and citizens from the capital. “We are further reducing our civilian footprint in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation,” US state department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, while noting the embassy would remain open.
“This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not the wholesale withdrawal,” he said.
The US is sending over 3,000 troops to Afghanistan to help in the evacuation of diplomats and special visa applicants in view of the deteriorating situation. These troops will deploy to the Hamid Karzai international airport in Kabul immediately. Another 1,000 personnel will be sent to Qatar to process Afghans who are being evacuated and relocated to the US on special visa. Another 3,500 troops will deploy from a base in the US to Kuwait to stand prepared to be sent to Afghanistan if needed.
Nato to hold urgent talks
Nato was also set to hold an urgent meeting later on Friday about the deteriorating situation, diplomatic and official sources told AFP. Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg will lead discussions with envoys from the 30 allies.
As the Taliban sweep across Afghanistan, there are signs the insurgents are going back on a promise allowing women to work, according to interviews with female bank employees forced out of their jobs.
The Taliban, who imposed strict Islamic law and barred women from work when it ruled Afghanistan between 1996-2001, have repeatedly said the rights of women will be protected should it return to power. But there are signs that they are going back on such promises.
Early last month in the southern city of Kandahar, armed Taliban fighters walked into the offices of Afghanistan’s Azizi Bank.
They escorted the nine women working there to their homes and ordered them not to return, instead allowing a male relative to take their place, according to three of the women and a bank manager.
Two days later in the western city of Herat, a similar scene played out in the branch of another Afghan lender, Bank
Milli, two female cashiers witnessed the incident said
Three Taliban fighters ca ing guns entered the bra admonishing female emplo for showing their faces in pu Women there also quit, sen male relatives in their place
Taliban spokesperson Z hullah Mujahid said the gr had not taken a decision whether to allow female b employees in the areas whi controls. “After the estab ment of the Islamic syste will be decided according to law, and God willing, there be no problems,” he said.
As Taliban fighters wre control over Kandahar in re weeks, they have also starte push women out of professi jobs, which they say are unfi women to pursue if they req them to work in the presen men and expose their faces