Afghanistan braces for Taliban 2.0

Afghans woke up to a new reality on Tuesday as Taliban leaders walked across the runway in Kabul, marking their victory over foreign forces

KABUL: The Taliban group were in full control of Kabul’s international airport on Tuesday, after the last US plane left its runway, marking the end of America’s longest war.

Vehicles carrying the Taliban raced back and forth along the Hamid Karzai International Airport’s runway on the military side of the airfield. Before dawn broke, heavily armed Taliban fighters walked through hangars, passing some of the seven CH-46 helicopters that the US state department used in its evacuations before rendering them unusable.

Taliban leaders later symbolically walked across the runway, marking their victory while flanked by fighters of the regime’s “Badri” special forces unit. The elite Taliban unit later posed for pictures as journalists documented their arrival.

“Afghanistan is finally free,” Hekmatullah Wasiq, a top Taliban official, told The Associated Press. “The military and civilian side are with us and in control. Hopefully, we will be announcing our cabinet. Everything is peaceful. Everything is safe.”

Wasiq urged people to return to work and reiterated the Taliban pledge offering a general amnesty. “People have to be patient,” he said. “Slowly we will get everything back to normal. It will take time.”

ATaliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid addressed the gathered members of the Badri unit. “I hope you be very cautious in dealing with the nation,” he said. “Our nation has suffered war and invasion and the people do not have more tolerance.” Taliban members draped their white flags over barriers at the airport as others guarded the civilian side of the airfield. Inside the terminal, several dozen suitcases and pieces of luggage were left strewn across the floor, apparently left behind in the chaos. Clothes and shoes also were scattered.

On Tuesday, after a night that saw the Taliban fire triumphantly into the air, guards blearily on duty kept out the curious and those somehow hoping to catch a flight out. will be paid their dues, roadside vendors will be relocated, and corrupt elements in the city will be dealt with in accordance with Sharia law. The Taliban have been projecting a less orthodox picture from its previous rule, between 1996-2001.

When the Taliban last ruled the country, from 1996 to 2001, they banned television, music and even photography, but there’s no sign of that yet. TV stations are still operating normally and the Taliban fighters themselves can be seen taking selfies around Kabul.