Las Vegas Review-Journal

The Taliban named more Cabinet ministers and deputies — none of them women.

- By Kathy Gannon

KABUL, Afghanista­n — The Taliban expanded their interim Cabinet by naming more ministers and deputies on Tuesday but failed to appoint any women, doubling down on a hard-line course despite the internatio­nal outcry that followed their initial presentati­on of an all-male government lineup earlier this month.

The internatio­nal community has said that it will judge the Taliban by their actions, and that recognitio­n of a Taliban-led government would be linked to the treatment of women and minorities.

In their previous rule of Afghanista­n in the late 1990s, the Taliban, who adhere to a harsh interpreta­tion of Islam, had barred girls and women from schools, work and public life.

At a news conference Tuesday, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid held out the possibilit­y of adding women to the Cabinet at a later time, but gave no specifics. He also said the Taliban are preparing rules for allowing teenage girls and women to return to schools and jobs in line with Islamic law, but did not say when that might happen.

Mujahid defended the latest additions to the Cabinet, saying they included members of ethnic minorities, such as the Hazaras. He said the deputies were chosen for their technical skills.

He bristled at internatio­nal conditions for recognitio­n, saying there was no reason for withholdin­g it. “It is the responsibi­lity of the United Nations to recognize our government (and) for other countries, including European, Asian and Islamic countries, to have diplomatic relations with us,” he said.

The Taliban seek internatio­nal support as they grapple with the daunting challenges of governing a nation shredded by four decades of conflict.

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