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2001 Vs. 2021: Are The Taliban Really Changing?

A man holds a newspaper displaying front page news about Afghanistan, at a stall in Islamabad on August 16. (Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images)
A man holds a newspaper displaying front page news about Afghanistan, at a stall in Islamabad on August 16. (Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images)

Taliban rule in the late 1990s and early 2000s was marked by strict religious law, brutal justice and the oppression of women.

On Tuesday, the Taliban held their first press conference in two decades, promising inclusive government, no retaliation against enemies and no violence against women. But are the Taliban really changing?

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Thomas Ruttig, co-director and senior analyst at Afghanistan Analysts Network, about the new regime.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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