An Afghan Peace on Whose Terms? By Marvin G. Weinbaum and Samad Sadri - The Diplomat
Remaining hopes for intra-Afghan talks and the success of a U.S.-Taliban meeting scheduled later this month in Qatar are both predicated on a belief in a changed Taliban. The group is thought to have evolved from the puritanical totalitarian regime of two decades ago into a more pragmatic, less dogmatic movement. Supposedly, the chastised Taliban have learned that today’s Afghanistan requires them to become more inclusive and tolerant, especially in their treatment of women. The Taliban are also depicted as no longer insistent on monopolizing power.
This picture is essentially false, however. It is promoted by a militant group keen to alter its image with Afghans and the international community, and is amplified by those who in their desperation to find a way out of the Afghan conflict are bent on putting the best face on the Taliban’s intentions.
Admittedly, there is much we do not know about the Taliban. But it is safe to say it’s not the same organization as in 2001. Power has gradually passed to a new generation of leaders, most of them more ruthless and ideological than their predecessors. Although still structurally hierarchical, it is operationally more decentralized. In messaging and use of media and other forms of communication, the Taliban have also become far more sophisticated and skilled. It is arguably more sensitive to local sentiments, and better organized for governance. Most visibly, the Taliban have gone from a discredited, spent force to a formidable, resilient insurgency, having acquired considerable political legitimacy…