Opinion | One Year Later, Life Under Taliban Rule is Brutal
POLITICOAug 15, 2022
Afghanistan's interior ministry said Monday that at least six civilians have been killed in a blast at a security checkpoint near the country's foreign ministry in a busy downtown area in Kabul during lunch hour.
In addition, at least 12 people — including one child — have been injured, according to the Italian international humanitarian organization EMERGENCY. Kabul police confirmed that three security personnel were among those wounded.
This suicide attack in Afghanistan is just the latest example of how the "emirate" is drifting into chaos and lawlessness since the West's withdrawal. This is compounded by economic collapse and an acute food crisis. But even in combat, the Taliban are failing. The ruthless rampage of the IS-K bears is a prime example of this. The US must prepare for an increasing threat to its security interests.
Afghanistan only makes the headlines when it comes to violence. More attention must be paid to the country's humanitarian catastrophe and underlying stressors. Due to the dire economic situation, 22.8M Afghans face acute food insecurity, and 3M children are at risk of malnutrition. The West contributes to this by, for example, not releasing Afghanistan's frozen reserve funds. This is overt moral bankruptcy.
There's a 50% chance that the United States will reopen its embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan by February 2028, according to the Metaculus prediction community.