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103 votes

Why are the Taliban winning against the Afghan army?

Corruption is rampant in Afghanistan, including in the military. They routinely take bribes and sell military equipment to the Taliban. Basically, the average ANA soldier is there just to collect a ...
Ryan_L's user avatar
  • 7,585
81 votes
Accepted

Why are the Taliban winning against the Afghan army?

There are multiple reasons behind this (in addition to the corruption of the Afghanistan government). Firstly, the Taliban is not some foreign movement that tried to gain a foothold in Afghanistan, it ...
Raymond Carl's user avatar
  • 1,070
79 votes

Why is China interested in supporting the Taliban?

One reason is that China is investing a significant amount in trying to build a land corridor through Pakistan to access ports in the Indian ocean as part of their belt and road initiative. China is ...
PhillS's user avatar
  • 7,453
77 votes

Why are the Taliban winning against the Afghan army?

This article in the Guardian today answers precisely this question: It is a tale of two armies, one poorly equipped but highly motivated ideologically, and the other nominally well-equipped, but ...
Erwan's user avatar
  • 15.2k
73 votes
Accepted

Why do the Taliban not try to conquer the Kabul Airport?

Here are two main reasons. Firstly, Taliban wants to seek international recognition and not govern as a pariah. Gaining international recognition may potentially lead to the lifting of sanctions, ...
Panda's user avatar
  • 46.4k
71 votes

Why has 20 years of US occupation not removed the Taliban in Afghanistan?

TL;DR: The Taliban has lasted for so long because it has a durable organizational structure and safe haven in Pakistan. Undercutting the Taliban is more complicated than rooting out its network of ...
rabbit1234's user avatar
  • 1,077
60 votes
Accepted

Why has 20 years of US occupation not removed the Taliban in Afghanistan?

The Taliban are not just a drug-running organization, not even predominantly a drug-running organization. The US-led coalition invaded Afghanistan because the Afghan government at the time sheltered ...
o.m.'s user avatar
  • 100k
58 votes

Why do the Taliban not try to conquer the Kabul Airport?

That's literally the last thing a rational Taliban decision maker would want to do. 20 years after getting kicked out the Taliban are back in power. They did just fine oppressing Afghans from 1994 to ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
52 votes

Did the U.S. lose the war against the Taliban?

Yes. Unquestionably. They left their enemy in control. Word games about military dominance in the field are besides the point in a guerrilla war. That kind of sophistry has been tried on Vietnam ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
45 votes

What's the difference between paying someone to kill another country's soldiers, and arming that someone to kill another country's soldiers?

When a nation provides arms to another nation, there is at least the pretense that the recipient will use those weapons in accordance with international law (i.e. defensively in accordance with ...
o.m.'s user avatar
  • 100k
42 votes

Why is China interested in supporting the Taliban?

Fact is, the new Taliban government is there to stay. Both the Russians and NATO took their shots at trying to keep Afghanistan under control. Both gave up eventually. Now the Chinese want to have ...
Philipp's user avatar
  • 72.4k
39 votes

Does the Taliban government of Afghanistan have a written legal code?

This Q is pretty narrow in its title, but then asks more generally My question is really whether it is just that - that local officials make whatever decisions they think most aligns with their ...
Fizz's user avatar
  • 131k
34 votes
Accepted

What are the differences among ISIS, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban?

TLDR: Persecute civilians locally Attack civilians in Western countries Military operations Can be engageddiplomatically Taliban ✔✔ (1994-2001)2021+: ??? allowed Al Qaeda operationsleading to 9/11 ✔✔...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
33 votes

Are there any reliable indications on popular sentiment in Afghanistan for/against the Taliban?

Are there any reliable indications on popular sentiment in Afghanistan for/against the Taliban? The sentiment is largely against the Taliban. From Bloomberg, The World Told Afghan Women It Had Their ...
Rick Smith's user avatar
  • 31.4k
32 votes

Why do the Taliban not try to conquer the Kabul Airport?

You implicitly assume that both: The Taliban could successfully overrun the Kabul airport The Taliban believe they could overrun the airport, to a high degree of confidence The Taliban have excelled ...
erask's user avatar
  • 479
31 votes
Accepted

Which countries have welcomed the Taliban takeover/victory in Kabul?

TL;DR: We could probably conclude that all countries that oppose the US and/or India are quite welcoming of the Taliban i.e Pakistan, Russia, and China. Some of the Gulf countries have said they ...
WantARevolution's user avatar
29 votes
Accepted

What's the point of continuing not to recognize the Taliban government of Afghanistan?

Here's Recognition and the Taliban @ Brookings may not be a final answer, but it does have info that provides some insights: During the Trump administration’s negotiations with the Taliban in Doha, ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
27 votes

Did the U.S. lose the war against the Taliban?

Yes, but 'win,' 'lose,' and 'war' are word games in a case like this. The US-led coalition invaded Afghanistan with ill-defined motives, caused regime change, fought a protracted counterinsurgency/...
o.m.'s user avatar
  • 100k
26 votes
Accepted

Is the US allowed to execute an airstrike on Afghan soil after withdrawal under the provisions of the agreement that enabled it?

(This answer is analyzing the import of the agreement referred to in the question, not international law, which is another aspect) Pretty much. About the only hard commitment the Taliban got nailed ...
Italian Philosophers 4 Monica's user avatar
25 votes
Accepted

What's the difference between paying someone to kill another country's soldiers, and arming that someone to kill another country's soldiers?

Defense vs. Offense If you provide arms to a country, you can claim it was for purely defensive purposes, which is considered a valid right by every nation (and certainly every nation with a military)....
Lawnmower Man's user avatar
25 votes
Accepted

Are there any reliable indications on popular sentiment in Afghanistan for/against the Taliban?

You can judge the answer by the reality on the ground. As of right now [mo: 11AUG21],the only areas remaining under the control of the puppet regime are basically some districts near Kabul, plus the ...
Moshe's user avatar
  • 1,172
25 votes

Why do the Taliban not try to conquer the Kabul Airport?

Really? they could get revenge, They don't need revenge, they need to rule (i.e. money and power) they could catch prisoners/hostages, Short-term benefit with long term risks. they could "...
fraxinus's user avatar
  • 5,591
24 votes
Accepted

Is Taliban a terrorist organization in China's and the US's eyes?

There is no point in discussing whether an organisation is a terrorist group. The only possible answer that I can give is is it classified as a terrorist group. And since you tag "united-states&...
James K's user avatar
  • 108k
24 votes
Accepted

Why are the Taliban unwilling to establish a diplomatic relationship with Israel?

This is probably a matter of politics more than anything else. Of course, from a rational perspective it would make more sense for the Taliban to dislike the nation that invaded their country, drove ...
Obie 2.0's user avatar
  • 13.3k
23 votes

Does the Taliban government of Afghanistan have a written legal code?

No, they don't have an official legal code yet. Yes, they have plans to create some kind of a legislative body and write laws after forming the government. Yes, they already have written statutes, but ...
default locale's user avatar
18 votes

Why is China interested in supporting the Taliban?

Well, it's a bit complicated. From I read in several articles and I'm summarizing here: China (like Pakistan too) hope that the Afghan Taliban will keep their promises and "rein in" TTP and ...
Fizz's user avatar
  • 131k
18 votes
Accepted

Have cross-border terrorist attacks in Pakistan declined or stayed the same after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan?

Afghanistan–Pakistan border is a 2,670-kilometre (1,660 mi) international land border between the both countries that is called as The Durand Line. Although the Durand Line is internationally ...
SwiftPushkar's user avatar
16 votes

Why are the Taliban winning against the Afghan army?

The Afghanistan Army doesn't seem to be putting up a fight, at least for now. According to the Afghani Ambassador to the Netherlands, as reported by Nieuwsuur (see my translation below): '...
JJJ's user avatar
  • 38.8k
15 votes

Why is China interested in supporting the Taliban?

But ...why? What is there to gain for China by association with a militant coup? You quoted the very answer to your question; you just need to read it outside the scope of the US' perception of ...
einpoklum's user avatar
  • 7,543
13 votes
Accepted

Why does Taliban still control huge areas in Afghanistan?

I am an Afghan national and I have worked 6 years with US Army Marines, British Army and private contractors. The truth is that our government is corrupt and no soldier is going to die for 200$ a ...
Navid2132's user avatar
  • 388

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