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LeMoyne Professor Fears Conditions In Afghanistan Will Deteriorate Under The Taliban

A view over Camp Qarga and the Afghan National Army Officer Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan at sunrise.
Sergeant Paul Shaw RLC
/
wikimedia commons
A view over Camp Qarga and the Afghan National Army Officer Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan at sunrise.

An expert on Middle East politics at LeMoyne College says the Taliban can’t be trusted to keep the peace in Afghanistan, and fears conditions will eventually deteriorate under their rule. Professor of practice Dr. Anirban Acharya says we can’t believe what the Taliban says.

“At this moment they feel they might not have legitimacy, so they are going to take a softer line, whatever that means,” said Dr. Acharya. “But over time, I don’t believe that they will keep their present ward, and they will start different kinds of regressive rules and laws that will basically take over freedom of women and other secular people in Afghanistan."

The professor says people are rightfully afraid of the powerful militant group, which he says doesn’t play by the rule of law. Acharya says it’s critical to continue the rapid evacuation.

“I know people who are in fear. I know people who are shuttered in their houses, trembling at what would happen to their family,” said Dr. Acharya. “And it is important for us to keep our word. Take those people who helped US personnel out and their families out.”

Meanwhile, he believes the Taliban will protect terrorists in the long-term, even if going that route didn’t end well for them in the recent past.

“These are very practiced forces. They use a very hard-lined technique of control and power. They would harbor terrorist elements, radical elements within them. It’s quite possible.”

Acharya says it’s time to seek support from the coalition of countries that went to Afghanistan after 9/11, and also from the broader international community.

“Go back to the UN resolutions and see how [the] UN can compel certain states to actually make sure that they are not harboring terrorist that cause violence,” said Dr. Acharya.

The professor says the Taliban can probably control water and other civic amenities in the short term, but says they can’t function for long without international support.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.