Afghanistan 25 years after 9/11: Taliban rule, economic crisis, women's rights curtailed
Afghanistan 25 years after 9/11: Taliban back in control, economy in crisis, women's rights severely curtailed.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, Afghanistan is again under Taliban rule. The US-led war that was launched to destroy the Taliban and al-Qaeda after the attacks has ended with the Taliban back in power, and many of the same figures who fought against Western forces now hold government posts.
The country is crippled by international sanctions, which have brought a severe economic crisis. Malnutrition is widespread, and poverty and hunger are deep. The Taliban government's return has also meant a sharp reversal of the freedoms Afghans enjoyed during the two decades of Western presence, particularly for women. Girls are barred from school beyond primary age and from higher education, and women face severe restrictions on where they can work.
There is one notable change: security has improved. With the Taliban now in government, the daily death toll from attacks has dropped dramatically. Many Afghans, even those who do not support the Taliban, say they are relieved not to worry every day about who might be killed in an attack.
A Taliban deputy minister, Mohajer Farahi, told ITV News that it was the right of Afghans to defend their country against invasion. He also confirmed that US delegations have visited Afghanistan for discussions, indicating that Washington has opened channels with the Taliban over global security and the continuing threat of ISIS.
The war cost trillions of dollars and thousands of lives, including 457 British military personnel. Yet, as one report put it, very little has actually changed for the better. The Taliban are back where they started, and the consequences of the failed war will be borne by generations who had no part in the past.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | ITV |
|---|---|---|
| Women and girls in Afghanistan face restrictions on education beyond primary level, work, and freedom of movement. | ||
| Afghanistan is heavily sanctioned due to Taliban control. | · | |
| The security situation in Afghanistan has improved because former insurgents are now part of the government. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1's coverage, from its international editor Emma Murphy in Kabul, focuses on the failure of the war on terror and the Taliban's return to power. It highlights the economic crisis caused by sanctions, the curtailment of women's rights, and the improved security situation. The report includes an interview with a Taliban minister who is unrepentant about fighting foreign troops, and notes that the US is now talking to the Taliban. The tone is somber and critical, emphasising that little has changed for the better despite the huge cost.
- “the reality is that 25 years ago, the Taliban were in control of this country. And 25 years on, they are again”
- “20 years of war, $2 trillion, and thousands of American, British and Afghan lives lost or changed forever. Yet all those threats that the Taliban was going to be destroyed stood for nothing.”
- “Absolutely, if a country invade other countries, it's our right.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.