Last night, via Afghan TV....interview took place with a female journalist/moderator and a high uppity-up of the new Taliban government. In 1990s, that would not have occurred.
Orders given not to break into homes or loot? So far, that has been noted.
One obvious factor here....the 1990s Taliban were heavily influenced by bin Laden’s crew (heavily Saudi religious folks). You get the impression that the backers of this Taliban group are slightly different (maybe Iranian-influenced).
At the end of the day, all that money, training, blood, sweat and fake democracy stuff didn’t really matter or help. The country folded fairly quickly.
This is Taliban 2.0. They know they can dial things back a bit and the west will finance their consolidation of power. I think in the end they will prefer to partner with weak west instead of the Chicoms.
While it has been documented that Bin Laden was actually supported by the Saudi and Pakistan and not by the West, he also was penetrated by Soviet agent Al Zwahiri
China and Russia have been propping these dudes for a long time and they have thus a deep contract with this incoming crop. They are pretty much the same Taleban except now the mask is partially off