Afghanistan (AP) – The Taliban have vowed to respect women’s rights, forgive those who resisted them and ensure a secure Afghanistan.
The promises Tuesday are part of a publicity blitz aimed at convincing world powers and a fearful population that they have changed.
Following a lightning offensive across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents without a fight, the Taliban have sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s. But many Afghans remain skeptical. Thousands raced to the airport on Monday, desperate to flee the country.
Older generations remember the Taliban’s ultraconservative Islamic views, which included severe restrictions on women as well as public stonings and amputations.
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