The Taliban is using the international aid it once confiscated as “illegitimate” to win the hearts and minds of Afghanistan’s rural communities Opinion | muzhary
When asked, the Taliban argued that the aid was illegitimate, as it came from invaders who installed a puppet government. Therefore, it worked to curtail the local population’s access to both government and international aid agencies, whom the Taliban widely viewed with suspicion.
Later, the Taliban leaders changed their mind, choosing instead to knock on the door of the doctor’s house to ask for his motorbike. When the Taliban did so, the doctor did not argue—or even ask why the Taliban were taking his motorbike, deciding instead to hand the motorbike over to the commander quietly.
The imam initially denied having received the money. This angered the fighters, who almost killed him. Later, the imam surrendered the funds, and the Taliban group left the area. This was not an isolated event. In several other villages, the Taliban took aid from the recipients to throw it away—and in some cases,Eventually, aid organisations ended up sending aid to areas with little to no Taliban influence. The result was grim.
But for now, the Taliban is happy to play the role of the good guy. Until that changes, it will maintain its access to the hearts and minds of the neediest local communities across Afghanistan.
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