Taliban Announce Hardliner "Caretaker" Government in Afghanistan

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Tuesday September 07, 2021 · 12:49 PM PDT

2021/09/07 · 12:49

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After the Taliban took Kabul, three weeks ago, one body of expert opinion in Afghanistan, both foreign and Afghan, took a wait and see attitude on to what extent, if any, the Taliban would make good on their promises to create an inclusive government, beyond Taliban officials.

They were seeing a power struggle between more worldly “political” Taliban, and hardliners. They were also calling attention to an increasing frequency of signs that the hardliners would win.

Here is Martine van Bijlert, at Afghanistan Analysts Network, along those lines. She has lived under the previous Taliban regime.

In the absence of a strong, on-the-ground leader, there have been indications of power struggles between different Ghilzai and Durrani leaders, eastern and southern networks, and hardliners and those looking for more flexibility (see also this article).

...

Talk of a unity government has gone quiet for the moment. Although members of the Taleban’s political commission continue to meet a wide array of social, political and geographical groups in photographed gatherings – including Shia leaders, academics and provincial delegations – and several figures linked to the previous government have declared their baya or allegiance to the movement, ^[1] it does not seem that anybody outside the Taleban’s circle is involved in any substantive discussions.

The Moment in Between: After the Americans, before the new regime, Martine van Bijlert, Afghanistan Analysts Network

That is has taken the Taliban three weeks to announce a government, suggests that the power struggle between factions was in fact intense and prolonged.

The Taliban have today announced an exclusive government, dominated by hardliners.

Taliban cabinet signals narrow vision of power as booty shared exclusively among victors rather than waking up to governing new complex Afghanistan.

Hard to see how this fits any criteria of engagement with world…but then the world always surprised in how low it held the bar 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/2PnyM1Qeti
— Mujib Mashal (@MujMash) September 7, 2021

Today's announcement is indicative of the core challenge the Taliban (will) face. Balancing between placating its own ranks and constituency as opposed to placating the rest of the country, or international community. For now, at least, they've decidedly sided with the former.
— احمد وليد کاکړ (@awsanzar) September 7, 2021

Here is a roundup of news coverage.

The Taliban have announced the formation of a hardline interim government for Afghanistan, with key roles being shared among veterans of the militant group and their allies in the US-sanctioned Haqqani Network.

The lineup of the interim government was announced at a news conference in Kabul by one of the Taliban's spokesmen.

Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a long-time Taliban member who has been leader of the group's Shura or Leadership Council for about two decades, was named as prime minister. He is seen as an influential and respected on the religious side of the movement, rather than on its military side.

Taliban announce hardline caretaker government for Afghanistan, Tim Lister and Eliza Mackintos, CNN

The Taliban announced their choices for several acting cabinet positions on Tuesday, but held off on formally announcing a permanent government for Afghanistan.

In a surprise, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who had led the Taliban’s negotiations with the United States, was named as the acting deputy leader of the council of ministers — functionally, as deputy prime minister — rather than being named to the top post. Instead, the Taliban said that Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a founding member of the Taliban who served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister in the group’s first government in the 90s, was named to lead the council of ministers.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, a deputy leader of the Taliban insurgency and the leader of the terrorist-listed Haqqani Network, was named as acting minister of the interior. And Mawlawi Muhammad Yaqoob, who is the oldest son of the Taliban’s founding leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, was named acting defense minister.

The announcement came just hours after the Taliban used force to break up a demonstration by hundreds of women in Kabul. The protesters called for the Taliban to respect their rights and made it clear that they would not easily surrender the gains they have made over the past two decades.

Running a government will most likely prove more daunting than toppling one. To succeed, the Taliban will need to secure desperately needed aid, which has been frozen by the United States and other nations. Foreign governments and lenders are waiting to see the fate of the opposition and if rights for women and ethnic and religious minorities will be respected.

Without that money, the government faces worsening challenges, including humanitarian and economic crises ...

Taliban Announce Some Government Posts, and Protests Pose a Challenge, Jim Huylebroek and Matthieu Aikins, New York Times

The Taliban on Tuesday formed an acting government for Afghanistan, appointing members with close ties to movement founder Mohammad Omar to the most senior positions. No women or members of Afghanistan’s toppled government were included.

The announcement came the day after the Taliban said it had quashed the last pocket of armed resistance against its rule. Tuesday, however, saw some of the largest street protests yet against the Taliban since its return to power.

A close aide of Omar’s, Muhammad Hassan Akhund, was appointed as the acting prime minister and Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the group’s founding members and a longtime confidant of Omar, was appointed as his deputy. The acting defense minister, Mohammad Yaqoob, is a son of Omar, who died in 2013 of illness.

Taliban form all-male Afghan government of old guard members, Kathy Gannon, AP

The Taliban have announced an all-male caretaker government including an interior minister wanted by the FBI, on a day when at least two people were killed by violent policing of street protests against the new authorities.

The leadership unveiled on Tuesday is drawn entirely from Taliban ranks, despite promises of an inclusive cabinet, and many of its senior figures are on UN sanctions lists, which is likely to complicate the group’s search for international recognition.

Afghanistan will once more be officially known as an Islamic emirate, as it was under Taliban rule in the 1990s, and its chief, Hibatullah Akhundzada, will be supreme leader.

The Taliban have also brought back the ministry for promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, a notorious enforcement body that was one of the most hated institutions when they last controlled Afghanistan. Its main function was to police the Taliban’s extreme interpretation of Islamic law.

The prime minister will be Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, one of the founding members of the group who was close to its original leader, one-eyed Mullah Mohammed Omar.

He has had far less international exposure than other senior Taliban leaders, but as head of the group’s powerful leadership council he is one of its most influential members.

Taliban name all-male Afghan cabinet including minister wanted by FBI, Guardian

It also underlines the Taliban view that a Taliban victory can only mean Taliban rule. Sources say they pushed back against calls for an "inclusive" government. They balked at including former political figures and officials, who've had their turn at the top, and especially those tainted by corruption.

"Why should we let others pick our cabinet when other countries pick their own? "was one retort.

As for women, there was never a chance they would be given a ministerial role; the Ministry of Women's Affairs seems to have been, for now, abolished altogether.

Taliban announce new government for Afghanistan, BBC

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