VIDEO. Afghanistan: "The Taliban are no longer the rural people of the 90s, they have greater political sophistication"

Kabul fell in 10 days. Afghanistan is once again in the hands of the Taliban. After 20 years of absence as head of state, religious extremists have decided this time to adopt a different strategy and to do things differently. With more diplomacy, more modernity and apparent compromises to attract the favors of the international community or in any case, avoid its wrath. The goal ? "Reassure to assert their power", explains Michael Barry, chief professor at the American University of Kabul and specialist in Afghanistan. "To accept these concessions at face value is in fact to facilitate the seizure of power of a totalitarian theocratic political group," he continues. In terms of communication too, the Taliban use modern democratic tools. Taliban spokesperson,Zabihullah Mujahid even held his first press conference in Kabul on Tuesday August 17th. "We now have to deal with diplomats who speak English and who know how to tell the different chancelleries what they want to hear, provided that the Taliban are coming to an end," says Michael Barry.

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Against a background of withdrawal of American troops, support from Pakistan and China, ethnic resentment, the specialist explains how the Taliban used political and diplomatic codes to legitimize their return to power.

But the goal remains the same: to apply Sharia law.

“The punishments will be as terrifying as they were in the 1990s, severed hands, saber amputations, stoning.

It will be a regime of terror, ”warns one who is also a writer and humanitarian.

The absolute priority for Michael Barry: "defending Afghan women is defending humanity, the denial of their rights is a denial of humanity," he concludes, his throat tight.