A Taliban return to power in Afghanistan would risk wiping out advances in women's rights since they were driven out of Kabul nearly two decades ago, US intelligence warns in a recently declassified report.
Read also: Afghans fear the return of the Taliban after the departure of the Americans
According to this two-page document from the National Intelligence Council, the insurgent group's vision has not really changed since it was in power between 1996 and the US military intervention in 2001. At the time, the Taliban had imposed their fundamentalist view of religion by prohibiting women from studying or working. The withdrawal of American and international forces, which must be completed by September, raises fears of their return in force.
"The Taliban remain globally on their restrictive approach to women's rights, and would call into question much of the progress of the last two decades if they were to regain power at the national level
,
"
said US intelligence.
He notes that the rebels have seen little change in their leadership, remain "inflexible" in negotiations and
"enforce strict social restrictions in areas they already control
.
"
Certain leaders of the group have certainly made public commitments in favor of respect for women's rights, but only subordinated to the fundamentalist interpretation that the Taliban have of sharia, Islamic law, he adds.
"If the Taliban were to once again become the dominant power in Afghanistan, we believe that any prospect of moderating the group's policies towards women would depend on the ability of ethnic minorities to preserve local specificities, as well as technological developments,"
writes American intelligence, explaining that the generalization of cell phones gives Afghans greater openness to the world.
According to the report's authors, the progress of the past 20 years has been fragile and uneven, and relies heavily on international pressure, suggesting that they are
"threatened"
by the withdrawal of foreign forces
"even without the Taliban's efforts to hand them over. in question".
External pressure may continue to play a role, and
"the Taliban's desire for foreign aid as well as legitimacy may marginally moderate their behavior over time,"
but if they returned to power, their priority would probably be to
"restore control on their own terms".