Video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/e5no1a156azaz5a/VRP62724.mp4?dl=0
The Taliban raised their black-and-white flag over the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday, as the world commemorated the 20th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack committed on American soil.
Footage shows Taliban fighters hoisting the jihadist flag over the presidential palace in Kabul on September 11. Taliban cultural commission multimedia chief Ahmadullah Muttaqi said the ceremony marked the official start of work for the new government in Afghanistan.
The Taliban announced the formation of an all-male interim government last week, dubbing Afghanistan an ‘Islamic Emirate.’ Senior Taliban officials, some of whom are blacklisted by the United Nations and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, will occupy top posts in the country’s cabinet.
Afghanistan’s new leadership will be headed by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, one of the Taliban’s founders.
The international community slammed the Taliban’s announcement which belied the militant group’s earlier promise to form an inclusive government allowing women to participate in public affairs.
The future of women’s rights in Afghanistan has come into question following the Taliban takeover on August 15. Human rights advocates fear the return of restrictive and draconian policies enforced by the hardline Islamist group two decades ago.