As 'Taliban 2.0' joins competing peace talks with various stakeholders, archival photos paint a stark image of life in Afghanistan under the radical Islamic group's 1996-2001 rule.
Afghanistan Under The Taliban
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A young man who had his face painted black after reportedly being caught stealing five carpets. He was later "persecuted" by the Taliban.
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A pair of hands strung from a lamppost as a warning against theft. Under the Taliban, those convicted of stealing could have their hands amputated.
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A pair of hands strung from a lamppost as a warning against theft. Under the Taliban, those convicted of stealing could have their hands amputated.
A pair of hands strung from a lamppost as a warning against theft. Under the Taliban, those convicted of stealing could have their hands amputated.
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A before-and-after view of a giant Buddha carved into the cliffs of Afghanistan's Bamiyan Province. The Taliban destroyed the 6th-century Buddhas with explosives in 2001. A Taliban minister cited the battle against idolatry, saying, "We are destroying the statues in accordance with Islamic law, and it is purely a religious issue."
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But later, a Taliban minister claimed the destruction was an act of protest after a Western delegation offered money to protect the monument from nearby fighting without providing aid to children dying of malnutrition in the region.