Kabul Airport Attack: Understanding The Taliban's Motives

On 26 August 2021, a suicide bombing outside Kabul airport killed 13 US service members and about 170 Afghans. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the deadliest incident for US troops in Afghanistan in a decade. The Taliban later killed the senior Islamic State group leader behind the attack.

The Taliban's takeover of Kabul airport

In July 2021, the Taliban made rapid territorial gains across Afghanistan and captured areas near Kabul Airport. This prompted Turkey and the US to provide security at the airport, with additional US and NATO forces deployed there. Despite these efforts, Kabul fell to the Taliban, leading to chaotic scenes as hundreds of people attempted to flee the country by converging on the airport. The US forces fired warning shots to prevent people from running onto the tarmac and runways, and at least seven people died in the chaos.

The US Deputy Security Advisor announced the deployment of more forces to secure the airport, and General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., head of the US Central Command, met with Taliban leaders in Qatar to agree on terms for refugees to flee using Kabul International Airport. However, the situation remained tense and deadly. On 26 August 2021, a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, one of the airport's entrances, killed over 180 people, including 13 US service members and 90 Afghans. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for this attack.

Following these events, all commercial flights from Kabul Airport were cancelled indefinitely on 16 August 2021. The last American forces departed from the airport on 30 August, marking the end of the US's 20-year involvement in Afghanistan. The Taliban then took control of the airport, which had sustained significant damage during the evacuation. The Taliban estimated the damage to be around $350 million, with an additional $1 million in damage to the terminal due to the evacuation.

Efforts to reopen the airport began soon after, with Qatar sending technical assistance and Turkey and the Netherlands offering support. The airport reopened for domestic flights on 4 September 2021 and resumed international operations shortly after. The first international commercial flight after the Taliban takeover landed on 13 September, marking a return to normal operations at Kabul International Airport.

The Taliban's search for Afghan government workers and human rights activists

The Taliban has consistently denied responsibility for disappearances and detentions, with a culture of impunity prevailing. However, there is significant evidence of their involvement in these abuses. For example, in November 2023, journalist and human rights activist Zarifa Yaqoubi was arrested by the Taliban while attending a press conference. Additionally, in January 2024, four women activists, Tamana Zaryab Paryani, Parwana Ibrahimkhel, Zahra Mohammadi, and Mursal Ayar, were detained and disappeared for several weeks. The Taliban consistently denied responsibility but eventually released them amid international pressure.

The Taliban has also enforced strict restrictions on women's rights and freedoms, limiting their participation in public life, education, employment, and independent travel. Women have been banned from most sectors, except for a few areas such as healthcare and primary education. The Taliban has further imposed restrictive dress codes and prohibited women from travelling without a male chaperone. These measures have severely curtailed women's ability to work and access essential services, leading to a deterioration in their economic and social conditions.

The group has also targeted ethnic and religious minorities, including Hazaras, Sikhs, Hindus, Christians, and Ahmadiyya Muslims, with violence and repression. There have been reports of killings, arrests, and discrimination against these communities. The Taliban has also been accused of failing to prevent attacks on minority groups by other insurgent groups, particularly ISIS-K, which has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on Hazaras and Shia Muslims.

The Taliban's actions have resulted in widespread condemnation and concern from international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations. They have documented and criticized the Taliban's human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, torture, and restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.

The Taliban's crackdown on dissent and its pursuit of government workers and human rights activists have created a climate of fear and uncertainty, leading to the displacement of thousands of Afghans. Many have fled the country, while others have gone into hiding to avoid persecution and violence.

The Taliban's ban on women leaving their homes without a male guardian

The ban on women travelling without a male guardian, often referred to as a "mahram", has been enforced sporadically, with some officials turning a blind eye to solo travel. However, there have been numerous reports of Taliban fighters barring women from even short journeys, such as commuting to work, and threatening drivers who take solo female passengers. Officially, any woman travelling more than 75km (46 miles) or leaving the country is required to have a male guardian accompany them.

This restriction has had a significant impact on the lives of Afghan women, particularly those without close male relatives. For example, divorced or unmarried women, as well as the country's estimated 2 million widows, may not have a male guardian able or willing to escort them. As a result, women in these situations are effectively trapped, unable to leave their homes without risking harassment or punishment from the Taliban.

The travel ban has also contributed to an economic catastrophe for families without adult men. It has made it more difficult and frightening for women to find jobs or commute to work, further limiting their financial independence and opportunities.

The Taliban's justifications for these restrictions on women's mobility and autonomy often centre around the idea of "protecting" women and ensuring they dress and behave "appropriately". A Taliban spokesperson claimed that women "must have someone" to accompany them and that male relatives are responsible for how women dress and where they travel. However, critics argue that these rules deny women their basic rights and autonomy, with one Afghan human rights activist calling the Taliban's policies a form of "gender apartheid".

The ban on women travelling without a male guardian is just one aspect of the Taliban's broader campaign to control and restrict women's lives in Afghanistan. Other measures include banning girls from secondary education, prohibiting women from working in certain sectors, preventing women from speaking or showing their faces in public, and mandating that women cover their faces in public.

The Taliban's removal of female journalists from their positions

Since the Taliban took power in 2021, they have imposed severe restrictions on women's appearances, freedom of movement, and right to education and work. These restrictions have disproportionately affected female journalists in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has forbidden journalists from broadcasting or publishing stories that are critical of the group. Women and girls are banned from appearing on TV or radio programs, and male reporters are barred from interviewing women and vice versa.

Female journalists, especially those appearing on television and radio, face particular threats. Women journalists may be targeted not only for the issues they cover but also for challenging perceived social norms prohibiting women from being in a public role and working outside the home.

The Afghan Journalists Safety Committee reported that 14 women working for media outlets in Afghanistan were threatened or violently attacked in 2020. An increasing number of Afghan women in journalism have left the profession because of worsening security and threats.

The Taliban has also imposed new restrictions on female journalists' appearances, banned some women from accessing radio and TV programs, and prohibited the filming or photographing of Taliban officials.

Female journalists have been called in for questioning and threatened for reporting on protests against the Taliban's repressive policies. A female journalist based in central Afghanistan said that she is barred from interviewing men and cannot travel far from home without a male chaperone.

The Taliban's ongoing persecution and harassment of journalists are forcing more journalists to abandon their professions or flee the country.

The Taliban's killing of the Islamic State mastermind of the suicide bombing

On 26 August 2021, more than 185 people were killed in an explosion outside Kabul Airport. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban have now killed the senior Islamic State group leader, or mastermind, behind the suicide bombing.

The suicide bombing at Abbey Gate occurred during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. It killed 13 U.S. service members and about 170 Afghans. The blast came after Western officials warned of a potential attack, urging people to leave the airport. However, Afghans desperate to escape the country in the final days of the American-led evacuation ignored this advice.

The Islamic State leader, whose identity has not been released, was killed in southern Afghanistan in early April 2023. The Taliban conducted a series of operations against the Islamic State group at that time. According to one official, the Taliban were not aware of the identity of the person they had killed.

Darin Hoover, the father of Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, who was killed in the attack, said the U.S. Marines provided only limited information to him and did not identify the Islamic State leader or the circumstances of his death. Hoover is among a group of 12 Gold Star families who have kept in touch since the bombing, supporting one another and sharing information.

The killing of the Islamic State group member does nothing to help Hoover, he said. "Whatever happens, it's not going to bring Taylor back and I understand that," he said in a phone call. "About the only thing his mom and I can do now is be an advocate for him. All we want is the truth. And we're not getting it. That's the frustrating part."

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