KABUL – The Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of their return to power Wednesday at a former U.S. air base in Afghanistan, but there was no mention of the country’s hardships or promises to help the struggling population.
Under blue skies and blazing sunshine at the Bagram base — once the center of America’s war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks — members of the Taliban Cabinet lauded achievements such as strengthening Islamic law and establishing a military system that provides “peace and security.”
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The speeches were aimed at an international audience, urging the diaspora to return and for the West to interact and cooperate with the country’s rulers. No country recognizes the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
“The Islamic Emirate eliminated internal differences and expanded the scope of unity and cooperation in the country,” Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir said, using the Taliban's term to describe their government. “No one will be allowed to interfere in internal affairs, and Afghan soil will not be used against any country.”
None of the four speakers talked about the challenges facing Afghans in everyday life.
Women were barred from the event, including female journalists from The Associated Press, Agence French-Presse and Reuters. The Taliban did not give a reason for barring them.
Decades of conflict and instability have left millions of Afghans on the brink of hunger and starvation. Unemployment is high.
The Bagram parade was the Taliban’s grandest and most defiant since regaining control of the country in August 2021.
The audience of some 10,000 men included senior Taliban officials such as Acting Defense Minister Mullah Yaqoob and Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani. Supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada was not at the parade.
The Taliban said foreign diplomats also attended, but did not specify who.
Aid agencies warn that humanitarian efforts in the country are gravely underfunded as economic collapse and climate change destroy livelihoods.
They say that Afghans, particularly women and girls, will suffer if there isn’t more diplomatic engagement with the Taliban.
The Bagram parade was also an opportunity to showcase some of the military hardware abandoned by U.S. and NATO-led forces after decades of war, including helicopters, Humvees and tanks.
Uniformed soldiers marched with light and heavy machine guns, and a motorcycle formation carried the Taliban flag.
Pickup trucks crammed with men of all ages drove through Kabul's streets in celebration of the takeover. Some men posed for photos with rifles.
In a parade in southern Helmand province, men held yellow canisters to represent the type of explosives used in roadside bombings during the war.
The Taliban declared Wednesday a national holiday. As in previous years, women did not take part in anniversary festivities.