Twenty-five years ago, the Taliban were a rebel movement operating on the margins of society and controlling Afghan cities. Today, they are described as more pragmatic, speaking better English and having a better understanding of the world. However, a researcher highlighted that what has not changed is their ideology, the treatment they subject women to, and the fact that they continue to harbor terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda.
The Taliban continue to provide Al-Qaeda with the permissive environment that led to the September 11, 2001 attacks, carried out by the extremist network. This continuity in the relationship between the two groups persists a quarter of a century after the attacks that profoundly altered global geopolitics.
Throughout the world, only one country formally recognizes the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, which reflects the international isolation of the administration led by the Islamic movement based in the Central Asian country.
