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The Taliban have ruled Afghanistan for 3 years. Here are 5 things to know

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The Taliban have ruled Afghanistan for 3 years. Here are 5 things to know
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News

The Taliban have ruled Afghanistan for 3 years. Here are 5 things to know

2024-08-14 12:46 Last Updated At:12:51

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — It’s been three years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. They have transitioned from insurgency to authority, imposed their interpretation of Islamic law and sought to reinforce their claim to legitimacy.

Despite no international recognition as the country's official rulers, the Taliban enjoy high-level meetings with major regional powers like China and Russia. They even attended United Nations-sponsored talks while Afghan women and civil society were denied a seat at the table. It was a triumph for the Taliban, who see themselves as the country’s only true representatives.

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FILE - Afghan refugees settle in a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham, Afghanistan, on Nov. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - Afghan refugees settle in a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham, Afghanistan, on Nov. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - Afghan volunteers clean up rubble after an earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western Afghanistan, on Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - Afghan volunteers clean up rubble after an earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western Afghanistan, on Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - A Taliban fighter stands guard in the Shiite neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - A Taliban fighter stands guard in the Shiite neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - In this photo released by the state-run WAM news agency, Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, left, shakes hands with Taliban official Sirajuddin Haqqani at Qasr Al Shati palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on June 4, 2024. (WAM via AP, File)

FILE - In this photo released by the state-run WAM news agency, Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, left, shakes hands with Taliban official Sirajuddin Haqqani at Qasr Al Shati palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on June 4, 2024. (WAM via AP, File)

FILE - An Afghan woman exits a convenience shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/ Petros Giannakouris, File)

FILE - An Afghan woman exits a convenience shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/ Petros Giannakouris, File)

FILE - Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

FILE - Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

FILE - In this undated and unknown location photo, the new leader of Taliban fighters, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is photographed. (Afghan Islamic Press via AP, File)

FILE - In this undated and unknown location photo, the new leader of Taliban fighters, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is photographed. (Afghan Islamic Press via AP, File)

FILE - Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)

FILE - Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)

There’s no domestic challenge to their rule, and no overseas appetite to support one. Wars in Ukraine and Gaza draw the international community's focus, and Afghanistan doesn’t represent the same terror threat it once did. But challenges remain.

Here are five things to know about the Taliban in power.

The Taliban supreme leader sits atop a pyramid-like ruling system as a paragon of virtue. Mosques and clerics are on one side. On the other is the Kabul administration, which implements clerics’ decisions and meets with foreign officials.

“There are different levels of extremism, and the Taliban are in an uneasy coalition of ruling hard-liners and political pragmatists. It has put them in a culture war,” said Javid Ahmad, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute.

The most controversial policies are unlikely to be reversed while supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is in charge — and supreme leaders don’t retire or resign. They lead until death.

It’s wishful thinking that diverging opinions are enough to divide the Taliban, said Ibraheem Bahiss with Crisis Group’s South Asia program. “The Taliban are unified and will remain a political force for many years. They rule as one group, they fight as one group.”

To maintain cohesion and ensure discipline, seasoned Taliban have moved from the battlefield into bureaucracy, getting top jobs in government and provinces.

“You have to give them a reward for playing a significant role in the insurgency,” Ahmad said. Other perks can include a free hand in the running of a province or permission to have a third or fourth wife, a new pickup truck, a share in customs fees or the keys to a house.

Bahiss called this "the strongest Afghan government in modern times. They can exact a decree to the village level.”

Civil servants keep the country running and are more likely to have a formal or technical education. But the Taliban leading civilian institutions have no proper knowledge of how such institutions are run. “Their qualifications come from God,” Ahmad said.

The Taliban's legitimacy to govern doesn't come from Afghans but from their interpretation of religion and culture, said Leena Rikkila Tamang with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

If a government is defined by the trust and buy-in of citizens, recognition by international powers and legitimacy through processes like elections, then the Taliban do not qualify as a government, she said.

Afghanistan's economy has weakened. In 2023, foreign aid still made up around 30% of the country's GDP.

The U.N. has flown in at least $3.8 billion to fund international aid organizations during the past three years. The United States remains the largest donor, sending more than $3 billion in assistance since the Taliban takeover. But the U.S. watchdog assigned to follow the money says a lot is taxed or diverted.

“The further the cash gets away from the source, the less transparency there is,” said Chris Borgeson, the deputy inspector general for audits and inspections at the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

The Taliban also apply vigorous taxation. In 2023, they collected around $2.96 billion. But that’s not much in a country with huge and complex needs, and the Taliban don’t have the means to stimulate the economy.

The central bank can’t print money. Cash is printed abroad. Interest transactions are banned because interest is forbidden in Islam, and banks aren't lending. The Taliban can't borrow money because they're not recognized as the government, and international banking is cut off.

Natural disasters and the flow of Afghans fleeing Pakistan under pressure to return home have underlined Afghanistan's reliance on foreign aid to meet essential needs.

It’s a big risk if the international community can't send that kind of aid in the future. “We know Afghanistan will start receiving less money from the international community," said Muhammad Waheed, World Bank senior economist for Afghanistan.

Another significant blow to the economy has been the Taliban's ban on female education and most employment, removing half of Afghanistan's population from the spending and taxpaying that can strengthen the economy.

In addition, the Taliban's anti-narcotics policy “has wrecked the livelihood of thousands of farmers,” said Bahiss, warning that “just because the population is complacent right now, it won’t stay that way.”

Afghanistan is a small country in a neighborhood of giants, Bahiss said, and there’s a regional consensus that it’s better to have a stable Afghanistan.

But support from the West, especially the U.S., is key to unlocking billions in frozen assets and lifting sanctions.

The Taliban's links with China and Russia are important because they are permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. They have also occupied seats on the United Nations’ Credentials Committee, which decides whether to withhold or bestow legitimacy on a government.

For now, Gulf nations are engaging with the Taliban to hedge their bets. “Qatar likes to be seen as leading mediation efforts and the (United Arab Emirates) has been taking that away, especially through supporting international aviation,” Bahiss said.

A meeting this year between the leader of the UAE and a Taliban official facing a U.S. bounty over attacks highlighted the growing global divide on how to deal with the Taliban.

The Taliban are keen to stress how effective they are as a government and to show the country is peaceful and that services are being provided, said Weeda Mehran, an international relations lecturer at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

Although Afghanistan has lost dozens of media outlets due to a Taliban crackdown, the country’s rulers have grasped the impact of social media. Their content is intended to normalize their approach to Islamic law, which is where Arabic-language messaging is important.

“It’s a watered-down and whitewashed account of what is happening in the country,” Mehran said.

The Taliban have secured Afghanistan through checkpoints, armored vehicles and hundreds of thousands of fighters. But the country is not safe, especially for women and minorities, as civilian casualties from suicide bombings and other attacks persist.

The Islamic State group has repeatedly targeted the mostly Shiite Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood in Kabul. The police, slow to confirm attacks and casualty numbers, tell the media that investigations are underway but don't say if anyone is brought to justice.

A newer phenomenon is the anxiety experienced by Afghan women as the Taliban enforce decrees on clothing, work and travel and the requirement to have a male guardian when traveling.

“A message for the mainstream media is that it’s OK and there is good security in Afghanistan under the Taliban,” Mehran said. “My argument would be, well, whose security are we talking about?”

FILE - Afghan refugees settle in a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham, Afghanistan, on Nov. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - Afghan refugees settle in a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham, Afghanistan, on Nov. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - Afghan volunteers clean up rubble after an earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western Afghanistan, on Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - Afghan volunteers clean up rubble after an earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western Afghanistan, on Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - A Taliban fighter stands guard in the Shiite neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - A Taliban fighter stands guard in the Shiite neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)

FILE - In this photo released by the state-run WAM news agency, Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, left, shakes hands with Taliban official Sirajuddin Haqqani at Qasr Al Shati palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on June 4, 2024. (WAM via AP, File)

FILE - In this photo released by the state-run WAM news agency, Emirati leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, left, shakes hands with Taliban official Sirajuddin Haqqani at Qasr Al Shati palace in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on June 4, 2024. (WAM via AP, File)

FILE - An Afghan woman exits a convenience shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/ Petros Giannakouris, File)

FILE - An Afghan woman exits a convenience shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Dec. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/ Petros Giannakouris, File)

FILE - Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

FILE - Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

FILE - In this undated and unknown location photo, the new leader of Taliban fighters, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is photographed. (Afghan Islamic Press via AP, File)

FILE - In this undated and unknown location photo, the new leader of Taliban fighters, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is photographed. (Afghan Islamic Press via AP, File)

FILE - Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)

FILE - Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)

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Everything you need to know about the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

2025-01-23 02:08 Last Updated At:02:11

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — As many in the entertainment industry navigate the devastating effects of the California wildfires, some will soon be decamping to cleaner air in the mountains. The annual Sundance Film Festival begins Thursday in Park City, Utah.

The 41st edition of Robert Redford’s brainchild will, as always, be a year of discovery and discussion. There are timely films:

— “Free Leonard Peltier,” which will premiere just days after former President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of the Indigenous activist nearly half a century after he was imprisoned for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents.

— Oscar-winner Mstyslav Chernov’s“2000 Meters to Andriivka,” a joint production between The Associated Press and Frontline about an attempt to liberate an occupied territory in Ukraine

— Several films about trans rights including “Heightened Scrutiny,” about civil rights lawyer Chase Strangio. It's a topic even more pressing after President Donald Trump signed executive orders Monday rolling back protections for transgender people.

There are even some controversies brewing: “The Stringer,” from documentary filmmaker Bao Nguyen, calls into question who took the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Napalm Girl” photograph. Retired AP photographer Nick Ut and the AP, which conducted a six-month investigation into the allegation, are contesting it and Ut's lawyers have asked for it to be pulled from the program.

“The film is an investigation,” said Eugene Hernandez, the director of the festival, who is moving forward with plans to screen it. “I think it will be a really important conversation that will come out over the next few days after the film is seen by more people.”

Don’t worry, it’s not all heavy. There’s drama of course, even a film about starting over after a fire (“Rebuilding,” with Josh O’Connor), horror, satire, literary adaptations, comedy, documentaries about famous faces, and some that simply defy categorization.

“There’s some really funny stuff in the program,” Hernandez said. One of those Hernandez cited is “Bubble & Squeak,” about a married couple accused of smuggling cabbages into a nation where they’re banned.

For first time filmmakers, Sundance can be their chance to break through in a big way. That happened last year for “Dìdi” filmmaker Sean Wang. Some films that debuted last January are still in the awards conversation, like “A Real Pain” and “A Different Man.” For actors, the festival is both a casual respite to awards season glitz (snow boots are more likely on red carpets than high heels) and can be a chance to show audiences a new dimension of their talent.

“It’s a strong year of renewal for our artist community,” Hernandez said. “And we have a lot of really great voices and stories that we get to unveil in the coming days.”

Here’s everything you need to know:

Sundance runs from Jan. 23 through Feb. 2. There are about 90 features premiering across the 11 days, with screenings starting early in the morning through midnight. Award-winners will be announced on Jan. 31.

Stars with films premiering include Jennifer Lopez, Benedict Cumberbatch, Diego Luna, Conan O’Brien, Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Ayo Edebiri, Olivia Colman, André Holland, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, Bowen Yang, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Lily Gladstone, Dev Patel, Emily Watson, John Lithgow, Marlee Matlin, John Malkovich, Rose Byrne, Chloë Sevigny, Josh O’Connor, Ben Whishaw, Dylan O’Brien, Lili Reinhart and Willem Dafoe.

One of the greatest things about Sundance is that it’s often the under-the-radar movies that become the breakouts.

But some of the higher-profile premieres going into the festival include: Bill Condon’s “Kiss of the Spider-Woman,” starring Lopez; Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s documentary “SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)”; “Opus,” a horror about the cult of celebrity with Edebiri and John Malkovich; Andrew Ahn’s “The Wedding Banquet,” with Bowen Yang and Kelly Marie Tran; the war satire “Atropia,” with Alia Shawkat; “Pee-wee as Himself,” about the late Paul Reubens; “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore”; and Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman’s doc “The Alabama Solution,” about a cover-up in one of America’s most notorious prison systems.

Festival organizers have been in dialogue with filmmakers, staff, audiences and donors about the effects of the fires, supporting and accommodating where possible including pushing back deadlines to allow filmmakers more time to finish. The festival will also have a QR code displayed before screenings for information on sharing resources or contributing to relief efforts.

“As hard as the last week has been, this will be a moment to come together,” Hernandez said. “The community’s really responding to support those who need it most right now. I think that’s going to be a profound aspect of this year’s festival.”

For the most part, yes. Starting in 2027 the festival will no longer be primarily based in Park City. It may stay in Utah but would operate mainly out of Salt Lake City. Other finalists are Boulder, Colorado, and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Sundance Institute is expected to announce its final decision in the first quarter of 2025.

“Park City as the home of Sundance is such a special place,” Hernandez said. “I look at it optimistically because we have two more exciting years in this current configuration. I think we’re going to make the most of those two years and make them as memorable and meaningful as we can.”

Access to the movies premiering at Sundance doesn’t necessary require an expensive trip to Park City anymore. The festival has fully embraced an online component for many of their films.

What started as a necessary COVID-19 adjustment has become a vital part of the program. From Jan. 30 through Feb. 2, audiences can stream much of the program online. Prices start at $35 for a single film ticket and go up to $800 for unlimited access.

Otherwise, films that secure distribution can take anywhere from a few weeks to over a year to hit theaters or streaming services. Steven Soderbergh's “Presence,” which premiered last January, is just hitting theaters this week.

For more coverage of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival visit: https://apnews.com/hub/sundance-film-festival

The marquee of the Egyptian Theatre is shown Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

The marquee of the Egyptian Theatre is shown Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Park City, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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