Hardline Haqqani Network Put in Charge of Kabul Security

Hardline Haqqani Network Put in Charge of Kabul Security
Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 19, 2021. Rahmat Gul/AP Photo
Updated:

The Taliban has placed security for the Afghan capital, Kabul, in the hands of senior members of the Haqqani Network, which has close ties with foreign jihadist groups including a long-standing association with al-Qaida.

Western intelligence officials say the assignment is alarming and undercuts Taliban promises to tread a more moderate path than the movement did when it ruled the country from 1996 to 2001.