Has the Taliban changed since the 1990’s?

The Taliban regained total control of Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, when the US withdrew after twenty years of war. But the militant group claims to have reformed, and has even tried to show a softer side, perhaps to contrast the barbaric scenes from the last time they were in control from 1996 until 2001.

In the 1990s, women couldn't work, attend school, or leave their homes without a male guardian. They were required to wear burqas in public. Today, the Taliban claims they will respect women’s rights within the confines of their interpretation of Islam. They have also promised to uphold press freedom and adapt to a new, more modern country.

But is “Taliban 2.0” anything more than a clever PR stunt? On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer explains why people are skeptical and expect more of the same human rights abuses and repression from the Taliban the world witnessed decades ago.

Watch the GZERO World episode: Taliban 2.0: Afghanistan on the Brink (US AWOL)