KABUL: The Taliban declared Wednesday a national holiday and decorated the capital with colored lights to celebrate the first anniversary of the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan.
\nThe country\u2019s new rulers \u2014 not formally recognized by any other nation \u2014 have reimposed their harsh version of Islamic law on the impoverished country, with women squeezed out of public life.
\nBut despite the restrictions, and a deepening humanitarian crisis, many Afghans say they are glad the foreign force that prompted the Taliban insurgency left after a brutal 20-year war.
\n\u201cWe are happy that Allah got rid of the infidels from our country, and the Islamic Emirate has been established,\u201d said Zalmai, a resident of Kabul.
\n\u201cHappy Independence Day,\u201d tweeted government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
\nIn a separate statement, the government said the day marked \u201cthe country\u2019s freedom from American occupation.\u201d
\n\u201cSo many mujhahideen have been wounded (over the years), so many children became orphans and so many women become widows.\u201d
\nThe authorities held an official celebration at Bagram air base, which US forces used to launch air strikes against the Taliban.
\nForeign media outlets were not allowed to attend the event.
\nKabul was quiet on Wednesday morning with a few Taliban fighters driving around the city and most residents staying indoors after the government declared a national holiday.
\nThe plane carrying the last US troops took off from Kabul just a minute before midnight on August 31 last year.
\nThat departure ended America\u2019s longest war, which began in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York.
\nSome 66,000 Afghan troops and 48,000 civilians were killed in the conflict, but it was the deaths of US service members \u2014 2,461 in total \u2014 that became too much for the American public to bear.
\n\u201cThe burden of the war in Afghanistan, however, went beyond Americans,\u201d the US military said Tuesday.
\nMore than 3,500 troops from other NATO countries were also killed.
\nTwo weeks before the end of last year\u2019s withdrawal, the Taliban seized power following a lightning offensive against government forces.
\nBanners celebrating victories against three empires \u2014 the former Soviet Union and Britain also lost wars in Afghanistan \u2014 flew in Kabul on Wednesday.
\nHundreds of white Taliban flags bearing the Islamic proclamation of faith flew from lamposts and government buildings, while squares in the capital were decorated with lights.
\nOn Tuesday night, the skies above Kabul were lit up with fireworks and celebratory gunfire from crowds of Taliban fighters.
\nIn Massoud Square, near the former US embassy, armed fighters carrying Taliban flags chanted \u201cDeath to America.\u201d Others drove around the city honking their horns.
\nTaliban social media accounts posted videos and pictures of newly trained troops \u2014 many flaunting equipment the US military left behind during its chaotic withdrawal.
\n\u201cThis is how you troll a superpower after humiliating them and forcing them to withdraw from your country,\u201d read a tweet with a photo of a giant Taliban flag now painted on the wall of the former US embassy.
\nDespite the Taliban\u2019s pride in taking over, Afghanistan\u2019s 38 million people face a desperate humanitarian crisis \u2014 aggravated after billions of dollars in assets were frozen and foreign aid dried up.
\nHardships for ordinary Afghans, especially women, have increased.
\nThe Taliban have shut secondary girls\u2019 schools in many provinces and barred women from many government jobs.
\nThey have also ordered women to fully cover up in public \u2014 ideally with an all-encompassing burqa.
\n\u201cWomen are mentally disturbed because they have no career, no education, and no basic rights,\u201d said Zulal, a former government employee in the city of Herat who lost her job after the arrival of the Taliban.
\n\u201cGirls are particularly distressed after their schools were closed. You can see it on their faces.\u201d
\nTaliban spokesman Mujahid last week claimed there had been \u201cmajor achievements\u201d in the past year.
\n\u201cAfghans are no more being killed in war, foreign forces have withdrawn, and security has improved,\u201d he told reporters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
KABUL: The Taliban declared Wednesday a national holiday and decorated the capital with colored lights to celebrate the first anniversary of the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan. The country\u2019s new rulers \u2014 not formally recognized by any other nation \u2014 have reimposed their harsh version of Islamic law on the impoverished country, with women […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280669,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[529,748,10403,192],"class_list":{"0":"post-280665","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-anniversary","9":"tag-celebrate","10":"tag-foreign-troop-withdrawal","11":"tag-taliban"},"yoast_head":"\n