Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the world was disappointed in the Taliban’s failure to appoint any women to leadership positions in its new government.
“I think the whole international community was hopeful that they would be inclusive as they kind of said they would be weeks and months ago, but we’ve not seen evidence of that early on,” Austin said.
Meanwhile, despite the group’s long history of mistreating women, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also expressed concern.
“We’re assessing the announcement but despite professing that a new government would be inclusive, the announced list of names consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates, and no women,” he said in a press conference. “The Taliban seek international legitimacy and support. Any legitimacy, any support, will have to be earned.”
A group of women gathered in Afghanistan last week to protest the Taliban and its all-male government after the terrorist group took power during the U.S. withdrawal of troops.
“We have gathered here to protest the recent announcement of the government where there are no women representation within this government,” one woman at the protest said.
But, multiple media reports indicated that the Taliban used whips to beat the female protesters.
In addition, the Taliban also said it would ban women from playing sports. Over the weekend, it emerged that they would allow some women to attend school but, only schools with other women.
Republicans, meanwhile, are taking the opportunity to criticize what they consider incompetence within the Biden Administration.
“I can’t believe Blinken and the rest of Biden’s INCOMPETENT Administration is surprised that the Taliban, “isn’t inclusive enough,'” Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, wrote on Twitter. “What were they POSSIBLY expecting? The people running our country are totally CLUELESS!”
