Military & Defense

The Taliban have declared the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,' the same name it used when it brutally ruled the country in the 1990s

By Sinéad Baker
Taliban
Taliban fighters seizing territory across Afghanistan. Allauddin Khan/AP
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The Taliban declared the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" on Thursday, marking a nail in the coffin of the US-backed Afghan government.

Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted the declaration and the new name on Thursday.

The group used the name for the country when it ruled it between 1996 and 2001, before it was taken from power by US-led forces.

It was then known for its oppressive regime, including for its treatment of women.

Only a few countries recognized that regime at the time, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkmenistan, as Insider's Jake Lahut has reported.

 

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Sinéad Baker's face on a grey background
Sinéad Baker
Sinéad Baker is a Military and Defense Correspondent based in Business Insider's London bureau, writing about Russia's invasion of Ukraine and NATO actions.Sinéad most often covers soldiers' experiences, military strategy, battlefield developments, weapons systems, the defense industry's response, and the impact on NATO and European security, and geopolitical decisions that surround the Ukraine war. She has reported from NATO’s frontlines and around Europe,  has interviewed multiple prime ministers and defense ministers, has appeared on BBC News and The Guardian's politics podcast, and has been cited by Congressional hearings.Sinéad has also extensively covered US politics and previously led Business Insider's breaking news coverage from London.Sinéad previously completed a master's degree in investigative journalism at City, University of London, and has written for The Guardian, The Observer, and TheJournal.ie. Sinéad is the former editor of the multi-award-winning The University Times in Dublin.Expertise
  • Experiences of soldiers in Ukraine, including battlefield developments and tactics
  • Western military responses to the war, and lessons they should learn
  • New weaponry built for and in response to the war 
Email Sinéad at sbaker@businessinsider.com or find her on X.
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