A Look At What Remains In The Afghan City Of Kunduz After Being Occupied By The Taliban For One Week

Washington Post: Kunduz faces tough resurrection after brief Taliban takeover

KUNDUZ, AFGHANISTAN — There were no computers, no projectors, no microscopes and no cameras inside the classrooms of Kunduz University. Outside, the school’s tractor and jeep were gone. Taliban fighters had stolen them all, fleeing with refrigerators and even doors ripped from their hinges.

“We worked hard for 13 years to collect all this equipment,” said Abdul Quduz Zarifi, the university’s president, seated near a classroom wall pierced with bullet holes. “All was gone in one week.”

When it seized this northern city three weeks ago, the Taliban did not just destroy the present. It sought to maim the future of Kunduz, too.

The insurgents torched local government offices and buildings vital to the functioning of society: to bolster agriculture, to build up rural and urban areas, to house elected officials, and to fight narcotics. They destroyed part of the electricity and water department and devastated police stations. Shops and businesses were caught in crossfire. The Central Bank branch was looted; other banks were bombed, making it difficult for salaries to be paid. The insurgents also used mosques and schools as bases.

WNU Editor: This is why the Taliban were quickly destroyed by U.S.-Afghan coalition in 2001 .... their conduct and behaviour guarantees a bleak future for the Afghanis.