Breitbart's Afghanistan Coverage: A Study In Sensationalism And Bias

Breitbart's coverage of Afghanistan has included a range of topics, from the Taliban's treatment of women and human rights abuses to US involvement in the country and the Biden administration's response to the Taliban regime. The outlet has been critical of the Taliban's crackdown on human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls, including their ban on beauty salons and education for girls above the sixth grade. Breitbart has also reported on the Taliban's ties to other terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda and the Haqqani Network, and their efforts to establish an inclusive government. In addition, the outlet has covered US politics related to Afghanistan, including criticism of President Biden's handling of the US withdrawal from the country and debates within the Republican Party about the US role in Afghanistan.

Breitbart's criticism of Trump's Afghanistan policy

Breitbart News, a conservative website that has been supportive of Trump's presidency, took an aggressive and critical approach to Trump's Afghanistan policy speech in 2017. The website called his new position a "flip-flop", claiming that it contradicted his campaign pledge to limit US intervention abroad and follow a non-interventionist foreign policy. Breitbart also likened Trump's strategy to that of his predecessor, Barack Obama, and criticised National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, suggesting that the speech was the work of McMaster and other generals in the White House. Breitbart editor Raheem Kassam wrote that the speech represented the triumph of the Washington "swamp", meaning the Republican political establishment, and that Trump was no longer listening to the architects of "America First".

Biden's handling of the Afghanistan crisis

In the wake of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, President Biden has faced criticism for his handling of the crisis. Biden has defended his decision to withdraw U.S. troops, stating that he stands “squarely behind” it and that there was never a good time to withdraw. He has argued that the U.S. had already spent trillions of dollars, trained over 300,000 Afghan soldiers, and equipped them with state-of-the-art military equipment. Biden has also asserted that the Afghan political leaders and military were unwilling to defend their country and that American troops should not be fighting and dying in a war that Afghans are not willing to fight for themselves.

However, Biden's handling of the Afghanistan crisis has been widely criticized across the political spectrum. Democrats on Capitol Hill, former Obama administration officials, and even some of Biden's nominal allies have criticized the lack of coordination and poor planning during the withdrawal. They argue that the Biden administration failed to help the thousands of Afghans who assisted U.S. forces and that the evacuation of Americans was poorly executed. The speed of the Taliban's advance also seemed to catch the White House off guard, and they were forced to send additional troops to Afghanistan to assist with evacuations.

Public opinion polls reflect the criticism of Biden's handling of the situation. A Pew Research Center survey found that only about a quarter of Americans believe the administration has done an excellent or good job in dealing with Afghanistan. Democrats are divided, while a large majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents believe the Biden administration has performed poorly. The botched withdrawal has contributed to doubts about Biden's ability to govern effectively, and his approval ratings have suffered as a result.

In the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban has imposed strict restrictions on Afghan women and girls, banned beauty salons, and outlawed journalism. They have also failed to curb extremist groups like ISIS and have provided safe havens for al-Qaeda leaders. The Biden administration has continued to evacuate vulnerable Afghans and provide humanitarian aid, but the future of Afghanistan remains uncertain.

The Taliban's treatment of women

Under the Taliban, women and girls are discriminated against and denied their fundamental freedoms. They are banned from:

• Going to school, studying, or holding ministerial positions.
• Leaving the house without a male chaperone.
• Showing their skin in public and are forced to wear a burqa.
• Accessing healthcare delivered by men, with women forbidden from working in the healthcare sector.
• Being involved in politics or speaking publicly.

Women are essentially invisible in public life and are subjected to intimidation, threats, and violence if they do not conform to the Taliban's rules. Those who violate the rules face severe punishments, including imprisonment, torture, and even death.

The Taliban's restrictions have also impacted women's livelihoods and financial stability. Many women have lost their jobs due to Taliban policies restricting their access to work, and those who are still working are often not being paid due to the financial crisis and the cutting of foreign aid. The loss of income, coupled with rising prices and food shortages, has created huge barriers to women's health, education, and overall well-being.

The situation is particularly dire for women's rights activists, journalists, and other prominent figures, who face heightened risks of violence and arbitrary detention. The Taliban's return to power has erased women from public and social life, with women being banned from attending secondary school, working, appearing on TV, or even visiting parks.

Despite initial promises of inclusivity and claims of a more moderate interpretation of Sharia law, the Taliban have failed to uphold these commitments. Instead, they have steadily reimposed restrictions on women and girls, rolling back the hard-fought gains in equality and human rights achieved over the past two decades.

The international community, including the UN and human rights organisations, have expressed horror at the rollback of women's rights in Afghanistan and have called for action to safeguard the rights of women and girls in the country.

The Taliban's relationship with China

Historically, China has been concerned about security in Afghanistan, particularly the possibility of Uyghur militants using camps in the country to launch attacks against China. During the Taliban's first stint in power in the 1990s, Beijing worried about Uyghur militants using Afghanistan as a base and also had to deal with the kidnapping and killing of Chinese workers in the country. China shares a remote but direct border with Afghanistan, which further highlights the security concerns.

Despite these tensions, China has sought to maintain relations with the Taliban, dating back to when the group was previously in power before 2001. China was one of the few countries that engaged with the Taliban during this period, primarily through contacts in Islamabad.

In recent years, China has taken a more active role in Afghanistan, participating in various regional formats and peace talks. In 2015, China appointed a special envoy for Afghanistan and hosted several rounds of talks between the Taliban, the Afghan government, and other regional players.

China's primary motivation in engaging with the Taliban is to protect its security interests and contain militant groups that threaten its interests, including Uyghur groups and the Pakistani Taliban. China has also sought to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a haven for extremist groups like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

While China has not formally recognized the Taliban government, it has negotiated issues of trade, investment, and aid with the group. In 2023, Chinese companies signed a 25-year-long, multi-million-dollar oil extraction contract with the Taliban, demonstrating the growing economic ties between the two.

China has also been involved in various security initiatives in Afghanistan, such as the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism (QCCM), which brought together the chiefs of army staff from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and Tajikistan to address counter-terrorism and border security concerns.

In summary, the Taliban's relationship with China is transactional and driven by mutual self-interest. China seeks to protect its security interests and contain militant groups, while the Taliban views Beijing as crucial for international legitimacy and investment in Afghanistan. Despite not formally recognizing the Taliban government, China continues to engage with the group and negotiate on key issues.

The Taliban's inclusivity claims

The Taliban's claims of inclusivity have been exposed as hypocritical and false. When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2015, its spokespeople repeatedly emphasised that the new regime would be "inclusive". However, in practice, the Taliban has failed to uphold this promise, instead enforcing strict rules on the population that curtail human rights and freedoms, particularly those of women and girls.

The Taliban's definition of inclusivity appears to have certain caveats. While the group has used the word "inclusive" to describe its rule, it has not provided details on what this means in practice. The Taliban's interpretation of inclusivity does not seem to include religious liberty for Shia Muslims and other minority groups, despite this being an important aspect of the Afghan constitution. The Taliban's stance on this issue sends a threatening message to millions of Afghans from religious minority groups, and the group has a history of persecuting ethnic and religious minorities.

The Taliban's claims of inclusivity have also been undermined by its treatment of women and girls. The group has banned girls from pursuing education past primary school age and imposed strict dress codes, requiring women to wear burqas in public. Women have been prohibited from working for the UN and NGOs, restricted from entering public parks and participating in sports, and barred from travelling without a male guardian. The Taliban has also replaced the former Afghan Women's Ministry with the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which regularly threatens and micromanages civilian lives.

The Taliban's actions indicate that its interpretation of inclusivity is limited and does not align with the values of a diverse and democratic society. The group's promises of inclusivity should be viewed with scepticism, given its history of human rights abuses and its failure to uphold the rights and freedoms of Afghanistan's diverse population.

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