The Taliban Say They've Changed. Experts Aren't Buying It And Fear For Afghanistan

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/04/ [login to see] /the-taliban-say-theyve-changed-experts-arent-buying-it-and-fear-for-afghanistan
Nearly two decades after U.S. forces toppled a repressive Taliban regime, the militant religious movement is again winning territory on battlefields across Afghanistan, vying to fill a power vacuum left as America prepares to exit its longest war.

The prospect of a Taliban takeover reminiscent of the movement's 1996 blitz on the capital, Kabul, has people both inside and outside Afghanistan worried about the future.

While the Taliban have been making rapid gains — particularly since U.S.-led forces began a withdrawal in May — few experts see a complete takeover of the capital as imminent.