RASC News Agency: News sources in Herat province report that former supporters of the Taliban, including prominent and influential figures in the province, have grown weary of the group’s oppression and are counting the days until the Taliban no longer have a foothold in Afghanistan. A local source in Herat province told RASC News Agency on Wednesday, May 1, that these figures include those with influence among religious scholars, former jihadist leaders, and tribal elders who no longer wish for the Taliban to remain in Afghanistan.
According to the source, these individuals previously supported the Taliban comprehensively before the shifts in Afghanistan and the departure of former President Ashraf Ghani; however, they now want the group out of the country. The source added that the Taliban no longer have the support of tribal elders and prominent local figures to sustain their presence in Afghanistan.
Another source told RASC that the Taliban have lost the trust and respect of the people. Once held in high regard by a small group of their own, the Taliban are now seen as a fallen force. According to the source, the Taliban’s standing has plummeted from a 100% approval rating to zero, and no faction will support them.
The source noted that the Taliban’s actions over the past few years have alienated even their closest associates and stripped them of any value. The source believes that the Taliban’s continuous injustices will eventually lead to their downfall, leaving them with no close allies. Meanwhile, Osman, an expert in the western region of Afghanistan, confirmed that the Taliban have pushed away all their friends and supporters and left them with no path for return.
He added that this dynamic is not exclusive to Herat; many individuals in other provinces who sacrificed for the Taliban have been eliminated. Osman stated that if this trend continues, not only the Taliban’s supporters but even the children of the group will not stand by them at the last moment.
Similarly, Babak Rostami, a civil society activist in Afghanistan, told RASC News Agency, “When the Taliban first entered Afghanistan, there was a level of support for them because it was believed they had changed. But they have not only failed to change but have become worse than they were twenty years ago.”
He emphasized that the Taliban is a project group in Afghanistan serving the interests of regional and global powers. Rostami predicts that this project will soon come to an end, and the Taliban will not regain power in Afghanistan.
We were unable to obtain comments from Taliban officials regarding this matter. It should be noted that during the shifts in Herat province, several prominent and influential figures in western Afghanistan made various efforts to bring the Taliban to power.
However, after the Taliban came to power, some of these individuals were targeted in suicide and bomb attacks, while others were forced into seclusion or imprisoned by the group.
