Taliban beat Afghans for wearing western clothes: report

The Taliban beat Afghan youths for wearing Western clothing, reports say – as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin admits there have been some “difficult encounters” between the insurgents and those trying to flee Kabul.

A group of Afghan youths claims Taliban fighters beat, whipped and threatened them at gunpoint for wearing jeans and other Western-style clothing in Kabul, Telegraph report.

The youths said the rebels accused them of disrespecting Islam with their clothing choices.

A reporter for the Afghan newspaper Etilaatroz also said he was beaten over the weekend for not wearing “Afghan clothes.”

Similar reports have emerged on social media of young Afghan men being targeted for wearing T-shirts.

A Taliban official said the group was still determining the dress code for men – a week after taking control of Afghanistan again.

Meanwhile, the price of the burqa has doubled in Kabul as demand soared after the Taliban takeover. Taliban fighters have vowed to respect women’s rights despite their dire track record of allowing women and girls basic freedoms.

Despite an alleged promise from the Taliban last week that no one would be harmed amid a US troop withdrawal, Austin acknowledged there was a situation between the insurgents and those trying to flee Afghanistan.

“There have been incidents of people, you know, having some tough encounters with the Taliban,” Austin to ABC News.

Austin’s admission came after he was reminded that the Taliban did not let all Americans, or Afghans with credentials, pass through airport checkpoints safely.

“Nothing is absolute,” Austin said.

The admissions came just days after Austin told lawmakers that several Americans were beaten by the Taliban while trying to get into the airport – even though President Biden said US citizens were allowed in without incident.

Two lawmakers told The Post that Austin called abuse of Americans at the hands of the Taliban unacceptable during Friday’s conference call.

Biden said Sunday that the process to get Americans and tens of thousands more out of Afghanistan was accelerating, but he continued to defend his decision to step down despite the failed evacuation.

The evacuation of thousands of people from Kabul will be difficult and painful, no matter when it starts, when we start, the commander-in-chief said.

It would be true if the marriage started a month ago, or a month from now. There is no way to evacuate this many people without the pain and loss of the heartbreaking images you see on television.

During the 24 hours ending Monday morning, 28 US military flights evacuated about 10,400 people from Kabul, according to a White House official.

“We see no reason why this tempo would not be maintained,” Biden said.

The US aims to fly 5,000 to 9,000 people out of Kabul every day.

Without elaborating, the president said US troops had increased access to the airport for Americans and others seeking to evacuate.

He suggested that the perimeter around the airport be extended.