Afghanistan: Taliban ‘cooperating’ with British forces and not behaving ‘medieval way’, says chief of defense staff | world News

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Britain’s chief of defense staff said the Taliban were “cooperating” with British forces as they worked to evacuate people from Afghanistan and were not behaving in a “medieval way”.

General Sir Nick Carter told Sky News: “We are cooperating with the Taliban on the ground and that appears to be a very direct relationship.

“They keep the streets of Kabul very safe and really very quiet. They help us at the airport.”

Photo: Taliban fighters patrol in the capital, Kabul. Pic: AP

The militants, he said, “keep calm in the streets, and avoid general chaos” – and added: “What we don’t get are reports of them behaving in a medieval manner as you’ve seen in the past.”

Sir Nick noted that the Islamic movement, which had seized power in Afghanistan, could be more moderate than it was when it last had control in the 1990s.

He said he did not think the Taliban “want to become an international pariah again,” adding, “I think they have changed.”

Live updates in Afghanistan: all with the Taliban forming a new government

It comes as Boris Johnson prepares to tell MPs that immediate aid to Afghanistan must be increased to avert a humanitarian crisis.

Members of Parliament were called from their summer recess for an emergency session of Parliament on Wednesday to take part in a five-hour debate on the situation in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday night, the Prime Minister announced that a new settlement scheme would allow up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghan refugees to come to the UK over the coming years.

The Taliban claimed they were not seeking revenge after regaining control of the country after they were ousted two decades ago.

Speaking from the Afghan presidential palace on Tuesday, Zabihullah Mujahid referred to Afghanistan as the “Islamic Emirate” and said the group is committed to women’s rights within the framework of Islamic law.

Meanwhile, Taliban spokesman Sohail Shaheen told Sky News that “thousands” of schools continue to operate after the Taliban seized power and claimed that women have the right to work and be educated up to university level.

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