Taliban will declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in resounding defeat of the US-backed government

The white Taliban flag flies at the Ghazni provincial governor's house, in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. — The Taliban flag.
AP Photo/Gulabuddin Amiri

The Taliban plans on renaming Afghanistan in a ceremony at the presidential palace.
A Taliban official announced they will declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Only a handful of countries recognized the regime under the same name from 1996 to 2001.
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The Taliban will declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul, a Taliban official announced on Sunday.

The official spoke under the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press, according to the Associated Press.

From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban ruled the country under the same name. Only a handful of countries recognized the regime, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkmenistan.

The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated rapidly amid the final withdrawal of American and NATO troops, with the Taliban making its final move to take over the capital in Kabul after conquering a series of provincial ones.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country after the Taliban advanced on the capital, with the group later taking the presidential palace.

US citizens in Kabul were instructed to shelter in place by the State Department, with reports of the airport taking fire.

During the five-year reign of the previous Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law nationwide. These included significant restrictions on women, who were not allowed to leave their homes without a male companion and were required to be fully covered from head to feet when in public.

The Taliban has always used the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in its official communications.

International recognition for the Emirate of Afghanistan was minimal from 1996 to 2001 beyond the handful of countries, with the United Nations instead choosing to recognize the exiled Islamic State of Afghanistan.

Afghan leaders have created a "coordination council" to meet with the Taliban for coordinating a transfer of power, according to the AP.

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