US Intelligence predicts “humanitarian catastrophe” and “harsh” Taliban rule for Afghanistan 

A declassified intelligence assessment on the implications of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, released on 5 December by the US National Intelligence Council, predicts that through 2025, Afghanistan will remain isolated from the international community and only international aid can help its population avoid countrywide famine.

The Taliban, the report predicts, “will be more engaged internationally than it was during its previous rule,” and that “it will largely ignore external pressure to alter its fundamental governing approach” and the group will “use harsh tactics to maintain control of the population.”