Ioritz Abecia Bermudez
Internal Consolidation and the End of the “Forty-Year War”
In February 2026, the primary argument for the Taliban’s legitimacy among its domestic and regional supporters is the unprecedented cessation of large-scale internal conflict. Since 1978, Afghanistan had been a theater of continuous warfare, with shifting frontlines and a fractured landscape of warlordism. Under the current administration, the central leadership in Kandahar and Kabul has successfully established a unified chain of command that extends to the remotest provinces. This consolidation has eliminated the “security tax” previously imposed by local militias and has allowed for the reopening of national highways, facilitating a level of domestic commerce and movement that was impossible during the presence of international coalition forces.
Furthermore, the administration has demonstrated a capacity for policy enforcement that eluded previous Western-backed governments. The most striking example is the 2025 anti-narcotics campaign, which sustained the opium poppy ban for a third consecutive year. By February 2026, satellite data confirms that cultivation remains near zero in former strongholds like Helmand and Kandahar. While this has caused significant economic hardship for rural farmers, it has been hailed by regional neighbors—particularly Iran and Russia—as a critical contribution to regional health and stability, proving that the Taliban can be an effective partner in tackling cross-border issues when their interests align with international mandates.
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