Thread:This week I went to #Nangarhar to speak to a few new #Taliban recruits;trying to find out what exactly the draw is:why do young people,esp in rural areas,join the militant group,knowing how they ruled the country betw '96-'01&seeing countless attacks over the last decades.

Many in #Afghanistan worry about the return of the Taliban, afraid of what it might mean for the freedoms gained over the past two decades, and for women.What rings through on all sides however is that peace is so desperately needed. People are tired; people want the war to stop.

In rural areas, many live in frustration when it comes to government provisions. "There are two overriding laws, one for the rich and one for the poor. People like me have no opportunities," Omari, who recently joined the Taliban exactly because of that reason, told me.

Of course nothing is clear-cut,but a strong rural-urban divide prevails,as does widespread government corruption/violence on all sides. My story is attempting to get into the minds of new Taliban recruits in rural areas.Who are they?Why are they joining? https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/09/24/taliban-kabul-rural-afghans-join-peace-deal/