. Strong Criticism of Taliban’s “Conquest” by Saleh.
Amrullah Saleh, the exiled first vice president of Afghanistan and head of the Green Trend, sharply criticized the Taliban’s official narrative of “conquering” Afghanistan, labeling it “political and propaganda deception.”
He stated that the Taliban exploit religious and historical concepts to portray their takeover as legitimate, whereas, in his view, it was a “planned fall of power,” not a military or popular victory.
Saleh further asserted that the most effective way to disrupt the Taliban’s narrative is to expose their hidden foreign support and interactions. He claimed that the Taliban’s rise to power was the outcome of a multilayered political and intelligence deal rather than a war they call a “historic victory.”
According to him, the Taliban’s use of the term “conquest” is an attempt at forced legitimization, imposing their preferred narrative on the Afghan public and international community.
Saleh emphasized that opposition forces are striving to establish an alternative narrative globally, and over time, details of behind-the-scenes agreements and interactions will become clearer. He expressed hope that exposing these details would challenge the Taliban’s “manufactured and propagandistic legitimacy” and weaken the group’s official narrative.
Meanwhile, opposition fronts and politicians remain fragmented, with only the Freedom Front and Resistance Front actively unified, leaving other actors largely inactive and isolated.
