US Intelligence Assessment Backs Fears for Afghan Women

WASHINGTON - A newly declassified U.S. intelligence assessment warns that women in Afghanistan are likely to see their rights disappear should the Taliban come to power following the withdrawal of U.S. forces.

The two-page Sense of the Community Memorandum, released Tuesday by the U.S. National Intelligence Council, finds no reason to believe the Taliban have changed their views on women's rights despite some public statements to the contrary. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline. "The Taliban remains broadly consistent in its restrictive approach to women's rights and would roll back much of the past two decades' progress if the group regained national power," the assessment states. "The Taliban has seen minimal leadership turnover, maintains inflexible negotiating positions, and enforces strict social constraints in areas that it already controls," it adds.