Finally, outside of the splinter group under Mullah Rasool, the Taliban's military struggle against the United States and its Afghan allies served as a glue to keep them together. Now that the glue has come off, it is likely that sharp disagreements will surface amongst the Taliban. Not even a month after the capture of Kabul, there are already reports that senior Taliban leaders Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani have “exchanged strong words, as their followers brawled with each other nearby” over whether the Taliban achieved their victory through diplomacy or fighting. With the passage of time, these internal Taliban differences are likely to grow larger and more irreconcilable, especially if their supreme leaders continue to live (and die) in hiding.

Arwin Rahi is a former adviser to the Parwan governor in Afghanistan. He can be reached at [email protected].

Image: Reuters.