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John Simpson on interview with Afghan Taliban spokesman

A caller asked the 麻豆社 correspondent; 鈥渁re the Taliban aware of just how much it is in their interest to behave and not to go back to the old days, if they do get the chance?鈥

5 live caller Adam in Norwich, asked 麻豆社 world affairs correspondent John Simpson; 鈥渁re the Taliban aware of just how much it is in their interest to behave and not to go back to the old days, if they do get the chance?鈥 in relation to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

John Simpson replied that he spoke to the Taliban spokesman, who "seemed to say no, there will be no change, we will have to reintroduce the full force of Sharia law".

John Simpson continued: "It was that full force, added to a kind of 鈥榞angsterism鈥 that made them so bitterly, bitterly unpopular when they were in control from 1996 鈥 2001. If that is the line they鈥檙e taking, and it鈥檚 not just for public consumption, which is a possibility, then I think they won鈥檛 come back."

Richard Bacon asked if that would include 鈥渂eing beaten up for flying a kite and carrying photos and playing music", John Simpson replied: "That's what the spokesman said, in effect they would be doing, yes, they鈥檒l reintroduce all those rules and laws which made people鈥檚 lives hideously dangerous and miserable before."

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