Near daily flights from Qatar bring in humanitarian aid, but the needs are massive, and the Taliban can hardly afford isolation. In announcing the Cabinet, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid emphasized that the appointments were temporary. Since taking over Afghanistan in mid-August after U.S. troops withdrew, the Taliban have shown no indications they will hold elections. The interim prime minister, Mullah Hasan Akhund, also headed the Taliban government in Kabul during the last years of its rule. On Saturday, Taliban special forces in camouflage fired their weapons into the air to end a protest march in Kabul by women demanding equal rights.
