Taliban suppress more dissent as economic challenges loom

By AHMAD SEIR, TAMEEM AKHGAR, KATHY GANNON and JOSEPH KRAUSS
Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban violently dispersed scattered protests for a second day as they moved to consolidate their rule less than a week after seizing power. Experts, meanwhile, warned that Afghanistan’s already weakened economy could crumble further without the massive international aid that sustained the toppled Western-backed government. The Taliban have sought to project moderation and say they want good relations with the international community. But they will face a difficult balancing act in making concessions to the West, satisfying their own hard-line followers and suppressing dissent. A U.N. official warned of dire food shortages, and experts said the country was severely in need of cash.