One year after the Taliban again seized power in Afghanistan, some cracks are opening within their ranks over the crucial question of just how much reform their leaders can tolerate. Infamous during their first reign for their brutal crackdowns on rights and freedoms, the Islamists vowed to rule differently this time. On a superficial level at least, they appear to have changed in some respects. Officials in Kabul have embraced technology, while cricket matches are cheered in full stadiums. Televisions were banned under the Taliban government’s first incarnation, while Afghans now have access …

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