Rift at top of the Taliban: BBC reveals clash of wills behind internet shutdown
A recent internal conflict within the leadership of the Taliban has come to light, with the BBC uncovering a clash of wills that led to the recent internet shutdown in Afghanistan. The disagreement reportedly occurred between two top Taliban officials, Mullah Baradar and Sirajuddin Haqqani, both vying for power and control within the organization.
The dispute, which took place in Kabul last week, centered around the decision to shut down internet services across the country. Mullah Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister, favored restoring limited access to the internet to improve international relations and aid distribution efforts. On the other hand, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Acting Interior Minister and leader of the Haqqani network, pushed for a complete internet blackout to prevent dissent and secure their rule.
The clash of wills between these two influential figures highlights deeper divisions within the Taliban leadership, with each side advocating for policies that align with their interests and objectives. The rift has raised concerns about the group’s ability to govern effectively and project a united front to the international community.
Both Baradar and Haqqani have issued statements defending their positions, citing national security concerns and the need for stability in the country. The power struggle between these key figures underscores the challenges the Taliban faces in balancing its traditionalist ideology with the demands of governing a modern state.
The outcome of this internal power struggle remains uncertain, but its repercussions are already being felt by the Afghan population, who have been caught in the crossfire of competing agendas at the top of the Taliban hierarchy.
Sources Analysis:
BBC – The BBC is a reputable news outlet with a history of providing reliable information. It has no known biases related to this specific topic.
Taliban Officials – Both Mullah Baradar and Sirajuddin Haqqani are directly involved parties in this situation and may have their own motivations and interests in the outcome of the conflict.
Fact Check:
The fact that there was a clash between Mullah Baradar and Sirajuddin Haqqani within the Taliban – Verified fact, reported by BBC.
The reasons behind the clash, including differing views on internet access and governance – Unconfirmed claims, as these are based on statements from involved parties and may be subject to bias.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Rift at top of the Taliban: BBC reveals clash of wills behind internet shutdown”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.