The Taliban’s newly unveiled caretaker government is unlikely to gain widespread formal international recognition due to its lack of diversity and former Afghan officials. But the re-establishment of a formal cabinet will still likely see the immediate resumption of crucial trade and diplomatic ties with Afghanistan’s neighbors, as well as limited -- even if unofficial -- engagement with farther-flung countries. On Sept. 7, the Taliban announced an interim government composed of leaders from old ranks despite initial promises of an ethnically inclusive and representative government. The announcement follows weeks of consultations between Taliban leaders and officials members from the deposed Afghan government, fueling speculation that the new system would include at least some former political officials. But the list of 33 ministers released by the Taliban doesn’t include anyone from the exiled President Ashraf Ghani’s administration. In addition, only two of the new ministers are ethnic Uzbek and only one is...
