Taliban have their work cut out to win hearts and minds in Kabul

FILE PHOTO: A member of the Taliban forces points his gun at protesters, as Afghan demonstrators shout slogans during an anti-Pakistan protest, near the Pakistan embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan September 7, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

(Reuters) - After 20 years of fighting, the Taliban have tried to present a conciliatory face to the world. Afghanistan's new rulers have a problem closer to home: winning the hearts and minds of their own people, starting in the capital.

Since the group entered Kabul on Aug. 15, armed members have roamed the streets in battlefield dress, often with no obvious chain of command. Many city dwellers are not used to the sight, and heavy-handed security https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghan-journalists-beaten-taliban-detention-editor-says-2021-09-09 tactics have not helped.