Taliban invite US to visit Afghanistan with unusual video
The clip mixes dreamlike landscapes with weapons of war and mockery directed at the United States. Tourism or propaganda?
Photo of Farid Ershad in Unsplash
A video allegedly made by an Afghan influencer recently went viral on the internet. The video opens with a disturbing scene: a man kneeling, his head covered by a black hood, next to a Taliban man staring into the camera.
“We have a message for America,” he says seriously.
For a moment, the image is reminiscent of the executions filmed by extremist groups in the Middle East. But then, the tension breaks when the executioner removes the hood of the supposed hostage, who smiles and says:
“Welcome to Afghanistan!”
Tourism between rifles and tanks
From there, the video takes a surreal turn.
A man can be seen doing pull-ups on the barrel of a destroyed tank. Another man swims in a crystal-clear lake with an assault rifle slung over his shoulder. Exotic animals, traditional food, mountains, and river cruises are also shown.
It all seems like a tourist promotion, if it weren't for the constant nods to the country's wartime past.
Property of the U.S. government
In one of the most talked-about scenes, an Afghan holds an M4 rifle with the inscription:
“Property of US Government”And he comments with a laugh: “It doesn’t even have the safety on,” while others look on proudly.
The video, produced by the Taliban and widely shared on social media, has already racked up millions of views.
The message is clear: the Taliban want to present a peaceful, attractive, even modern Afghanistan. But the aesthetics, weapons, and symbols make it hard to ignore the obvious:
The country remains under the control of a fundamentalist regime, where freedom, especially for women and minorities, is severely limited.
The strategy is perhaps deliberately ambiguous: combining hospitality with messages directed at the West, and beautiful landscapes with the visual reminder of the war.
So far, there have been no official statements from the United States government regarding the tourism video released by the Taliban. However, there are relevant warnings and statements that contextualize the situation:
He U.S. Department of State maintains a Travel alert level 4 “Do not travel” to Afghanistan due to serious risks such as terrorism, arbitrary detentions, kidnappings and institutional collapse.
The US has not directly commented on the video, but maintains clear warnings about travel to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the international community continues to question the intent behind this visual campaign.
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