Taliban militants violently disperse rare Afghan protest

By AHMAD SEIR, TAMEEM AKHGAR, KATHY GANNON and JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban militants have attacked protesters in eastern Afghanistan who dared to take down their banner and replace it with the country’s flag. At least one person was killed in the attack that fueled fears about how the insurgents would govern this fractious nation. The Taliban have insisted repeatedly they will respect human rights unlike during their previously draconian rule. But the attack in Jalalabad comes as many Afghans are hiding at home or trying to flee the country. Many have expressed dread that the two-decade Western experiment to remake Afghanistan will not survive the resurgent Taliban. Taliban leaders talked Wednesday with senior Afghan officials about a future government.