ahmed rashid, really good _ changes to that. ahmed rashid, really good to — changes to that.u and i changes to that. ahmed rashid, really good to talk you and to i changes to that. ahmed rashid, l really good to talk you and to your analysis. thank you so much for your time today and thank you forjoining us on bbc news. let'sjust time today and thank you forjoining us on bbc news. let's just connect to the reshuffle here. steve backley is replacing michael gove as the duchy of lancaster and cabinet office minister. that is a new development in the reshuffle. also, ben wallace is staying as defence secretary, we saw him leaving number 10 just a few moments ago but he is staying as defence secretary. more on that in a few minutes' time but let's just pause and take a look at the weather. our days are drawing in, the days are getting closer and closer together, and the next few days, despite some warm sunshine, notjust those shorter days indicating that we are moving into autumn, but some fog. thanks to a ridge of high pressure, staying with us through the end of the week. the p

ahmed rashid, let me start with you. what does the naming of these individuals say to you about what the taliban has in mind for the future of afghanistan? >> wl, i think, overall, i mean, they have -- they hae not done anything what the western untries have been asking for. it's not a diverse cabinet. it's a very solidly taliban cabinet that they had chosen. the gornment has not taken on board any of the non-taliban politicians in afghanistan. they have chosen not to take any women into the cabinet for the time being. now, this is the government they've set up today. they've said that there will be additions and changes and presumably there will be a full-time government at some state. but it looks at the mment that this is going to continue the hard line that we've seen so far, with beating up women, demonstrators and not tolerating any kind of dissent. >> woodruff: is that what you see, doug london, a hard-line cabinet? and what do you see in terms of their attitude toward the west? >> i think it reminds us we're best

ahmed rashid is a journalist who has covered afghanistan, pakistan andentral asia for decades.k "taliban: militant islam, oil and fundamentalism in central asia," which came out in 2000, was the first one on the taliban. and douglas london had a 34 year career in the cia's clandestine service where he focused on afghanistan, south and central asia, the middle east and elsewhere. he is the author of the new book “the recruiter: spying and the lost art of american intelligence.” welcome to both of you. thank you very much. let me start with you, what does the naming of these individuals say to you about what the taliban has in mind for the future of afghanistan? >> i think overall, i mean, they have not done anything what the western countries havbeen asking for. it is not a diverse cabinet, it is a solidly taliban cabinet they have chosen. the government has not taken on board any of the non-taliban politicians in afghanistan, they have chosen not to take any women into the cabinet for the time being. this is a caretaker government they have set up today, and they have said they

joining me now from lahore in pakistan is ahmed rashid, a journalist and author of several books about bbc news today. no doubt the uk will see pakistan as a key player in efforts to moderate the taliban. 0bviously, in efforts to moderate the taliban. obviously, there is a relationship between members of the taliban in pakistan as well so how do you think dominic raab is going to be received in pakistan today?— in pakistan today? well, i think she will be received _ in pakistan today? well, i think she will be received very _ in pakistan today? well, i think she will be received very well. - in pakistan today? well, i think she will be received very well. pakistan| will be received very well. pakistan is very anxious to get help and support for the flood of refugees that have expected to come because of the humanitarian crisis in campbell and other cities in afghanistan and the lack of food. people will be flooding into pakistan and there is, at the moment, the government is very reluctant to allow the men. there are lots of people gathering at the border. but if there is going to be s

ahmed rashid talking to me a little earlier today.heir takeover of the rest of the country. the valley is a rugged area to the north of the capital kabul, and is the last remaining area not under taliban control. the anti taliban fighters are a multiethnic group made up of militias and former afghan security force members, reportedly numbering in the thousands. large numbers of taliban fighters are reported to have launched an assault on their positions. our correspondent yogita limaye said the fighting was affecting the taliban's announcement of a government one of the reasons the taliban is holding off an announcement on the formation of an announcement on the formation of a new government is the situation in the pan she valley north—east of cabra where we know that anti—taliban forces are holding a controller that region so it is a part of afghanistan they do not control. over the past night there has been intense fighting in the area and the resistance forces say they have taken control over a town in a neighbouring province. this