Ed Royce: “What is astounding here is the fact that, as the gentlewoman says, you had a culture in which women played such a…”

“What is astounding here is the fact that, as the gentlewoman says, you had a culture in which women played such a pivotal role, especially in education, in the professions, in governance; and suddenly, because of the civil war, first the war to repel the Soviet invasion and then the country in turmoil, in despair, you had the Taliban appear on the scene that, through a ruthless effort, grabbed control, not only of the government, but grabbed control of the ability to communicate through radio to the people. What was unique about Afghanistan is that most people got their information from radio, 85 percent of the Afghan people. Once the Taliban forces had seized the radio stations, the broadcasting stations, they were able to begin a disinformation campaign, a propaganda campaign, to direct the people with misinformation in order to try to have them follow the Taliban. In 1997, I had suggested to the former Under Secretary for South Asia that we support in the United States a Radio Free Afghanistan at that time.”