The Taliban are ‘running Afghanistan into the ground’

 

 --

 Liberal MP and army veteran Phil Thompson says he feels “extremely sorry” for the people of Afghanistan because the Taliban are running the country "into the ground”.  
 
Mr Thompson said while the Australian soldiers who were deployed in Afghanistan did a “fantastic job”, the defence force is not large enough to have remained to hold off the Taliban after the withdrawal of the United States and the United Kingdom.    
 
He also insisted the Taliban are a terrorist organisation and should not be referred to as a government.   
 
“We're seeing famine and people and kids dying on the street,” he told Sky News host Chris Kenny.  
 
“We're seeing blackouts throughout the whole country.  
 
“They're not running a country at all; they’re not a government; they’re illegitimate government.”