'Enough is enough': Jackson Lee slams Taliban for exclusion of women from government

When the Taliban formally announced a new government to lead Afghanistan, it did so without naming women to leadership positions, prompting criticism from a Democratic member of Houston’s congressional delegation.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Houston) said on Twitter that she stood with the women of the South Asian nation of approximately 40 million.

“Give them their freedom now,” Jackson Lee tweeted. “Let them serve in the Government of Afghanistan, now. Enough is enough!”

The lawmaker in a statement issued by her office further blasted the Taliban for setting up "an interim caretaker government that includes no women but many veterans of the terrorist-friendly government that gave harbor to the persons that masterminded the 9/11 attack,” the 20th anniversary of which is this year.

The Taliban fiercely swept back into power late last month, leading to fears and concerns the gains Afghanistan made since the beginning of the war that toppled the former would be reversed.

Its return occurred just as the U.S. was in the midst of withdrawing its troops.

An attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul claimed the lives of 13 American servicemen.

The Washington Post reported that the composition of the new government is merely individuals closely affiliated with the Taliban.

Non-Taliban members, including women and people such as Karzai himself, were left off the roster.

A State Department spokesperson who requested anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity told the publication the agency “is concerned by the affiliations and track records of some of the individuals.”

“We have made clear our expectation that the Afghan people deserve an inclusive government,” the spokesperson said.

Al-Jazeera reported that many leaders around the world condemned the announcement, with a United Nations agency criticizing the Taliban for barring women from leadership roles.

“We understand that the Taliban has presented this as a caretaker cabinet,” the anonymous State Dept. spokesperson told the news outlet. “However, we will judge the Taliban by its actions, not words.”