In an Image Mocking the Marines, the Taliban Shows Off New Propaganda Savvy

Since taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban> has been eager to release pictures of its fighters equipped with modern weapons and tactical uniforms. One image in particular — an apparent recreation of the famous moment when Marines> raised the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II — has quickly gained attention and shown off how the group is tending carefully to its new public image.

The photo, which purports to show the Taliban’s Badri 313 battalion, features four men clad in full and matching tactical gear and rifles hoisting the white flag of the Taliban in the Afghanistan mountains. The men and flag, which is only half-raised, bear a striking similarity to Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal’s iconic photo of Marines raising the U.S. flag at Mount Suribachi amid the Battle of Iwo Jima.

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