Pakistan, Aug. 4 -- This month marks five years since Kabul plunged into a chaotic frenzy and Taliban fighters entered the Afghan capital virtually unopposed, two decades after their removal by US-led forces. They arrived carrying assault rifles and rocket launchers as well as a catalogue of promises: security would be restored, political opponents would be forgiven, women's rights would be respected within their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan territory would not be permitted to threaten other countries.

The less said about how dramatically they broke those promises, the better. The Taliban has, in essence, created a theocratic police state; driven women and girls from education and much of public life; crushed political dissen...