Senior US military officers at the Kabul airport are talking to Taliban commanders in the capital about Taliban checkpoints and curfews that have limited the number of Americans and Afghans able to enter the airport, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

Addressing the conference, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid reiterated that there will be no execution, nor will there be retribution against former soldiers and government officials and importantly, women will be allowed to work and study and will remain active in society within the framework of Islam. Taliban also said it will upheld Press freedom saying that media reporting will be useful to society and will be able to help correct the errors of leaders.

A group of anti-Taliban leaders under Afghanistan’s Vice President Amrullah Saleh, and young Ahmad Massoud, son of late legend Ahmad Shah Massoud, are drawing up resistance plans in the remote Panjshir valley. They may also be open to peace talks.

As crisis-hit Afghanistan continues its descent into chaos, here are a few books that will help you understand the landlocked country better.