BURHANUDDIN RABBANI

The dispute between Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers and its former government over who should speak at the U.N.’s annual meeting of world leaders is over: Nobody is going to deliver an address.

The dispute between Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers and its former government over who should speak at the U.N.’s annual meeting of world leaders is over.

The new rulers of Afghanistan have an uphill battle in their efforts to be recognized in time to address other world leaders at the United Nations this year.

The United Nations says the Taliban, Afghanistan’s new rulers since last month, have challenged the credentials of Afghanistan’s former U.N. ambassador and are asking to speak at the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level meeting of world leaders that began Tuesday.

A powerful northern warlord and a key U.S. ally in the 2001 defeat of the Taliban blames a fractious Afghan government and an “irresponsible" U.S. departure for the insurgents' swift series of wins in recent weeks.

Officials say the Taliban’s march through northern Afghanistan has gained momentum with the capture of several districts from fleeing Afghan forces.