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Who is Clarissa Ward? CNN reporter calls Taliban 'friendly' as they chant 'death to America'

'Wasn’t this the reporter that wasn't wearing a hijab yesterday, but is today? Smells like fear to me,' said a user

As the world witnessed the 'fall' of Afghanistan at the hands of the Taliban, CNN reporter Clarissa Ward reported live from the streets of Kabul, giving a glimpse of how the lives of Afghan women are going to change under the Taliban. Clarissa Ward reported from the ground in a 'Hijab' and was covered from head to toe in a 'Burqa'. Ward reported that she had seen "far fewer women" in the streets of Kabul than earlier and the ones she saw "tend to be dressed more conservatively than they were when they were walking down the streets of Kabul yesterday".

"They’ve just told me to stand to the side because I’m a woman," Ward said at one point. Clarissa Ward's 'wardrobe' change is widely perceived as the inevitable 'supression' of Afghan women in Taliban ruled Afghanistan. People took to Twitter and posted collages of 'before and after Taliban's insurgency' pictures of Clarissa Ward and wished for her safety. 

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Ward, however, clarified her stance and wrote on Twitter, "This meme is inaccurate. The top photo is inside a private compound. The bottom is on the streets of Taliban held Kabul. I always wore a head scarf on the street in Kabul previously, though not w/ hair fully covered and abbaya. So there is a difference but not quite this stark."

Clarissa Ward further reported that chants of 'death to America' were heard in various parts of Kabul. The CNN reporter is widely criticized for calling the Taliban 'friendly'. Clarissa Ward said, “They’re just chanting ‘Death to America’ but they seem friendly at the same time.” Describing the scene as bizarre, Ward noted that although the Taliban terrorists appeared friendly, the “welcoming spirit only extends so far and my presence soon creates tension.”

'What does “friendly” mean?'

Clarissa Ward was slammed on Twitter for calling the Taliban friendly amidst chants of 'death to America'. One user wrote, "Wtf? Seem friendly while wishing us death? Some things can't b spun" Another said, "They seem super friendly… wait, what does “friendly” mean? And yeah, what did we spend on that embassy, 700mil$? Well, I’m sure it will go to good use…" One tweet read, "Similar to when they reported the riots with fires burning in the background “Mostly peaceful protest”!" Another user tweeted, "Wasn’t this the reporter that wasn't wearing a hijab yesterday, but is today? Smells like fear to me."