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20-06-2023
Bureau Report + Agencies
KABUL/ WASHINGTON/ ISLAMABAD: The Taliban has rejected a United States watchdog’s report saying foreign armed groups and domestic security threats have increased in Afghanistan since the group took over the country in a blitzkrieg in August 2021.
“We strongly reject SIGAR’s propaganda,” the Taliban’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement late on Sunday, referring to the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.S
“The Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan has complete control over the situation and will not allow any group or entity to destabilize Afghanistan or use Afghan soil against any other country,” Mujahid said, using the name of the Taliban administration.
According to Mujahid, SIGAR highlighted in its latest report that the Taliban government is facing serious security problems and foreign armed groups and domestic threats have increased in Afghanistan, resulting in increasing risk for some countries.
The spokesman argued that Afghanistan is now experiencing security and stability that it has not seen in 40 years.
He added that “no foreign armed group is active in Afghanistan” and the ISIL (ISIS) armed group has been severely weakened and is on the verge of being destroyed.
“Afghanistan is not a threat to anyone, but on the contrary, the Islamic emirate wants good and constructive relations with the international community, including the United States of America,” the statement concluded.
The Taliban has said it has kept the promise made in the 2020 Doha Agreement with the US not to allow armed groups to operate on Afghan soil.
The pact resulted in the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces after 20 years of war and occupation. But the August 2021 pull-out of US troops led to the swift collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government and military and the return to power of the Taliban.
The Taliban has accused the US of not honoring its promises by continuing Afghanistan’s diplomatic isolation.
