RASC News Agency: David Petraeus, the former Director of the CIA and Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), stated in an interview with Al Arabiya, published on Monday, September 16, that “in general, I do not view the Taliban as a direct threat to the United States.” However, he emphasized that the Taliban represent a significant danger to Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. According to Petraeus, the Taliban lack the capacity to control and prevent cross-border attacks by groups like ISIS and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which could destabilize Afghanistan’s neighbors and the broader region.
When questioned about the Taliban’s display of U.S.-provided light and heavy weaponry and whether this could pose a future threat to global security and the U.S., Petraeus responded: “No, I don’t believe so. It appeared more as a well-executed military parade.” Petraeus, who also commanded NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, expressed regret over the U.S. withdrawal, asserting that the United States did not need to exit Afghanistan. “The U.S. could have easily continued its mission, and Washington’s allies were in favor of that as well,” he stated.
Petraeus added that the U.S. withdrawal directly triggered the collapse of the Afghanistan National Security Forces under the previous government. He further condemned the Taliban for enforcing a backward interpretation of Islam, which has resulted in half of Afghanistan’s population women being systematically excluded from education, employment, and public life.
