RASC News Agency: On Monday, January 20, the United States Senate confirmed Republican Senator Marco Rubio as the new Secretary of State by unanimous vote. Rubio, a vocal advocate for designating the Taliban as a “terrorist organization,” becomes the first cabinet nominee of Donald Trump’s administration to be confirmed by the Senate just hours after Trump’s presidential oath. As reported by Reuters, Rubio, 53, is the son of Cuban immigrants and a staunch critic of China, as well as a resolute supporter of Israel. He has previously pushed for stringent actions against the communist-led island of Cuba and its allies, particularly the administration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
During his confirmation hearing, the newly confirmed Secretary of State warned that the U.S. must alter its course to curb growing dependence on China. He promised to implement a strong foreign policy focused on safeguarding and promoting U.S. interests globally. Rubio has long been a vocal critic of the Taliban, advocating for their recognition as a “terrorist organization” by the U.S. government. In March of the previous year, he introduced legislation in the Senate that would halt U.S. aid to Afghanistan under Taliban rule, citing concerns that such funds could end up in the hands of “terrorist groups.”
At that time, Rubio also called on Antony Blinken, Secretary of State under the Biden administration, to officially designate the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan as a “state sponsor of terrorism” and the group itself as a “terrorist organization.” In introducing his bill, Rubio remarked, “A Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a direct threat to U.S. national security interests, as well as to the safety of our allies and partners in the Middle East and Central Asia. The Biden administration’s disastrous military withdrawal has transformed Afghanistan into a sanctuary for anti-American terrorists.”
