RASC News Agency: The former Interior Minister of Afghanistan has stated that the Taliban leverage terrorist groups as instruments to extract concessions from the United States. Ali Ahmad Jalali underscored that Washington’s paramount concern is preventing Afghanistan from becoming a threat comparable to the events of September 11. Earlier, former U.S. President Donald Trump warned of halting financial aid to Afghanistan and announced plans to reclaim American military equipment abandoned in the country.
After the collapse of the previous Afghanistan government, a substantial stockpile of U.S.-manufactured weapons and ammunition, previously utilized by the Afghanistan National Army, fell into the hands of the Taliban. Jalali remarked that the United States has neither the desire to dismantle the Taliban regime nor any inclination to re-engage militarily in Afghanistan. He added that it remains uncertain how the new U.S. administration will approach its policy toward Afghanistan, a process that may take up to six months to crystallize.
Previously, American officials and figures aligned with Trump had voiced alarm over the resurgence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Mike Walters, Trump’s National Security Advisor, highlighted the necessity of robust intelligence surveillance in the region, cautioning, “If we do not fight terrorism in places like Kandahar, that fight will inevitably reach cities like Kansas City.” Several other U.S. officials have also labeled the Taliban as a terrorist organization opposed to Western interests.
Meanwhile, some analysts argue that the Taliban’s ascent to power was facilitated by U.S. support, rendering it improbable for the group to be ousted in the near future. The Taliban’s gradual takeover of Afghanistan followed the signing of the Doha Agreement between the group and the United States, which paved the way for their consolidation of power.
