RASC News Agency: James Cunningham, the former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, recently asserted that the Taliban have not changed and that expecting a government different from this group is unrealistic. Cunningham made these remarks on Monday, Feb 19, noting that besides the United Nations appointing a special representative for Afghanistan, the second Doha meeting regarding Afghanistan yielded no other results.
In an interview with Voice of America, the American official stated that there was speculation that the Taliban would adopt a different approach during the Doha meeting to gain international legitimacy, but this did not occur. Cunningham added that the international community has limited options to pressure the Taliban for the acceptance of a UN special representative for Afghanistan. He emphasized that the Taliban’s opposition to the appointment of such a representative could be problematic if neighboring countries and the region concur.
Cunningham warned that the Taliban’s monopolistic tendencies would lead to long-term instability in Afghanistan. This situation arises as the Taliban, following their military takeover of Afghanistan, have formed a government consisting primarily of their own members, with no inclusion for women and minorities in this system.
