RASC News Agency: John Bolton, the former U.S. National Security Advisor, stated in a recent interview that resolving the crisis in Afghanistan requires the removal of the Taliban from power. Bolton emphasized that Afghanistan’s issues can only be addressed if the Taliban are ousted.
The former U.S. security advisor expressed support for bolstering anti-Taliban forces and called for U.S. military assistance to resistance groups in Afghanistan. He asserted that the Taliban are not suitable rulers for Afghanistan. On Monday, July 8, Bolton remarked that meetings between U.S. officials and the Taliban, particularly between intelligence officials from both sides, benefit the Taliban more than the U.S., as such engagements grant the Taliban legitimacy.
Bolton noted that these interactions strengthen the Taliban’s position and increase their acceptance among various factions. Bolton’s comments refer to the meeting between David Cohen, the Deputy Director of the CIA, and a Taliban delegation including Abdul Haq Wasiq, the head of Taliban intelligence, on October 9, 2022, in Qatar. He stressed that the U.S. should not pay the Taliban for intelligence information.
This statement comes after NBC News reported, citing informed sources, that the U.S. is seeking increased intelligence cooperation with the Taliban to combat terrorism. According to that report, the U.S. believes the Taliban can provide valuable intelligence. Two knowledgeable sources and a former U.S. official told NBC that Biden administration officials are discussing expanding cooperation with the Taliban government in Kabul to counter ISIS.
Western officials have warned about the potential for ISIS-Khorasan attacks in Europe and the U.S., a group mainly operating in Afghanistan and responsible for three deadly attacks in Iran and Russia. Bolton, a senior official from the Trump administration, proposed that Washington should assist in toppling the Taliban.
He stated, “I believe the long-term solution is to remove the Taliban. In my view, supporting resistance groups inside Afghanistan, including providing military and combat assistance beyond economic aid, can help the opposition grow.”
