In a recent statement, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reiterated the U.S. position on the Taliban, emphasizing the focus on US “national security interests in preventing a resurgence of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, and if necessary, taking action to deal with it.”
According to a recent report of the United Nations Security Council, however, the Taliban has not fulfilled its counterterrorism commitment under the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the United States of America and the Taliban.
In fact, the same UN report stated that the link between the Taliban and both Al-Qaida and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) “remains strong and symbiotic.” The report highlighted that different terrorist groups have “greater freedom of maneuver under the Taliban de facto authorities.”
The Taliban’s stance and support for other terrorist groups underscores the need to hold the group accountable for its own policies of terror in Afghanistan. The Taliban remains fully in control of Afghanistan and since its takeover in 2021 has reverted the country to its “exclusionary and autocratic policies of the Taliban administration of the late 1990s,” according to a UN report.
While the Taliban may claim to fight against IS-K, the UN report warns that the threat of terrorism is “rising” in Afghanistan and the region, partly due to the Taliban allowing sanctuaries for certain terrorist groups.
The Taliban regime is not recognized as the legitimate governing force of Afghanistan and it is crucial that the international community holds consensus on this. Until the Taliban ends gender apartheid and respects human rights, it continues to be an enemy of peace and equality in Afghanistan and around the world.
Sources:
Ariana News 06/10/2023; UNSC Report 06/01/2023
