Advertisement

Updated August 25th, 2021 at 12:18 IST

Taliban's approach to decide legitimacy of future government in Afghanistan: Joe Biden

“The longer we stay, starting with the acute and growing risk of an attack by a terrorist group known as ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan," US Prez said

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Taliban
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
Advertisement

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that the G7 leaders, and the leaders of the EU, NATO, and the UN all agreed that “we will stand united in our approach to the Taliban,” and that the legitimacy of any future government in Afghanistan depends on the approach Taliban takes to uphold their international obligations, including to prevent Afghanistan from being used as a base for terrorism. 

While delivering remarks from the White House on the Afghanistan evacuations post the virtual meeting with the leaders of the G-7 bloc, the UN, NATO, and the European Union, the US Commander-in-Chief Biden stated that the US has helped evacuate 70,700 people, just since August the 14th; 75,900 people since the end of July. At least 19 US military flights, 18 C-17s, and one C-130 carrying approximately 6,400 evacuees and 31 coalition flights carrying 5,600 people have left Kabul — just in the last 12 hours. 

Stressing that the focus right now was to get as many people out as efficiently and safely as possible, Biden stated, “We are currently on a pace to finish by August 31.” He went on to add, that US completion of the evacuations by August 31 is contingent on the Taliban allowing access to the airport. “The sooner we can finish, the better. Each day of operations brings added risk to our troops,” he said. 

Taliban had earlier stated that it was opposed to the talented Afghans leaving the country. “We are not in favour of allowing Afghans to leave,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters at a press conference. He added, “They [the Americans] have the opportunity, they have all the resources, they can take all the people that belong to them but we are not going to allow Afghans to leave and we will not extend the deadline.” Biden on Aug. 24 stood firm on his aim is to finish evacuations by the 31, a goal that he had earlier said was "equally important, almost" to evacuating Americans. He had also stated that the US was certain to adhere to the Aug. 31 deadline, but that "we're going to make that judgment as we go.”  

Afghanistan mission completion on deadline 31 'depends on Taliban,' says Biden 

“Completion by August 31 depends upon the Taliban continuing to cooperate and allow access to the airport for those who were transport- — we’re transporting out and no disruptions to our operations,” Joe Biden said at the press conference at the White House Roosevelt Room. Furthermore, he asked the Pentagon and the State Department for contingency plans to adjust the timetable that should become necessary.

“The longer we stay, starting with the acute and growing risk of an attack by a terrorist group known as ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan — which is the sworn enemy of the Taliban as well,” said the US leader. “Every day we’re on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both US and Allied forces and innocent civilians,” he added. 

Biden said that the G7 leaders, and the leaders of the EU, NATO, and the UN have all agreed that none of us are going to take the Taliban’s “word for it,” but will “ judge them by their actions.” “We will stay in close coordination on any steps that we take moving forward in response to the Taliban’s behaviour,” he stressed. The US and the allies renewed the humanitarian commitment to the Afghans by supporting a proposal by the Secretary-General Guterres of the United Nations-led international response with unfettered humanitarian access in Afghanistan, Biden said. 

“We agreed to stay vigilant against terrorist threats that have metastasized around the world,” US President said. “We went to Afghanistan with our Allies in 2001 for clear reasons: One, to get the people who attacked us on 9/11 and to get Osama bin Laden, and to make sure that Afghanistan was not used again as a base from which to attack the United States or our Allies.  We achieved that objective.” 

Advertisement

Published August 25th, 2021 at 12:18 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo