The Taliban stated on Tuesday (August 17) that they hope to establish peaceful relations with other countries and will respect women’s rights within the framework of Islamic law because they held the first official press conference after the lightning seizure of Kabul.
The Taliban announced some details, but hinted at a milder route than it was during their reign 20 years ago. The United States and Western allies resumed the evacuations of diplomats and civilians on the second day when Afghans crowded the runway and the Kabul airport was in chaos.
As the organization consolidates power, the Taliban stated that its leader and co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar (Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar) returned to Afghanistan for the first time in more than 10 years. Baradar was arrested in 2010, but was released in 2018 at the request of the administration of former US President Donald Trump so that he can participate in peace negotiations.
“We don’t want any internal or external enemies,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the main spokesperson of the movement.
He added that women will be allowed to work and study and “will be very active in society, but within the framework of Islam”.
When they evacuated in a hurry, foreign forces assessed how to respond to the changes in the local situation after the Afghan army disappeared in just a few days. Many people expected that women’s rights might quickly collapse.
US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that they have agreed to hold a virtual meeting of G7 leaders next week to discuss a common strategy and approach to Afghanistan.
During their rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban also used Islamic law as a guide to prohibit women from working. Girls are not allowed to go to school, women must wear a full-length burqa to go out, and they can only go out when accompanied by male relatives.
A UN statement stated that the UN Human Rights Council will hold a special meeting in Geneva next week to resolve “serious human rights issues” after the Taliban took over.
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, told Reuters in an interview that the Taliban has assured the United Nations that it can carry out humanitarian work in the drought-stricken Afghanistan.
‘WTell me’
The EU stated that only if the Afghan government respects the fundamental rights of women, it will cooperate with the Afghan government after the Taliban return to power.
In Afghanistan, women expressed skepticism.
Pashtana Durrani, a 23-year-old Afghan girls’ education activist, is cautious about the Taliban’s commitments. “They must do what they say. Now they are not doing it,” she told Reuters.
During the Taliban’s rapid sweep of Afghanistan, several women were ordered to leave their jobs.
Mujahid said that the Taliban will not seek revenge against former soldiers and government officials, and will amnesty former soldiers, contractors and translators working for international forces.
“No one will hurt you, no one will knock on your door,” he said, adding that there is a “huge difference” between the Taliban now and 20 years ago.
He also said that families trying to escape the country at the airport should go home and they will not be affected in any way.
resistanceResistance and criticism
Mujahid’s conciliatory tone is in stark contrast to the comments made by Afghanistan’s first vice president, Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself a “legitimate caretaker president” and vowed not to bow to the new ruler of Kabul.
It is not clear how much support Saleh has received in a country exhausted by decades of conflict.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the Taliban should allow everyone who wants to leave Afghanistan to leave, adding that NATO’s goal is to help build a viable country and warned that if the country becomes terrorist again Breeding ground, the alliance may launch an attack.
Democrat Biden’s decision to stick to the withdrawal agreement reached by his Republican predecessor Trump last year has aroused widespread criticism among domestic and American allies.
According to a poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos on Monday, Biden’s approval rating dropped by 7 percentage points to 46%, which is the lowest level in his seven months as president. It also found that less than half of Americans liked the way he handled Afghanistan.
On Sunday, the US military took over the airport — the only way to take off from Afghanistan — because militants took over Kabul without fighting, ending a week of rapid advance.
US General Frank McKenzie, the commander of the US Central Command, assessed the security situation at Kabul Airport on Tuesday.
The US State Department stated that Washington has completed the evacuation of embassy personnel from Kabul, and the remaining diplomats are assisting in the evacuation.
Due to the chaos at Kabul Airport, the U.S. military’s flight to evacuate diplomats and civilians was restarted after being suspended on Monday.
When asked how Washington will make the Taliban honor their commitment to respect women’s rights, Biden’s national security adviser Jack Sullivan said that options include sanctions and convening international condemnation and isolation.
An official in the Biden administration stated that Washington is preventing the Taliban from obtaining any funds held by the Afghan government in the United States, including approximately $1.3 billion in gold reserves from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Biden said he had to make a decision between asking the U.S. military to fight endlessly or implementing Trump’s withdrawal agreement. He blamed the Taliban’s takeover on the fleeing Afghan leaders and the army’s unwillingness to fight.
