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U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Brinken stated that the new Afghan government led by the Taliban must fulfill its promise to allow safe passage for those who wish to leave Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, at a virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of the US allies, Brinken gave a speech in Germany, outlining the three “core goals” of US policy toward Afghanistan. U.S. troops complete their evacuation From the country.
Brinken said that allowing those seeking to leave, “preventing terrorist organizations from using Afghanistan as a base” and ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid is the top agenda of the Biden administration.
“We must let the Taliban, including the recently announced caretaker government and any final Afghan government, honor their commitments to allow foreign citizens, visa holders and Afghans to travel abroad if they wish,” he said.
“The Taliban have repeatedly stated that any Afghan who wants to travel and has the proper documents can do so.”
He specifically urged the Taliban to allow charter flights to try to evacuate American citizens and vulnerable Afghans from Afghanistan. Mazar-i-Sharif. According to reports, in the past few days, hundreds of people have been waiting for customs clearance to leave the airport.
Scott Cooper, a non-resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council and an American veteran who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said that getting people who want to leave Afghanistan may be the most challenging of the three goals of the government.
“What impressed me is how limited these goals are,” Cooper told Al Jazeera. “If you look at any statement made by the predecessor of Minister Brinken or those involved in Afghan affairs, it is very different from anything we have been talking about since the end of 2001.”
Criticize the new government
Washington has expressed reservations about this issue Provisional Government led by the Taliban Announced on Tuesday. The transitional cabinet is dominated by the leaders of the organization, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the designated “global terrorist” of the United States who has been appointed Secretary of the Interior.
Earlier Thursday, Brinken reiterated Washington’s criticism of the new Afghan government, but said the United States will continue to coordinate with the Taliban.
Speaking of the new government, he said: “Of course it has not passed the test of inclusiveness, and it includes those with a very challenging record.” “Temporary or long-term contact with the Taliban and the government will be to promote national interests. , Our interests and the interests of our partners.”
Brinken added that Washington will contact the Taliban in a way that is “fully in compliance” with U.S. law.
At a joint press conference held by the U.S. Air Force Base Ramstein and Brinken, west of Frankfurt, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also criticized Afghan new government.
“Together with other partners, we call for the protection of fundamental rights, especially women’s rights. In this case, the news from Afghanistan yesterday did not make us optimistic,” Maas said on Wednesday.
“The transitional government that does not include other groups is not a signal of more international cooperation and stability in the country.”
Brinken later said that the Taliban can only be recognized through an inclusive government that meets the expectations of the international community, including respect for fundamental rights, humanitarian access, and “not allowing Afghanistan to harbor terrorists.”
I was deeply impressed by the round-the-clock life-saving coordination at the Afghan reception center @RamsteinAirBaseDuring my visit, I witnessed Americans and Germans working side by side to facilitate the safe transit of thousands of Afghan evacuees. pic.twitter.com/EAeRco6idd
-Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 8, 2021
The Biden administration has been criticized by U.S. Democratic and Republican lawmakers for coordinating with the Taliban. However, Cooper said that the Biden administration was correct in contacting the organization.
“You have to talk to the people you have to talk to,” he said. “Therefore, it is against our own interests not to talk to them and coordinate with them without officially recognizing the Taliban as the Afghan government.”
Brinken is about to end his first overseas trip after completing his stay in the U.S. It withdrew from the chaos in Afghanistan During the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Earlier this week, He visited Qatar There he met with senior officials, including the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of the Gulf States.
The U.S. State Department said earlier this week that in its meeting with the Emir on Monday, Brinken thanked Qatar for its “extraordinary support in facilitating the safe transit of American citizens, our partners, and other Afghans at risk”.
On Wednesday, he also expressed gratitude to other partners in Washington for their help during the evacuation operation from Kabul last month.
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