Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi called on the US to “positively engage” with the interim Afghan government, arguing that the Islamic Emirate has remained committed to the fulfilment of its pledge to not allow the use of Afghan soil against others.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, while referring to US President Joe Biden’s remarks about al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, Muttaqi said that Biden’s statement means an “understanding of realities.”
“The remarks of the US president that there is no armed group in Afghanistan in facts shows that the realities have been understood and it denies the recent report of the UN,” he said.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden In response to a question about “mistakes in Afghanistan withdrawal”, said: “Remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al-Qaida would not be there. I said it wouldn’t be there. I said we’d get help from the Taliban. What’s happening now? What’s going on? Read your press. I was right.”
In early August 2022, US President Joe Biden in a live address said: “Justice has been delivered” in a US strike killing al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri; “this terrorist leader is no more.”
The strike happened in the Sherpur area of Kabul.
“Al-Qaeda was first the enemy of the US and it (the US) therefore, eliminated the (first) government of the Taliban, and then there was emphasis in Doha to cut relations with al-Qaeda. Today, they say that these relations have ended by the Taliban. Thus, there is another game by the US with the Taliban,” said Aziz Maarij, a political analyst.
“The remarks of Biden do not mean that the US should engage with the interim Afghan government, but they were to save himself from allegations in the withdrawal process,” said Moeen Gul Samkanai, political analyst.
Earlier, the Islamic Emirate said that they have not found any details to prove that Zawahiri was killed in Afghanistan.
