US 'concerned' as Taliban revealed Afghanistan's new government members
September 8, 2021, 5:42 am

US 'concerned' as Taliban revealed Afghanistan's new government members

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The BBC reported, the US has said it is "concerned" after the Taliban unveiled Afghanistan's new all-male government with figures linked to attacks on American forces.

The BBC said, the US State Department stated it was "assessing" the announcement.

The Afghanistan's new cabinet is led by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who is on a UN blacklist. Another figure, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is wanted by the FBI.

According to the BBC, US Senator Lindsey Graham described the new caretaker cabinet as a "line-up of thugs and butchers". He is one of a number of senior Republicans to condemn as "ill-advised" Democratic President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.

The Taliban government - who also on Tuesday declared Afghanistan an "Islamic Emirate" - faces tough challenges in the conflict-torn country, not least stabilising the economy and gaining international recognition.

The group had previously said they wanted to form an inclusive government.

The BBC mentioned that the US State Department said in a statement on Tuesday: "We note the announced list of names consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates and no women.

"We also are concerned by the affiliations and track records of some of the individuals."

The statement said Washington would "continue to hold the Taliban to their commitments" to allow safe passage for foreign nationals and Afghans with travel documents, "including permitting flights currently ready to fly out of Afghanistan".

"We also reiterate our clear expectation that the Taliban ensure that Afghan soil is not used to threaten any other countries," it said, adding: "The world is watching closely."

The BBC noted that earlier on Tuesday, a statement attributed to Taliban Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada told the government to uphold Sharia law - Islam's legal system.

The Taliban want "strong and healthy relations with our neighbours and all other countries based on mutual respect and interaction", said the statement, released in English - with the caveat that they would respect international laws and treaties "that are not in conflict with Islamic law and the country's national values".

Source: BBC

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.