US position on blacklisting our members violates Doha agreement: Taliban
Sep 09, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], September 9 : The Taliban on Thursday said the recent statement by the US about its position regarding blacklisting of some members of the newly formed Taliban government in Afghanistan is a breach of the February 2020 Doha Agreement.
"The latest US position regarding blacklist is a violation of Doha Agreement. Pentagon officials have remarked that some cabinet members of the Islamic Emirate or family members of late Haqqani Sahib are on the US blacklists and still targets. The Islamic Emirate considers this position a clear violation of the Doha Agreement which is neither in the interest of the United States nor Afghanistan," the group said in a statement.
The Taliban statement said that America and other countries are making such provocative statements and trying to meddle in the internal affairs of Afghanistan and that the Islamic Emirate condemns it in the strongest terms.
"Such remarks by US officials are a repetition of past failed experiments and such positions detrimental for America," it said.
We urge that these incorrect policies be immediately reversed through diplomatic interactions, it added.
Earlier this week, the Taliban had formed the interim "Islamic Emirate", appointing hardliners in its new government who oversaw the fight against the US-led military coalition. The cabinet members consist of many Taliban figures that are on the UN Sanctions List.
Experts believe that the nomination of FBI wanted criminal Sirajuddin Haqqani, as the Interior Minister of the caretaker the government of Afghanistan was a "tight slap" on the US.
"Haqqani was well known to the US military and intelligence community, he escaped several attempts to target him. He is a wily and dangerous enemy with American blood on his hands," said Seth G Jones, a senior vice president of a Washington-based think tank.
The Taliban statement tweeted by Zabihullah Mujahid, Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said: "The family of honourable Haqqani Sahib is part of Islamic Emirate and does not have a separate name or organizational setup. Similarly, in Doha Agreement all officials of the Islamic Emirate without any exception were part of interaction with the US and should have been removed from the UN and US blacklists, a demand which still remains valid."
The Taliban have appointed several hardliners in its new government. The list announced by chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid was dominated by members of the group's old guard.
Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund has been appointed Prime Minister with two deputies Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Molavi Abdul Salam Hanafi.