Performing Afghan Inside Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani has stated the Taliban regime in Afghanistan doesn’t have a look at america “as enemies” and needs to have good ties with it however that they’ve reservations over Washington’s intentions based mostly on its conduct.
The deputy chief of the Afghan Taliban — who continues to be needed by the US that has supplied a reward of $10 million for data resulting in his arrest — made these remarks throughout his first on-camera interview with CNN‘s Christiane Amanpour in Kabul, greater than two months after making his first public look within the Afghan capital to handle a passing-out parade for police.
Throughout the interview, Amanpour requested Haqqani that “do you think about America nonetheless to be your enemy?”
Haqqani — whose replies have been translated and performed as a voiceover — started his reply with saying that he needed to make a “small clarification”.
“The interval of the final 20 years was a scenario of defensive preventing and battle,” he stated, recalling that when an settlement was reached between the Afghan Taliban and the Trump administration in Doha in February 2020, “we determined that we’d not be speaking about this”. He didn’t elaborate additional as to what was to not be talked about.
The Taliban deputy chief then added that sooner or later, “we wish to have good relations with america and the worldwide group, based mostly on guidelines and rules that exist in the remainder of the world”.
“And based mostly on their association, we have now made [a] dedication with them,” he continued, including that presently, “we don’t have a look at them as enemies”.
However, he stated, “based mostly on their conduct, the Afghans have reservations about their intentions”.
“From our facet, the liberty of the nation and struggling for the nation’s defence is a professional proper, in accordance with worldwide guidelines,” he stated, reiterating that as of now, the Taliban didn’t think about the US an enemy.
“And we have now again and again spoken about diplomacy. We’re dedicated to the Doha settlement. Like the remainder of the world, we would like relations with them based mostly on rules and diplomatic norms that they set up with us, and that they don’t return on that,” Haqqani stated.
Main on from there, Amanpour identified to Haqqani that he not simply had a multi-million greenback bounty on his head however was additionally below sanctions by the US. She then went on to cite a “prime Western official” talking about Haqqani.
“That is what a prime Western official instructed me simply earlier than I obtained right here. He stated: ‘We’re in a brand new world. The man (Haqqani) has an enormous quantity of American blood on his arms. He has obtained, within the Taliban, the tightest ties to extremist actions. He was one of many first to place ladies again to work in his ministry. We’ve seen his ministry take promising steps to include terrorism. To name it a paradox is an understatement. This isn’t simply my opinion. It’s the opinion of each single envoy engaged on these points.’”
She then underscored that whereas the US, on the one hand, believed Haqqani to be a terrorist, however, it thought it may work with him.
“What do you say to that?”
In response, Haqqani maintained that “this can be a judgement that they need to make”.
He added that to be able to create a safe Afghanistan, the Taliban had despatched a constructive message to the world, in addition to the Afghan nation.
“Whereas the earlier situation had hid our actual image. And presently, reward God — and that the situations of freedom — our conduct is being revealed regularly to the worldwide group and in addition, that is being revealed to sure circles inside the nation who’re considering negatively about us,” Haqqani stated.
‘Our land won’t be used as a risk to anybody’
Throughout the course of interview Amanpour additionally referred to a latest improve in assaults in Afghanistan and reminded Haqqani that the Taliban had made a pledge to the US that Afghanistan wouldn’t be used as a foundation for terrorism or its allies.
“Are you continue to dedicated to that?” she requested.
To that, Haqqani once more went again to the 2020 Doha accord, saying that in 14 months after the settlement there had been “a lot of transgressions” in opposition to the Taliban from the “opposing facet”.
But, he stated, “our management was making suggestions to us repeatedly that we must always persist with our dedication, in addition to the truth that till the liberation of Kabul, we have been making effort[s] to uphold our dedication and are available to energy by way of peaceable means”.
On this connection, he added that right here, “we have now inner threats” and, with out naming anybody, he stated “some are intentionally elevating the threats to painting them as a reason for concern for the nation and for the worldwide group”.
“There may be threats to the remainder of the world which are orchestrated by a authorities, however we want … to reassure the remainder of the world that our land won’t be used as a risk to anybody,” Haqqani asserted.
Women’ schooling
The CNN journalist additionally questioned the Taliban chief on the problem of human rights, notably these of girls, and restriction on entry to schooling for women in Afghanistan.
She quoted a paragraph from a 2020 opinion piece that Haqqani had written for the New York Instances.
The paragraph reads: “I’m assured that, liberated from overseas domination and interference, we collectively will discover a approach to construct an Islamic system through which all Afghans have equal rights, the place the rights of girls which are granted by Islam — from the suitable to schooling to the suitable to work — are protected, and the place benefit is the idea for equal alternative.”
Citing this, Amanpour requested the Taliban chief whether or not he nonetheless believed in what he had written two years in the past.
To that, Haqqani pointed our that such commitments have been made at a time when the scenario was that of a battle.
“The opposing events had supplied a really unhealthy image and definition of our administration. We needed to take over the federal government by peaceable means, and the previous authorities, with the help of another circles, sabotaged our specific plan for — the switch of energy,” he stated.
Coming to the current, the Taliban deputy chief stated there have been many rumours and rumour. He adopted up by vaguely saying: “Because of this, this … choice is of their means. In order that we are able to implement the commitments which were made by us in an surroundings of belief. In order that we are able to implement these commitments.”
When Amanpour particularly requested him whether or not he believed women ought to be allowed to attend college, he clarified that “there is no such thing as a one who opposes schooling for girls”.
Women, these learning in grades as much as six, had been allowed to go to high school, Haqqani identified, including that work was below approach to devise a mechanism for the women to have the ability to attend secondary college.
“This (schooling for women) just isn’t opposed on the degree of management or the cupboard, however the concern has been postponed till additional discover. Within the declaration supplied by the Ministry of Schooling, there have been some shortcomings inside the preparation[s] that have been ongoing,” Haqqani added.
“By means of this interview and information channel, I’m assuring [everyone] that there is no such thing as a one against schooling. Solely that work has began on the mechanism.”
At that, the CNN journalist requested Haqqani whether or not any choices on the matter had been taken the previous few days.
“What I’m saying to you is that very quickly you’ll hear superb information about this concern, God prepared,” replied Haqqani. “We are going to specify the time. On the association that has been supplied by the management, work is ongoing on that and you’ll hear superb information quickly.”
Amanpour then requested him whether or not he favoured his daughters, if he had any, attending college.
To that, the Taliban started his reply with saying: “All of us consider that schooling has been created as a blessing from God, which has been important to each women and men.”
“As I discussed earlier, nobody is against schooling,” he reiterated, including that the problem at hand was “schooling [needed to be] based mostly on the Afghan mind-set and understanding”.
“There is a matter of constructing [an] association of Islamic guidelines and precept. On a broader degree, the scenario that exists in Afghanistan considerations the problem of hijab […] We should set up situations in order that we are able to guarantee their (women’) honour and safety,” he defined.
The worldwide group has made the schooling of ladies a key demand for any future recognition of the Taliban administration, which took over the nation in August as overseas forces withdrew.
Regardless of that, the Taliban has restricted women and girls from working and restricted their journey except accompanied by a detailed male family member. Most ladies have been additionally barred from going to high school past seventh grade.