Washington Calls on Kabul to Fulfill Counter-Terrorism Pledges

Afghanistan: Amid concerns over the rise in Daesh activities in the region and beyond, Washington has once again spoken of ensuring the Islamic Emirate’s commitment to counter-terrorism.

Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US Department of State, said Kabul must act on its commitments in this regard.

“We continue to push the Taliban to fulfill all of their counterterrorism commitments to the international community. We have made clear to the Taliban that it is their responsibility to ensure that they give no safe haven to terrorists, whether it be al-Qaeda or ISIS-K or any other terrorist organization,” he said at a press briefing.

However, the Islamic Emirate states that the fight against terrorist groups including Daesh is ongoing and reiterated that Afghan soil will not be used against other countries.

“After the victory of the Islamic Emirate, Daesh has been completely defeated in Afghanistan, and only one to two percent may remain hidden somewhere. Its strength and power have been completely depleted,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate.

“These are accusations that are leveled against the Afghan government claiming that various threatening groups are being nurtured in Afghanistan. This can never be proven true,” said Shams Rahman Ahmadzai, a political analyst.

In response to a question regarding American detainees in Afghanistan, the Department of State’s spokesperson also said that the detention of American citizens in Afghanistan is a significant obstacle to positive engagement with the Afghan caretaker government.

The Islamic Emirate has neither confirmed nor denied US claims.

Matthew Miller said: “We have continually pressed, including in our meetings with Taliban representatives, for the immediate and unconditional release of Ryan Corbett and other Americans detained in Afghanistan. We have made clear to the Taliban that these detentions are a significant obstacle to positive engagement, and we will continue to do that. We are using every lever we can to try to bring Ryan and these other wrongfully detained Americans home from Afghanistan.”

These statements by the U.S. Department of State’s spokesperson on terrorism come as the issue of Daesh in Afghanistan and Moscow has become a controversial topic among regional and global countries.