Taliban gives insight into the future in interview and first press conference
The Taliban’s “behind-the-scenes voice” has made some bold promises about the future but skepticism remains high.
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The Taliban’s “behind-the-scenes voice” has appeared for the first time before the world’s press, holding the militant group’s first press conference since its takeover of Afghanistan.
The Taliban also gave the United States a telling deadline to evacuate its troops in a wide-ranging interview with Sky News UK, in a night which provided some insight into what the future holds for Afghanistan.
It came as the capital city, Kabul, continued its shift to Taliban rule, with Mullah Baradar, the group’s founder and chief of its political office, arriving in Afghanistan to form a government.
The group held its first press conference in Kabul, with notorious Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahed claiming “security and peace” is its top priority and urging local businesses to carry on to ensure a “smooth transfer of power”.
Mr Mujahed said “we hold no grudges against anyone” and tried to assure foreign diplomats living in Kabul and non-government organisations that “no one will be threatened”.
“We want the world to trust us,” he said, claiming the Taliban “do not want them to leave the country” and they “will be pardoned” if they stay.
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Yet not all are convinced. BBC Afghan Service’s Sana Safi told the publication the Taliban made “lots of good promises” at the press conference, but worried its words were too “vague”.
“I think we’re being fooled by this. People listening might think, ‘What was all the fuss about? These are great guys.’
“I was born in Afghanistan, I was seven-years-old when they took power. They did not allow me to go to school so I missed on education for five years.
“There will be one rule for the international community but there will be another rule for the Afghans.”
Under previous Taliban rule girls weren’t allowed to go to school, women were forced to wear the burqa and weren’t allowed out without a male guardian.
Many women in Kabul are scared for their lives. Zarifa Ghafari, 27, the country’s first female mayor, told the UK’s i newspaper last week: “I’m sitting here waiting for them to come. There’s no one to help me or my family; they’ll come for people like me and kill me,” she said.
Meanwhile, Saad Mohseni, Chief Executive of the Moby Media Group, warned the BBC that that the world doesn’t “quite know” what the Taliban has in store next.
US given deadline, foreigners assured
Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen appeared in an interview with Sky News UK, claiming that the US had already “violated the time frame” within the Doha agreement, and needs to “get their troops out of Afghanistan”.
The Doha Agreement is a four-page agreement signed by the United States and the Taliban in February, 2020, which sealed the deal with America’s withdrawal.
While claiming they have no international allies, Mr Shaheen said the US should “withdraw all their forces” by 11 September but “we are committed not to attack them”.
The US and its allies went to war in Afghanistan in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and Operation Enduring Freedom, as it was known back then, began less than one month later on October 7, 2001.
Leaders across the globe from Australia to the US have expressed their surprise at how quickly the Taliban took control, but speaking from Doha, Mr Shaheen said it was because the group had the “people’s support” and claimed the Afghan government was “corrupt”.
He said it was a “necessity” to take control of the airport at Kabul after chaotic scenes which saw people clinging to US Air Force military planes and eventually dropping from the skies.
Mr Shaheen said taking control is “for the security of the people” and will “prevent such incidents once more”.
Zabibullah Mujahid, the taliban’s behind-the-scenes voice for nearly 20 years, appearing for first time in front of a house packed of Afghanistan’s vibrant media (one of biggest achievements of past 20 years) pic.twitter.com/0mZrN5CkRF
— Mujib Mashal (@MujMash) August 17, 2021
Cautious residents ventured out of their homes to see what life would be like under the Taliban following their astonishing return to power at the weekend.
Mr Shaheen assured residents of a “general amnesty for all Afghan people” under the Taliban transition, including those who have “worked with foreigners”.
“All those are safe, they should not be worried”.
Women can continue education, work
Despite fears that the group’s hard line Islamic rule will include oppression of women, the Taliban claimed women will be able to access higher education under its policies, saying “thousands” of schools were still in operation.
“Our women are Muslim and will be happy to live within the framework of our law,” Mr Mujahed said, adding women would also be allowed to work in schools and hospitals.
“Afghans have the rights to live under their own laws,” he added.
Mr Shaheen said they will expect women to wear a hijab but nor a burka, “for their security”.
When pressed on why Afghan women, who have worn whatever they could over the years, must return to a hijab, Mr Shaheen said it was “not our rules”, but “Islamic rules”.
“Muslim women are not only in Afghanistan but all Islam countries, they are obliged to observe the hijab. All practising women are observant to hijab, it’s a part of their belief”.
“I don’t think they will have a problem with that because it is part of Islamic rules and part of our culture.
“It is their basic right to have access to education and access to work, that is maintained, they can have those rights, there will be no problem with that.”
Mr Shaheen was challenged that “Islam doesn’t necessarily teach women to wear the hijab” but he continued: “It’s the rules of our religion. It’s for their security.”
Taliban calls on world leaders
Mr Shaheen called on “all leaders of the world” to work with the Taliban and “assist in order to provide a proper, dignified life for the people of Afghanistan”.
He denied he was receiving financial aid from China, Pakistan and Russia but said they had “good relations” with the controversial countries.
He said the world needed to “respect the people of Afghanistan who fought for their freedom with their lives”.
US President Joe Biden faces increasing criticism over the disorganised pullout of American troops after 20 years of US-led military intervention, defending the withdrawal while blaming Afghan forces whom he said were “not willing to fight for themselves”.
“We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them with the will to fight for that future,” Mr Biden said in his address at the White House.
“American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.”
The Taliban said the Afghanistan people wanted to “open a new chapter of peace” but blamed the US and its allies for “the destruction of Afghanistan”, claiming it was their “moral obligation” to help rebuild the city.
He said the Taliban were committed to doing the same, including freedom of speech.
“All people, all citizens should be equal in law and there should not be any kind of discrimination. That is some of the general principles we believe.”
People falling from planes
Mr Shaheen blamed “the Americans” for the “horror” images of people falling from the sky after terrified Afghans clamoured onto the side of an evacuating USAFC-17 and clinging on to its undercarriage as it struggled down the tarmac.
More footage posted by Aśvaka News Agency, based in Kabul, showed bodies tumbling as the plane took off, and further bodies falling from the sky.
“Our forces were not there. We were not responsible, they were responsible, it was their aeroplane, not ours.”
He said the airport was now in an “orderly manner” but everyone wanted to flee because “Afghanistan is a poor country”.
Exclusive- A clear video (from other angle) of men falling from C-17. They were Clinging to some parts of the plane that took off from Kabul airport today. #Talibans#Afghanistan#Afghanishtanpic.twitter.com/CMNW5ngqrK
— AÅ›vaka - آسواکا News Agency (@AsvakaNews) August 16, 2021
Originally published as Taliban gives insight into the future in interview and first press conference
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