The Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives has recently labeled the Taliban regime as “Extremely Terrorist” and expressed concerns about the group’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. A U.S. representative stated that the Taliban are seeking nuclear weapons from North Korea and Pakistan. The committee added that the Taliban provides a haven for al-Qaeda and sells leftover U.S. equipment in Afghanistan to terrorist groups. The committee’s chairperson mentioned that the Taliban steal humanitarian aid, deprive women of their basic rights, and may potentially hand over the Bagram Air Base to China. According to him, the Taliban also relocates its intelligence officials within the United Nations. He called for the destruction of the Taliban and announced intentions to engage with the group’s opponents for this purpose.
Two days ago, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives held a session under the title “Examining the Biden Administration’s Afghanistan Policy Since the U.S. Withdrawal: Part II,” with the participation of special representatives from Afghanistan to discuss the situation in the country.
In this session, Thomas West, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, and Michael Shifter, the Deputy Director of U.S. International Development, responded to questions from members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States House of Representatives.
Some members of the Foreign Affairs Committee have expressed concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan and the strengthening of terrorist groups. They have stated that the Taliban are actively seeking nuclear weapons and providing a haven for al-Qaeda and other allies.
However, Scott Perry, a Republican member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, revealed in the committee’s session the intelligence officials of the Taliban traveling to North Korea to obtain nuclear weapons. He stated, “Taliban security officials, including the security chief of Kandahar province and the foreign relations officer of Taliban intelligence, Abdul Rashid and Abdul Mannib [Taliban members], have traveled to North Korea, pursuing the acquisition of nuclear weapons technology and establishing arms-related relations with the country.” Mr. Perry added that the Taliban are also seeking to obtain atomic weapons from Pakistan. He asked Thomas West if he was not aware of these details to take note and present them in the next confidential session of the committee. In response, Thomas West stated that he does not have information on these matters.
In the question and answer session with Thomas West, this Republican member of the U.S. Congress stated, “Right now, Afghanistan is under the rule of an extremely terrorist government, the Taliban regime, my brother! Do you consider this a joke?” Thomas West responded, “Our assessments don’t align with that perspective.”
This comes as Rahmatullah Nabil, the former Chief of the National Directorate Security (NDS) of the previous Afghan government, had stated during the eleventh round of the Herat Security Dialogue (HSD- IX) in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, that he has reports indicating that “a faction of the Taliban are examining how to obtain tactical nuclear weapons.” Mr. Nabil explicitly mentioned that the Taliban might acquire these weapons from Pakistan or pay engineers to obtain them.
On the other hand, Michael McCaul, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, emphasized that the Biden administration is striving to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorist groups.
Mr. McCaul added that the “deadly and chaotic” withdrawal of the Biden administration from Afghanistan was perceived negatively from the beginning, with no plan in place to ensure peace and support for the people of Afghanistan. According to him, the “Taliban or terrorists” are trying to have the U.S. remove them from the list of terrorist groups, but their behavior worsens with each passing day, while Biden attempts to change the Taliban’s policies through diplomatic means.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives emphasized that seven billion dollars worth of remaining U.S. equipment has been sold by the Taliban and is being used by terrorist groups and other enemies of the country worldwide. He described the undeniable connection between Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Minister of Interior for the group, and al-Qaeda, stating that the Taliban have detained a considerable number of American citizens.
Mr. McCaul has reminded us that the Taliban benefit from the funds provided by American taxpayers and steal from the resources of non-governmental organizations to strengthen their fighters. Quoting SIGAR, he stated that the Taliban created non-governmental organizations to receive humanitarian aid and also attempted to relocate their intelligence officials within the United Nations.
The Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has declared that it is time for the Biden administration to reassess its political priorities and support the people of Afghanistan instead of the Taliban. He expressed concern about China’s influence in Afghanistan and added that the country would take control of the Bagram military base.
Some other members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives have also described the situation in Afghanistan, especially for women, under the rule of the Taliban as tragic.
Kathy Manning, the deputy of this committee, has described the situation of women in Afghanistan as catastrophic. She stated that the Taliban, by seizing job opportunities and restricting women’s rights to dress freely, are suppressing them severely.
Manning emphasized that allies of American soldiers should not be left to their fate. She added that they should be relocated to the United States, and the visa issuance process for them should be expedited.
On the other hand, Joe Wilson, another congressional representative, stressed that despite the Taliban’s general amnesty, the United Nations has documented over 200 retaliatory attacks by the group. According to him, the Biden administration is trying to conceal this reality and downplay these atrocities.
Mr. Wilson, sharing similar concerns with Mr. McCaul, added that the Taliban have established ties with the Communist Party of China, and Beijing is attempting to “enslave” this group.
Meanwhile, Thomas West, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated in this session that the al-Qaeda network can threaten America from Afghan soil. He continued to assert that American citizens are being detained by the Taliban.
Mr. West added that addressing the urgent needs of the Afghan citizens is the top priority of the Biden administration, and since August 2021, the country has provided over two billion dollars in assistance to Afghanistan. Referring to the situation of women, he emphasized that nowhere else in the world are women and girls suppressed to the extent seen in Afghanistan. According to him, the Taliban have subjected women to physical harassment as well.
Simultaneously, Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Envoy for Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, stated that the Taliban have not adhered to their commitments regarding women’s rights, and the human rights situation in Afghanistan has severely deteriorated. She added that many officials from the previous government, members of security forces, and individuals accused of being associated with anti-Taliban fronts, ethnic and religious minorities, and dissidents are facing threats and violence.
Ms. Amiri stated that media freedom has been severely restricted, and among the imposed restrictions, those imposed by the Taliban against women have been more catastrophic. According to her, the Taliban have targeted women with over 50 discriminatory decrees, and there is no sign of a reduction in this discrimination.
Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives have expressed concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. McCaul, in a special interview with Afghanistan International Media Outlet, mentioned that he advocates for dialogue with “Afghanistan Northern Alliance leaders,” including Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF).
The head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives emphasized that they would engage in dialogue with other groups and political movements that support the overthrow of the Taliban. He added, “I want the Taliban regime to be ousted as soon as possible. They are not good people. It’s regrettable that the majority of the people of Afghanistan, who are very good and likable, are forced to live under the ruthless rule of the Taliban.”
Following the statements of Mike McCaul, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) and some politicians have welcomed the Foreign Affairs Committee’s stance. Opponents of the Taliban, emphasizing that Afghanistan under the rule of this group has become a haven for terrorist groups, have stated that voicing support for the “overthrow” of the Taliban in the United States requires political convergence and intelligence among opponents. They need to stand united against the group with more organized plans and a unified voice to demonstrate to the world that this green light is a sign of global frustration with the Taliban.
It is worth noting that these concerns are raised while in the past week, two suicide attacks occurred in western Kabul, and another attack took place in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province. As a result, several people were killed and injured, with the majority of the victims being Hazaras, primarily of the Shia faith.