Michael McCaul, the Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, recently announced that he would meet Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), on September 10th this year in Congress. He described the NRF’s mission as “honorable” and claimed that he has been in constant contact with Massoud and his team for several years. McCaul expressed his eagerness to hear Massoud’s views on freeing his people from the grip of the Taliban. He also mentioned that the House Foreign Affairs Committee would release a detailed report on the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan on September 9th. Massoud is invited to a session that coincides with the presentation of this report.
Regarding McCaul’s invitation to Massoud and their meeting, several points are noteworthy:
1- For Western governments, the views of their citizens are important, especially when prominent journalists, lawyers, or writers present an opinion; it is quickly taken seriously. While it is true that Western countries act in ways that seem to disregard democracy in other parts of the world, they strive to be honest with their citizens. A case in point is the action of Sean Ryan, a journalist and former U.S. Navy member, who organized a petition and gathered signatures to invite Massoud to the U.S. Initially, Ryan’s effort seemed overly optimistic and impractical, but it soon became a reality. In a democratic system, if one branch of the government does not respond to the legitimate demands of the citizens, another branch—usually the parliament—will not ignore the people’s voice. The judiciary and armed forces are also similarly inclined. McCaul’s invitation to Massoud is also a result of the signatures collected by Ryan, who claimed to have gathered more than 300,000 signatures. Ryan’s goal was to invite Massoud to Congress, listen to his voice, and cut off U.S. financial support for the Taliban.
Additionally, the Hudson Institute recently published a report calling on the U.S. to provide financial and military support to the NRF. The institute invited Massoud to a virtual meeting and provided him with an opportunity to speak. It also urged the Biden administration to invite Massoud to Washington as a guest. Valuing the request of a journalist or a research institute is precisely what democratic systems do. The behavior of non-democratic governments is clear: they suppress the voices of their citizens and disregard their demands.
2- While the National Resistant Front of Afghanistan is viewed positively by its supporters, it also has its drawbacks. Over the past three years, the NRF has faced numerous criticisms; some focused on its organizational structure, which is perceived as local and family-oriented, while others have questioned its activities in diplomacy and on the battlefield. Although the NRF’s military wing appears active in some parts of the country, it has not been able to pose a serious challenge to the Taliban, failing to create significant territorial disruption. Diplomatically, the NRF has been active but has not succeeded in changing the stance of key countries involved in the Afghan issue toward the Taliban. Now, Washington’s hosting of Massoud could be seen as a recognition that, despite its many weaknesses and shortcomings, the NRF is viewed by some countries as an anti-Taliban force that can be used in critical moments. Therefore, this hosting and the perception of it could be seen as a form of leverage for the NRF, especially in a situation where none of the other anti-Taliban forces, based outside the U.S., have been officially hosted by the country.
A crucial point is the strained relationship between the U.S. and both former and current Afghanistan Northern leaders. Washington did not have a good relationship with the anti-Taliban coalition led by Ahmad Shah Massoud in the past and only turned towards that coalition after the events of September 11th. In the past twenty years, the U.S. has also supported figures who were not traditional opponents of the Taliban, and who now oppose the NRF. Over the past three years, the Biden administration’s focus has been more on the Taliban than on the NRF. Given this background, Washington’s hosting of Massoud, especially in the House of Representatives at this critical juncture, could be a “turning point” in the relationship between the NRF and the U.S.; however, this hosting should not necessarily be seen as a shift in U.S. policy towards the Taliban.
3- The importance of Washington hosting Massoud lies in the fact that the NRF is traditionally considered an ally of Russia and Iran, two countries that view the U.S. as their enemy. The sudden emergence of Massoud with U.S. support at this critical time is a nightmare for Moscow and Tehran. The Islamic Republic of Iran, alongside Tajikistan, is one of the hosts of the NRF, although it has kept the field for its activities restricted. In a situation where most countries are leaning towards reconciliation with the Taliban, Iran’s minimal and semi-official hosting of the NRF is noteworthy. Moscow, too, has hosted Massoud twice and listened to his views, although without any clear outcome.
Now, Washington’s hosting of Massoud could affect his dependence on Moscow and Tehran. This suggests that the NRF, rather than seeking to strengthen its ties with Russia and Iran, may prefer to align with the U.S., as it understands that transitioning from a Taliban-dominated order to a mixed democratic order seemingly cannot be achieved without Washington’s efforts. The countries in the region are each preoccupied with their conflicts and are unable to effectively manage cross-border activities. It is better to say that the efforts of regional governments are focused on increasing economic and trade exchanges with the Taliban, and nothing more. In contrast, Washington views the current situation in Afghanistan from a political and intelligence perspective, which could benefit forces that aim to oust the Taliban from power. Therefore, if the NRF can alter the U.S. approach to the current situation in Afghanistan, it will have achieved a significant accomplishment; otherwise, it will not have a swift and effective outcome, similar to the meetings in Tehran, Moscow, and Vienna.
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here:
