Continue To Designate Taliban As 'Global Terrorist Organisation', Says US

The US State Department spokesperson has said that the US position on the Taliban has not changed and that Washington continues to recognise the group as a "global terrorist organisation".

Matthew Miller said that normalisation of relations with the Taliban is contingent on fundamental changes in the Taliban's behaviour towards human rights.

During a press conference on Tuesday (October 8), in response to a question about Russia's actions to remove the Taliban from the list of terrorist groups, the US State Department spokesperson said that the US decision has not changed.

Recently, Russia announced that it was "completing the review" of removing the Taliban from the list of terrorist groups.

"We have not changed our designation of the Taliban, which is designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organisation, and we continue to be clear that any significant step toward normalisation is contingent on a profound change in the Taliban's human rights behaviour," Miller said.

He added that the international community is unanimous about changing the Taliban's human rights behaviour.

Miller said at the meeting that the United States, in cooperation with its partners, is urging the Taliban to repeal discriminatory sentences.

Stressing on the need for girls to return to school and lifting restrictions against women in Afghanistan, he added, "Human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, who continue to be repressed by the Taliban, are a priority in our interactions with the Taliban."

"Washington Alert About Terrorist Threat Against United States From Afghan Soil"

Twenty-three years ago, the United States began its military operations in Afghanistan against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. After 20 years, the United States withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban returned to power, and the United Nations has reported that al-Qaeda is regrouping and has reactivated in Afghanistan.

In response to a question about the extent to which the United States has achieved its goals in Afghanistan, the US State Department spokesperson said that Washington is alert about any terrorist threat against the United States from Afghan soil.

"Our top priority with Afghanistan is to ensure that it never again becomes a base for terrorist attacks against the United States," the State Department spokesperson said.

Regarding the change in the position of the US special envoy for Afghanistan affairs, he stressed that there has been no change in US policies and that all the duties of Tom West will continue by other officials and the United States will continue on its path with the same priorities.