Pro-Taliban Activist Confirms Progress In Talks Between Political Opponents & Group
Jafar Mahdavi, a former member of parliament, claimed that talks between the Taliban and the group's political opponents have "entered promising stages”.
Jafar Mahdavi, a former member of parliament, claimed that talks between the Taliban and the group's political opponents have "entered promising stages”.
Mahdavi, who has close ties with the Taliban, said that "in the not too distant future, we will see the pleasant and practical results of these talks”.
Earlier, Almas Zahid, a member of the National Council of Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan, said that the council has become hopeful for peace in Afghanistan after several meetings with the Taliban.
Zahid said that the international community and the United States are aware of the council's talks with the Taliban.
Jafar Mahdavi wrote on social media platform X on Friday that the Afghan people do not support the continuation of war and violence and expect all parties to "support soft and non-violent capacities and mechanisms, such as direct dialogue”.
The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan is made up of former government officials and leaders of political parties and jihadi leaders. Opponents of the Taliban have repeatedly said that the Taliban is not willing to negotiate to resolve the Afghan issue. Among the opponents of the Taliban, the National Resistance Front and the Afghanistan Freedom Front have continued their armed struggle against the Taliban.
Jafar Mahdavi said that resolving Afghanistan's internal problems will be possible through meaningful and empathetic talks between all parties.
Local sources told Afghanistan International that a vehicle ferrying Taliban members ran over and killed General Abdul Rauf Mohtaj, the chief of staff of the 209th Shaheen Corps in the former government's army.
The incident took place on Friday (October 11) on the Russi road in Kabul's 11th district.
The sources added that the general was a resident of Kohistan district of Kapisa province and lived in the Khairkhana area of Kabul city.
According to sources, the Taliban vehicle fled the area after running over the former army official.
Some sources said that the incident was intentional. Taliban officials have not commented on the matter.
In the past three years, the Taliban has killed a number of former military personnel directly and indirectly.
The Taliban had announced a general amnesty, but according to the United Nations and human rights organisations, the Taliban's arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings of former military personnel continue.
Tajikistan's Deputy Foreign Minister said at a meeting between the Russian and Tajikistan parliaments that security cooperation between Dushanbe and Moscow is focused on Afghanistan's problems.
Sodiq Imomi added that the expansion of the activities of terrorist groups and the increase in drug trafficking in Afghanistan are worrisome.
"The security interaction between Tajikistan and Russia is more focused on the Afghan problem, as the situation in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the Western coalition is worrisome and the trends taking place in the country appear to be very contradictory," Russia's state-run TASS news agency quoted Tajikistan's Deputy Foreign Minister Imomi as saying on Thursday, October 10.
The top Tajik diplomat noted that the ideology of religious radicalism has seriously affected security trends in the region, and "one should not be under any illusions about the Taliban's goals".
Tajikistan's deputy foreign minister also expressed concern over the expansion of terrorist groups and the increase in drug trafficking in Afghanistan, saying, "That is why our countries agree that peaceful dialogue with the aim of forming an inclusive government with the participation of representatives of all political and ethnic factions in Afghanistan will ensure the country's transition to peaceful development."
Emphasising on the security problems in Afghanistan, the Tajik official acknowledged that the programme to strengthen Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan will be completed by the end of this year.
This comes as with the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan, Tajikistan has always expressed concern over the emergence of security problems in the border areas with Afghanistan in the past three years. Last year, Russia's ambassador to Tajikistan announced the construction of security checkpoints on Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan. For this reason, the Tajik and Russian militaries held military exercises in areas bordering Afghanistan in April this year.
The Taliban's deputy prime minister announced on Thursday that the contract for the extraction of gas reserves in the Faryab field has been awarded to an Uzbekistani company.
The statement said that Uzbekistan will invest about $1 billion in the 10-year contract.
A statement issued by the office of Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's deputy prime minister, said that the contract was signed between the Taliban's Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and the Uzbekistani company.
The details of the contract state that the Uzbekistani company will invest $100 million in the first year and $1 billion in 10 years.
The Taliban said that the gas reserves of Tooti Maidan in Faryab province have an area of about 7,000 square kilometres.
According to the Taliban's Minister of Mines, Hidayatullah Badri, the agreement will largely meet Afghanistan's energy needs.
Ismatulla Irgashev, Special Envoy of the President of Uzbekistan, said during a visit to Afghanistan about the investment that thousands of job opportunities and the revival of Afghanistan's national economy are planned.
At the same time, Darya News Agency quoted experts as saying that the agreements signed between Uzbekistan and the Taliban are part of Uzbekistan's strategy to strengthen its influence in the region and create new economic opportunities.
Political scientist Oybek Sirojov said that Afghanistan is a promising market for Uzbekistan.
According to Uzbekistan experts, the country has the necessary leverage over the Taliban, including controlling a significant portion of the humanitarian aid entering Afghanistan that passes through Uzbekistan's railways. In addition, Tashkent also supplies cable power. Another political affairs expert said that these factors create opportunities for Uzbekistan to put pressure on the Taliban.
The US State Department has reaffirmed that it continues to classify the Taliban as a "terrorist organisation”.
A spokesperson for the department told Afghanistan International that the United States, alongside its allies, does not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Until there are discernible changes in the Taliban’s behaviour, meaningful engagement between the US government and the group remains unlikely.
Over the past three years, US efforts have focused on humanitarian aid, securing the release of American hostages held by the Taliban, forging global consensus to improve the situation in Afghanistan, and managing threats from groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS-Khorasan.
However, this raises the question: does Washington’s continued emphasis on labelling the Taliban as a "terrorist" group signal a harder stance, or is it indicative of increasing flexibility in addressing the evolving situation in Afghanistan?
Why Does the US Still Consider the Taliban a "Terrorist Group"?
When US officials describe the Taliban as an international terrorist organisation, they are referencing legal provisions established by former President George W Bush.
Following the September 11 attacks, Bush signed Executive Order 13224 on 23 September 2001, which officially designated the Taliban as an international terrorist group. This order remains in force, meaning that under US law, both the Taliban and the Haqqani network continue to be recognised as international terrorist entities.
At the time, President Bush emphasised that Executive Order 13224 was intended to disrupt the financing of terrorism and reaffirmed America’s commitment to lead international efforts in combatting terrorism. This order, issued under powers including the National Emergencies Act, directed US agencies to take necessary actions to address extraordinary threats to national security, foreign policy, and the US economy posed by acts and threats of terrorism.
Moreover, the executive order granted the US government tools to dismantle the Taliban’s financial networks, freeze the assets of Taliban leaders, and target foreign entities associated with them.
What is a U.S. Presidential Executive Order?
One of the critical powers vested in the U.S. President is the ability to issue executive orders, which are utilised across various domains such as economic policy, national security, and foreign relations. Executive orders possess distinct characteristics. Firstly, these orders must comply with the U.S. Constitution and federal laws; they cannot contravene legislation enacted by Congress. While executive orders do not require Congressional approval, Congress does have the authority to review them and, if necessary, pass laws to limit or revoke them.
Another significant aspect of executive orders is that each new president has the authority to rescind or amend the executive orders of their predecessors, a process that often occurs at the beginning of a new presidential term.
Under Executive Order 13224, issued by President George W. Bush in 2001, the Taliban has been officially designated as a terrorist organisation. This order remains in effect and has not been repealed. Removing the Taliban from the list of terrorist groups is a complex and protracted process. It is unlikely that President Joe Biden, who has faced substantial criticism over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, will issue an executive order to repeal Bush’s order and remove the Taliban from the terrorist list.
This decision is more likely to fall to the next president. Regardless of who the next president may be, it is improbable that Afghanistan will be high on their list of priorities. Consequently, no major changes in U.S. policy towards the Taliban are expected for at least a year after the next presidential election. The next president could potentially rescind George Bush’s executive order, which would remove the Taliban from the list of terrorist organisations and open the door to new diplomatic or economic engagements. However, this process would be time-consuming, as such a move would likely face opposition from lawmakers in Congress.
Executive Orders and Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
While Executive Order 13224 sanctions the Taliban and the Haqqani network, it does not impede the delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. The export of agricultural goods, medicines, and medical equipment to Afghanistan is not prohibited. The US Treasury Department has clarified that the sanctions allow US citizens to export goods and services to Afghanistan, provided that such transactions do not involve individuals or entities subject to sanctions.
In addition, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) within the U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued several general licences related to Afghanistan, specifically aimed at facilitating the provision of humanitarian aid. These licences provide guidance on the permissible transactions under the existing sanctions and highlight that humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan can be delivered without breaching U.S. regulations.
As a result, U.S. government humanitarian aid to Afghanistan is provided in accordance with the licences issued by the Treasury Department, which are designed to ease the process of delivering such aid. However, any direct economic assistance or commercial transactions between the U.S. government and any entity affiliated with the Taliban could lead to legal consequences under Executive Order 13224. Until this order, which designates the Taliban as a terrorist organisation, is formally rescinded by the U.S. President, any official economic dealings or trade with the Taliban remain illegal under U.S. law and could result in severe repercussions.
Why Did the US Sign An Agreement With a "Terrorist" Group?
A key question that arises is: if the Taliban is officially considered a terrorist group, why did the US engage in negotiations with them and sign the Doha Agreement?
This action can be understood in the context of the United Nations’ approach, which permits negotiations with groups such as the Taliban and Hamas to "secure peace”. Since the 1980s, the UN has engaged in talks with various groups officially designated as terrorist organisations.
Following the September 11 attacks, engaging with the Taliban became even more complicated after the UN Security Council also designated the Taliban as a terrorist group. However, in 2008, the appointment of Kai Eide as the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan marked a shift in this approach. Eide underscored the "importance of engaging with the Taliban to establish peace in Afghanistan," justifying this stance based on the UN’s "principle of neutrality”. He argued that avoiding dialogue could undermine peace-building efforts, and engagement with all parties is essential.
After this shift, the US government began secret negotiations with the Taliban.
From the US government’s perspective, direct talks with the Taliban, culminating in the signing of the Doha Agreement, were in pursuit of "securing peace" and had the support of the United Nations. These negotiations were not considered a violation of any legal framework.
Director of the Iranian Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants' Affairs (BAFIA) of Khorasan Razavi Governorate said that 270,000 Afghan refugees were returned to Afghanistan in the first half of this year through the Dogharoun border.
According to Hossein Sharafati Rad, this number was calculated through statistics from 11 provinces.
"The repatriation of Afghan citizens from Khorasan Razavi province has also increased by 40 percent since the beginning of this year to the end of September compared to the same period last year," the Iranian official told IRNA news agency during his visit to Taybad on Thursday.
He added that identifying unauthorised foreign nationals throughout Iran and deporting them to their country by the end of this year is one of the most important plans of the Ministry of Interior.
The Director General of Aliens and Foreign Immigrants of Khorasan Razavi Governorate also said that no "authorised or unauthorised" Afghan citizen has the right to live and work in the province's seven border cities.
The Iranian official also announced the education of 60,000 authorised foreign students for boys and girls in Khorasan Razavi province. However, he said that 5,000 students have not yet been able to register because their degrees are not complete.
Regarding the employment of Afghan citizens in Iran, Sharafati Rad said, "75 percent of Afghan immigrants live and work in Iran."
According to the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants of Khorasan Razavi, Mashhad has the highest number of foreign immigrants after Tehran, nearly 400,000 of whom have identity and residency documents.