Afghan Taliban say Biden ‘acknowledged reality’ about Al-Qaeda

AFP | London

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

Afghanistan’s Taliban government yesterday seized on an off-the-cuff remark by US President Joe Biden to underscore their claim that there was no Al-Qaeda threat in the country.

Biden was leaving a press conference on Friday on the US Supreme Court’s decision to block his student debt relief program when a reporter asked if he admitted to mistakes during the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. “No, no.

All the evidence is coming back,” he replied, according to a White House transcript. “Do you remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al Qaeda would not be there. I said it wouldn’t be there. I said we’d get help from the Taliban. What’s happening now? What’s going on? Read your press. I was right.”

The question was prompted by a report released Friday which said US officials were inhibited during mass evacuations from Afghanistan in 2021 by a lack of clear decision-making, an absence of centralised crisis management and confusing public messaging.

The so-called After Action Review was ordered by Secretary of State Antony Blinken after outrage over the chaotic scenes in Kabul as Taliban fighters seized control following the end of the 20-year US military presence.

Yesterday, the Afghan ministry of foreign affairs seized on Biden’s comment. “We consider remarks by US President Joe Biden about non-existence of armed groups in Afghanistan as acknowledgement of reality,” the ministry said in a statement.

“It refutes the recent report by UN Sanctions Monitoring Team alleging the presence & operation of over twenty armed groups in Afghanistan.”