U.S. Considers Designating Taliban as Terrorist Organization

DIDPress: The U.S. Secretary of State announced during a session of the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Washington is currently evaluating the potential designation of the Taliban as a foreign terrorist organization.

These remarks were made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in response to a question from Republican Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who asked for clarification on the U.S. stance toward the Taliban.

Rubio said the classification is under review, noting that the U.S. recently succeeded in freeing several American citizens from Afghanistan, and thus, a decision on the Taliban’s classification needs to be made.

This decision should be based on a broader approach, taking into account future U.S. policies toward Afghanistan and the country’s security situation, he added.

The U.S. Secretary of State further pointed out that the Taliban has cooperated with the U.S. in certain areas, especially in fighting terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

However, Rubio emphasized that despite these collaborations, the U.S. continues to pressure the Taliban to fulfill additional commitments.

He also explained that the reason for the U.S. embassy in Kabul not being reopened is the uncertainty regarding the security of American forces in Afghanistan.

Rubio concluded that U.S. President Donald Trump does not want Afghanistan to once again become a launchpad for attacks against the U.S. and its facilities in other countries.