Trump lambastes Biden over Afghanistan crisis, demands resignation

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said that the United States will recognize the future government of Afghanistan only if it respects the fundamental rights of its people and keeps terrorists out of the country.

According to the report, commenting on media reports regarding China’s recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate government, he said, “the United States is willing to work with the Taliban if they respect “basic rights” of its people – of women and girls, specifically – and do not harbour terrorists.”

Top US diplomats appeared on several US television channels to comment on developments in Afghanistan, where the Taliban entered Kabul and forced President Ashraf Ghani to seek refuge in Tajikistan.

“If they do not respect fundamental rights and stop harboring terrorists, the Taliban-led government in Kabul will not receive international aid, sanctions will not be lifted and they will not be able to travel,” he warned.

Blinken said in response to a question of CNN’s Jake Tapper if the Biden administration would ever consider recognising the Taliban-led government.

“Conversely, a government that doesn’t do that, that doesn’t uphold the basic rights of its people, including women and girls… that harbours terrorist groups… that have designs on the United States… that’s not going to happen,” he said.

The secretary argued that the United States has achieved its goals in Afghanistan, dealt with those who attacked us on 9/11.

The journalist quoted Ryan Crocker, a former US ambassador to Afghanistan, as saying that the withdrawal of US troops was to hand over Afghanistan to the Taliban, and questioned whether the United States was to blame for the catastrophic withdrawal.

“We have told everyone, including the president, that the Taliban are in their best position since 2001,” Blinken said.

“The United States has spent billions of dollars on state-of-the-art military equipment, 300,000 strong forces and an air force that the Taliban did not have, and the fact is that we have seen that force in defending the country,” he said.

The secretary also rejected the point that sending US troops to evacuate US embassy staff and other Americans was tantamount to withdrawing US troops from Vietnam.

“Remember, this is not Saigon, we went to Afghanistan with a mission 20 years ago and that mission was to deal with the people who attacked 9/11 and we have succeeded in that mission,” he said. ۔