Kinder, gentler Taliban now giving interviews to Associated Press
Jazz Shaw Dec 13, 2021 7:58 AM ET
It’s almost certainly a sign of how desperate things have become in Afghanistan when some of the highest-ranking members of the Taliban are giving interviews to western press outlets. Yet that’s precisely what happened this weekend, when the new Afghan Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, sat down with the Associated Press to answer questions about human rights abuses under the new government. Speaking through a translator, Muttaqi told reporters that the Taliban is ready to lead in a responsible fashion and Afghanistan is in desperate need of aid and relief from sanctions if they are to feed their people. He also claimed that they were making serious progress in advancing the rights of women and girls in their country. Of course, if you look back at Muttaqi’s history, you’ll probably have more than a few questions about his sincerity.
Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers are committed in principle to education and jobs for girls and women, a marked departure from their previous time in power, and seek the world’s “mercy and compassion” to help millions of Afghans in desperate need, a top Taliban leader said in a rare interview.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also told The Associated Press that the Taliban government wants good relations with all countries and has no issue with the United States. He urged Washington and other nations to release upward of $10 billion in funds that were frozen when the Taliban took power Aug. 15, following a rapid military sweep across Afghanistan and the sudden, secret flight of U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani.
“Sanctions against Afghanistan would … not have any benefit,” Muttaqi said Sunday, speaking in his native Pashto during the interview in the sprawling pale brick Foreign Ministry building in the heart of the Afghan capital of Kabul.
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https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2021/12/13/kinder-gentler-taliban-now-giving-interviews-to-associated-press-n434973
