The Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, criticized the Biden administration’s policy towards the Taliban emphasizing that the regime in power in Kabul backs various terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda in the country.
McCaul voiced his repeated criticism of the Biden administration during a Foreign Affairs Committee’s hearing session on Afghanistan, on Thursday, January 11, in which Thomas West, US Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Rina Amiri, the State Department Envoy for Afghan Women, and Michael Schaffer, Deputy Administrator of the US Administration for International Development, testified.
McCaul said that the Biden administration believes befriending the Taliban could influence their actions. However, he argued that the actions of the Taliban clearly show that they cannot be influenced.
“The Taliban, despite seeking removal from the terrorist list, remain terrorists. Afghanistan is deteriorating daily. Contrary to what some in the administration may believe, there are no ‘moderate’ Taliban members,” McCaul emphasized.
While the main faction of the Taliban is not designated on the US Foreign Terrorist Organizations list, the Haqqani Network, led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban Interior Minister with close ties to Al-Qaeda, has been on the list since September 2012. According to the FBI’s profile on Haqqani, he is “wanted for questioning in connection with the January 2008 attack on a hotel in Kabul that killed six people, including an American citizen”. Despite being on the FBI’s most wanted list with a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest, he regularly engages with foreign diplomats at the ministry and addresses the public.
The Republican-led Congress has constantly criticized the Biden Administration for its handling of Afghanistan, especially the chaotic withdrawal of troops in August 2021 that led to the return of the Taliban to power. Lawmakers argue that contrary to claims by the US State Department, the Taliban continue to maintain ties with regional and international terrorist organizations, violate human rights at mass scales, and misuse American-provided humanitarian aid.
McCaul raised concerns over the Taliban’s alleged involvement in the global arms trade, saying, “The Taliban are funding, equipping, and providing safe haven to terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda. The $7 billion worth of military equipment left behind during the withdrawal is being sold by the Taliban, aiding terror groups and other American adversaries around the world.”
Speaking with the media on the sidelines of the meeting, McCaul expressed his interest in dialogue with groups opposing the Taliban, including with Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the armed anti-Taliban group, the National Resistance Front. “We can try to change Taliban’s behavior, but we don’t want to bribe them. I would like to talk to the remaining active and living leaders of the Northern Alliance,” he said.
In his testimony to the committee, Thomas West, the US Special Envoy for Afghanistan, said that although Al-Qaeda is currently at its lowest level of activity in Afghanistan, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-KP), a regional affiliate of ISIS, has emerged as a significant concern for both the US and regional countries.
The Taliban in Afghanistan, however, has consistently tried to downplay the threats from terrorist groups in the country and has repeatedly assured that it will not allow any terrorist organizations to use Afghanistan’s territory for launching attacks against other countries. According to the Doha Agreement signed between the Taliban and the US in Qatar in 2020, the Taliban committed to cutting ties with terrorist groups and ensuring that Afghanistan soil is not used against the security of the US and its allies.
Rina Amiri, the other US Envoy for Afghanistan, working with women, spoke about the constant violation of human rights by the Taliban, particularly of women and Hazaras who have lost their voice and protection under the group’s iron fist. She said that the United States will not support moves towards normalizing its relationship with the group unless there was a profound and meaningful shift towards respecting the rights of all Afghans, particularly women and girls.
During the testimony session, US Congressman Brian Mast questioned Thomas West regarding the appointment of Shah Mehrabi as a board member of the Afghan Fund, the $3.5 billion Afghanistan’s Central bank asset held in a Swiss bank. He questioned Mehrabi’s credentials and his connections with the Taliban as he also holds a position in the Taliban-run Central Bank of Afghanistan (DAB). West replied, indicating that Mehrabi had been recommended by an “accredited representative of Afghanistan,” but he refrained from disclosing the name of that representative, citing “legitimate security concerns.”
In a report released on Monday, January 8, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), John F. Sopko, also raised concerns about the potential conflict of interest within the Afghan Fund, as one of its board members, Shah Mehrabi, holds a position in the governing body of DAB, the Supreme Council. “It is not clear whether this constitutes a conflict of interest in the form of competing fiduciary responsibilities. It is also unclear who determines whether a conflict of interest exists or how it is defined,” the report said.
Mr. Mehrabi was one of the first advocates of the release of Afghanistan’s frozen assets to the Taliban-controlled central bank to regulate and support Afghanistan’s economy. He has previously been accused of corruption during his tenure on the Bank’s supreme council, including approving loans contrary to the bank’s procedures for its chief auditor.
