Hassan Kazemi Qomi, the Iranian President's Special Representative for Afghan Affairs, voiced his concern that the United States' policies run counter to the interests of Afghanistan. Speaking at the ongoing meeting on Afghanistan in Kazan, he emphasized, "The actions taken by the US do not align with the national interests of Afghanistan."
Qomi underscored the significant suffering endured by the Afghan people during the US occupation and lamented that, even after the withdrawal of American troops from Afghan soil, Washington continues to "foment crises and destabilization."
President Joe Biden announced on April 14, 2021, his decision to conclude the US operation in Afghanistan, which had commenced in October 2001 and marked the longest foreign military engagement in American history. The withdrawal of US troops commenced in May 2021. Subsequently, the Taliban, a group banned in Russia, launched a substantial operation to assume control of Afghanistan. On August 15, 2021, the country's President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and the Taliban peacefully entered Kabul. By early September, US military personnel had completely exited Afghanistan, effectively concluding their nearly two-decade presence in the country.
Despite the measures taken by the Taliban, the economic situation in Afghanistan remains exceedingly dire. According to the United Nations, 22.8 million Afghans are enduring persistent malnutrition, and 8.7 million residents are facing acute starvation. This dire situation is largely attributed to the fact that the extremists have access to only 0.1% of the state reserves (out of $9.4 billion), as a substantial portion of these funds has been frozen by the United States.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: mostafa meraji/Unsplash
Based on materials from TASS