OMM Newsroom
Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Taliban is seeking to establish new relations with the United States. The group wants ties with Washington to be based on diplomacy, investment and trade.
Al-Qaeda carried out the attacks, which killed 2,977 people in the United States. At the time, the organization’s leadership, including Osama bin Laden, was based in Afghanistan under Taliban protection.
The United States intervened in Afghanistan several weeks after the attacks and toppled the Taliban government. The war lasted 20 years, and the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 after the withdrawal of the last US troops from the country.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said relations with Washington should not be assessed solely on the basis of the conflict of the past 20 years. He invited US investment in mining, infrastructure, agriculture and trade.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told “AnewZ” that efforts to establish relations with Washington did not represent a new position for the Taliban. He said the “Islamic Emirate” had sought to develop positive relations with all countries, including the United States, since 1996 and had conducted several official visits before 2001.
Balkhi said the Taliban wanted relations to be based on mutual interests and economic development. He denied that Afghanistan or Afghan citizens had been involved in the Sept. 11 attacks.
Washington does not recognize the Taliban government and continues to express concern over human rights, as well as restrictions imposed on women and girls. Russia is the only country to have officially recognized the Taliban government.
Political analyst and lecturer Obaydullah Bahir said US policy toward Afghanistan remained strongly influenced by security concerns. In his view, Washington still approaches Afghanistan primarily through the lens of the Sept. 11 attacks and security.
Although Kabul is placing greater emphasis on trade, investment and diplomatic ties, security and human rights remain the main obstacles to closer relations for Washington. Twenty-five years after Sept. 11, relations between the former adversaries have shifted from the battlefield to diplomacy, but deep differences between the sides remain.
