'Expect to have real, inclusive govt in Af'
Washington: The US and the international community expect the Taliban in Afghanistan to form an inclusive government with representations from different communities and fulfil its commitments like countering terrorism, respecting the rights of women and minorities and not to engage in reprisal, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
Blinken's remarks came ahead of an expected announcement by the Taliban on the formation of a new government in Afghanistan.
As we've said and as countries around the world have said, there is an expectation that any government that emerges now will have some real inclusivity, and that it will have non-Talibs in it who are representative of different communities and different interests in Afghanistan, Blinken told reporters at a news conference, ahead of his important visit to Doha where the political office of the Taliban is based.
We will see what, in fact, emerges, but I have to tell you that as important as what the government looks like is, more important still is what any government does. And that's what we're really looking at. We're looking at what actions, what policies any new Afghan government pursues. That's what matters the most, Blinken said on Friday.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan last month at lightning speed as the US withdrew its troops from the country. The US withdrew all of its service members from Afghanistan on Tuesday, ending its military engagement in the country after 20 years of war.
"The expectation is to see inclusivity in government, but ultimately the expectation is to see a government that makes good on commitments that the Taliban have made, particularly in freedom of travel, not allowing Afghanistan to be used as a launching ground for terrorism directed at the US or any of the allies and partners, upholding the basic rights of the Afghan people, including women and minorities, and not engaging in reprisals," Blinken said.
Meanwhile, at least 50,000 Afghans are expected to be admitted into the United States following the fall of Kabul as part of an enduring commitment" to help people who aided the American war effort and others who are particularly vulnerable under Taliban rule, the secretary of homeland security said on Friday.
Tens of thousands of Afghans have already made it through security vetting and arrived in the US to begin the process of resettlement. Exactly how many more will come and how long it will take remain open questions, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said as he outlined the effort.
