From Mona Wardag
KABUL: The Taliban administration in Afghanistan has called on the global community to recognize its legitimacy as the official government in the country.
Frustration is growing among them, with the Taliban administration still unrecognized by any country in the world since seizing power again last year.
“It is good for them (the international community) to build diplomatic relations with Afghanistan. They need me and I need them,” the Taliban administration’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani said while addressing a gathering in the province of Khost.
“Tomorrow, if they need me on an issue, based on which principles and formalities will they talk with me?” He also asked the United States to release billions of dollars of Afghan assets frozen in Western banks.
In return, the Taliban leader said a previous deal with the U.S. that the world would face no threat from Afghanistan would be honored. Terrorist network al-Qaida based themselves in Afghanistan during the Taliban’s previous period in power and helped plan the Sept.11, 2001 attacks on the U.S. from there.
Haqqani is the most powerful Taliban military leader. He heads the notorious Haqqani Network, which was behind some of the deadliest attacks on civilians and U.S. forces in Afghanistan after they were first deposed in 2001.
The international community has urged the Taliban to form a representative government and respect human and women’s rights before seeking any legitimacy.
