WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: Days after US President Joe Biden introduced Ayman al Zawahiri’s killing by a drone strike in Kabul, the Taliban stated on Thursday they’d no information of the Al Qaeda chief’s presence in Afghanistan,.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has no details about Ayman al Zawahiri’s arrival and keep in Kabul,” AFP quoted an official assertion as saying — the Taliban’s first point out of his title since Biden’s announcement.
Zawahiri’s assassination is the largest blow to Al Qaeda since US particular forces killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, and calls into query the Taliban’s promise to not harbour militant teams.
Thursday’s fastidiously phrased Taliban assertion neither confirmed his presence in Afghanistan nor acknowledged his loss of life.
“The management of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has instructed the intelligence companies to carry a complete and severe investigation,” it stated.
“The truth that America invaded our territory and violated all worldwide rules, we strongly condemn the motion as soon as once more. If such motion is repeated, the accountability of any penalties will probably be on the USA of America.”
The Taliban reiterated of their assertion that there was “no risk” to any nation from Afghanistan’s soil.
They known as on Washington to stick to the Doha pact signed in February 2020 that paved the way in which for the withdrawal of overseas forces from Afghanistan, ending 20 years of US-led navy intervention within the nation.
Taliban ‘sure’ by Doha deal
In the meantime, Zalmay Khalilzad, the previous US particular consultant who negotiated the Doha settlement with the Taliban, has stated the deal binds Kabul’s current rulers to maintain anti-American terrorist teams out of their nation.
A day after the drone strike, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused the Taliban of “grossly violating the [Doha] settlement — and repeated assurances to the world that they’d not harbor extremists” like Zawahiri.
Mr Khalilzad, nonetheless, instructed Nationwide Public Radio (NPR) that Mr Blinken was appropriate, and the Taliban’s declare was “clearly flawed”.
“The settlement is evident. That’s in black and white,” he stated.
However Graeme Smith, a senior marketing consultant with the Worldwide Disaster Group (ICG), instructed Voice of America that the Doha settlement was not very clear on sure factors. “One of many many issues with the Doha Settlement was the shortage of mechanisms for arbitration and enforcement. There isn’t any referee, and no particular penalties for any violations,” he stated.
“So, there may be no one who can say whether or not the settlement is damaged, and the implications could be unclear.”
No proof Pakistani airspace used: FO
Additionally on Thursday, Pakistan’s International Workplace Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar stated there was no proof that the nation’s airspace had been used for the drone strike that killed Ayman al Zawahiri.
Responding to a volley of questions on media studies claiming that the strike was carried out by intelligence sharing between Pakistan and US, and that the drone used Pakistani air area, he remarked: “There isn’t any proof of this motion having been undertaken utilizing Pakistan’s airspace”.
He additionally referred to an earlier assertion issued by the International Workplace on the incident, which had stated that “Pakistan stands by countering terrorism in accordance with worldwide regulation and related UN resolutions”.
However when journalists recalled the prior assertion, asking whether or not he was referring to UN resolutions that authorised motion inside Afghanistan few years again, the spokesperson stated “We’re referring to varied resolutions of the UN on countering terrorism, and so they embody completely different elements of counter-terrorism”.
He stated there have been varied worldwide obligations beneath these resolutions.
“Concerning Al-Qaeda, I believe it’s clear that it’s a terrorist entity, which is listed beneath the UN Safety Council sanctions regime and states are beneath obligation to take actions which might be prescribed by the UN Safety Council”.
He recalled that Pakistan had, previously, taken resolute motion and supported the efforts of the worldwide group in preventing terrorism and notably, a number of the notable success towards Al Qaeda was potential due to Pakistan’s position and contribution.
Revealed in Daybreak, August fifth, 2022
