The Taliban is calling on countries such as Australia to contribute to the ‘rebuilding’ of Afghanistan, as one expert says the group is ‘extremely vulnerable’ economically following its return to power.
Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen says Afghanistan is in “dire need” of foreign assistance and claims the militant group will provide a “secure environment” to foreign nationals to facilitate it.
In a number of audio messages sent in response to questions from SBS Pashto, he says countries that were involved in the “occupation” of Afghanistan during the decades-long conflict had a “moral obligation” to rebuild the country.
“During the past 20 years, our country was occupied, and we were fighting for the liberation of our country. Now that this chapter is coming to an end, foreign forces are withdrawing completely from our country, there is a need for foreign construction in Afghanistan,” says Mr Shaheen, who was a member of the group’s negotiating team during peace talks with the US.
“A new phase has started where all countries who were involved in the destruction of our country and occupation, have a moral obligation to also [be] involved in helping the people of Afghanistan have a dignified life and to help [in the] rebuilding of Afghanistan.”
The comments come as countries including Australia continue their efforts to evacuate citizens and Afghan locally engaged employees (LEEs), who assisted their forces during the conflict.
On Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that more than 400 people were evacuated overnight, and said further flights were planned.
Some 300 people were evacuated the previous day, Mr Morrison confirmed, as Australian Defence Force troops patrol the tarmac at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
On Sunday, the US and Germany told their citizens in the country to avoid travelling to the airport, citing security risks.
No further details were provided about the potential threat, but Mr Shaheen says the Taliban established checkpoints outside the complex to “check documents” amid the threat posed by IS fighters who “wanted to reach the airport under the cover of evacuation to carry out sabotage activities”.
Going forward, Mr Shaheen says the Taliban wants “good relations” with all countries to raise employment prospects for Afghanis.
“Right now, about 70 per cent of the people of Afghanistan are living under the line of poverty.
“Also, about foreign nationals, of course we provide a secure environment for their functioning, for their work in the country, in their embassies, and other NGO charity organisations that are working in Afghanistan.
“We want them to continue their work in the country because there is a dire need of the people of Afghanistan for their assistance.”
Mohib Iqbal, a development expert with extensive experience in Afghanistan, said following the takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban is “eager for international recognition and financial assistance”.
“This has been their consistent message since the start of the Doha peace process. They have met some of their commitments in this regard including no attacks on foreign forces in Afghanistan since the signing of the US-Taliban agreement.
“They are also willing to let the evacuation mission complete. In this context, I find the Taliban genuine in their promise to the international community. However, they have been way less consistent on their commitments to the Afghan people and the now collapsed Afghan government.”
Mr Iqbal, who is currently advising on the World Bank development programs in the country, says Afghanistan’s economy is “having off a cliff” and will experience a “sudden collapse if not rescued urgently”.
“The Afghan currency is at risk of astronomical depreciation, which will paralyse all of the economic activity and leave millions unable to afford food. Both the International Monetary Fund and the US have blocked Afghanistan’s US$7 billion strategic reserves, leaving the Taliban extremely vulnerable economically.
“Afghanistan was declared a humanitarian crisis before the current crisis with millions of people needing urgent food support to avoid hunger. After the collapse, markets are closed, government offices are dysfunctional and the Taliban have no budget to pay the salaries of the teachers, doctors, police and the government bureaucracy in general.
“A strong economic crisis is brewing as the media focuses on the evacuation and as the Taliban take their victory lap.”
Mr Iqbal says the Taliban has a number of revenue sources including the “illicit economy” such as the narcotics trade and taxation of Afghanistan’s rural agriculture economy.
He believes this might “cushion” them from serious economic problems as a group, but these sources are “terribly insufficient for the country as a whole”.
“The most urgent problem for the Taliban is if they can secure the international community’s support for Afghanistan, both [by] responding to the humanitarian crisis and support to the Afghan economy to salvage it from a sudden collapse.
“For this, they need all the Afghan reserves, but also strong international support and commitment, which will not be easy to secure.”
SBS Pashto has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment.
SBS acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia.
tadalafil https://cialistrxy.com/
tadalafil brands tadalafil daily online
buy cialis pills cheapest tadalafil cost
tadalafil order online no prescription tadalafil liquid
https://cialisusdc.com/ tadalafil cost in canada
https://cialisbusd.com/ tadalafil online with out prescription
cost tadalafil generic buy tadalis
tadalafil order online no prescription tadalafil liquid
generic tadalafil from uk where to order tadalafil tablets
lowest price cialis generic tadalafil from uk
tadalafil side effects what is tadalafil
cheap generic cialis for sale where to buy generic cialis online safely
cialis without a prescription https://cialistrxy.com/
tadalafil online with out prescription https://cialisvet.com/
https://cialisedot.com/ tadalafil blood pressure
tadalafil online with out prescription cheap cialis pills for sale
cost of cialis tadalafil cost walmart
where to buy generic cialis online safely tadalafil cost in canada
buy generic cialis online with mastercard cialis tadalafil
tadalafil order online no prescription where to buy generic cialis online safely
tadalafil goodrx tadalafil cost in canada
cialis cost tadalafil generic where to buy
what is tadalafil generic cialis tadalafil
generic cialis online fast shipping https://cialistrxy.com/
tadalafil price walmart tadalafil dosage
tadalafil drug tadalafil generic where to buy
prescription tadalafil online tadalafil order online no prescription
generic tadalafil from uk tadalafil online with out prescription
tadalafil dosage cialis cost
cialis cost tadalafil order online no prescription
generic tadalafil from uk tadalafil online with out prescription
side effects for tadalafil where to buy generic cialis online safely
lowest price cialis buy generic cialis online with mastercard
tadalafil without a doctor prescription tadalafil brands
side effects of tadalafil tadalafil generic
para que sirve el sildenafil 50 mg sildenafil drug class
tadalafil side effects tadalafil online with out prescription
buy cialis tadalafil 20 mg tadalafil
sildenafil hypertension medication sildenafil
https://cialisedot.com/ cheapest tadalafil cost
ivermectin 12 mg stromectol tablets for humans for sale
ivermectin tablet price ivermectin 3mg dose
marley generics sildenafil how do you pronounce sildenafil
cialis at canadian pharmacy https://cialisicp.com/
tadalafil generic where to buy side effects of tadalafil
stromectol online canada stromectol 3 mg tablets price
stromectol canada stromectol 12mg online
where to buy ivermectin cream ivermectin usa price
cost of ivermectin pill ivermectin 2
stromectol 15 mg where can i buy oral ivermectin
cost of stromectol ivermectin 0.5 lotion
cost for ivermectin 3mg ivermectin 5
ivermectin ireland stromectol usa
order stromectol online buy ivermectin pills
viagra australia sildenafil reddit
ivermectin cost canada ivermectin over the counter
ivermectin lotion for lice ivermectin 4 mg
ivermectin tablets stromectol pill price
use cialis cialis 10mg reviews
cialis cost cialis tadalafil
viagra sales canadian viagra
sildenafil tablets 20 mg cheap sildenafil citrate 100mg
russian pharmacy online usa rx partners pharmacy
cialis/dapoxetine cialis from canada to usa
is sildenafil 20 mg the same as viagra? does sildenafil work for ed
levitra expiration dates discounts on levitra
rite rx care pharmacy pharmacy stuff store
canada pharmaceuticals how to dispose of prescription drugs cvs
canadian on line pharmacy rx relief pharmacy discount cards
ivermectin pill for lice mebendazole vs ivermectin
tadalafil online canada tadalafil combitic
cvs pharmacy store 10583 national pharmacies
cattle ivermectin ivermectin for swine
how much does levitra cost cialis viagra o levitra
cialis professional vs cialis generic cialis next day delivery
where to buy generic levitra online levitra efeitos colaterais
what is the generic for cialis generic cialis lowest prices
pharm people’s pharmacy
peoples drug store Diltiazem
bernie sanders canada drugs store hours for rite aid pharmacy
no prescription online pharmacy quality prescription drugs
brazilian pharmacy online the drug store pharmacy
northwest pharmacy/com clonazepam canada pharmacy
legitimate online pharmacies reliable rx pharmacy
buy modafinil online cheap oral provigil 200mg order provigil 200mg for sale
top rated canadian pharmacies indian pharmacies safe
order modafinil pill buy modafinil 200mg online
modafinil 200mg price
order modafinil 200mg sale modafinil cost
buy modafinil without prescription buy generic modafinil 100mg modafinil 200mg drug
purchase modafinil online cheap
order modafinil 200mg without prescription buy modafinil 200mg sale buy provigil 100mg generic
order provigil 200mg pill modafinil 100mg sale
legitimate canada pharmacy shipping prescription drugs
modafinil canada buy modafinil generic
erythromycin side effects
buy modafinil 200mg sale
order provigil 200mg online cheap purchase modafinil online
provigil 100mg pill modafinil 100mg uk order modafinil 100mg online cheap
http://erythromycin1m.com/# erythromycin opthalmic ointment