Afghanistan’s United Front leader, Gen Sami Sadat, has called on the US and the international community not to forget Afghanistan, warning that the security situation in the country remains a cause for concern.
In a video message marking the anniversary of the 11 September attacks, Gen Sadat addressed the American people and paid tribute to those killed in the attacks, as well as US and Afghan soldiers who died during the subsequent war in Afghanistan.
He said the attacks had changed both the United States and Afghanistan, bringing the two countries together in a campaign against al-Qaeda and other militant groups.
Gen Sadat also referred to the killing of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the prominent anti-Taliban commander who was assassinated on 9 September 2001, two days before the attacks in the US.
He said the developments that followed had transformed Afghanistan and argued that Afghan and international forces had made significant sacrifices during the two decades that followed.
But Gen Sadat said the situation had changed dramatically since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.
He criticised the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, arguing that the decision had left the country vulnerable to militant groups and undermined the sacrifices made by Afghan forces who had fought alongside international troops.
Gen Sadat, a former senior commander of the Afghan army, now leads the Afghan United Front, an armed opposition group challenging Taliban rule.
In his message, he appealed particularly to US veterans who served in Afghanistan, saying their sacrifices should not be forgotten.
He also said Afghans continued to seek political change despite the Taliban’s return to power.
The message comes as Afghanistan remains diplomatically isolated under the Taliban, with the authorities in Kabul facing international criticism over restrictions on women and girls as well as concerns over militant groups operating inside the country.
Gen Sadat’s appeal appears aimed not only at highlighting Afghanistan’s security situation but also at seeking renewed international political attention to Afghan opposition groups.