Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi has condemned the September 11 attacks and said the group’s position against targeting civilians has remained consistent.
In remarks reported this week, Balkhi said that targeting civilians anywhere in the world is condemnable and stated that the Taliban’s position on the issue has not changed. His comments came as the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks was marked.
Balkhi also referred to the 2020 Doha Agreement between the United States and the Taliban, emphasizing that Afghan soil would not be used against the United States or any other country. The agreement included commitments aimed at preventing Afghan territory from being used to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.
The Taliban has repeatedly said that Afghanistan will not allow its territory to be used against other countries. In an earlier official statement, the Taliban Foreign Ministry also referred to the principle of preventing groups or individuals from using Afghan soil to threaten the security of other states.
Balkhi’s remarks come amid continued international scrutiny of Afghanistan’s security situation and the Taliban’s counterterrorism commitments. CBS News recently interviewed Balkhi about the Taliban’s policies, relations with the United States and the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan.