Taliban: Shaping the Regime After US Withdrawal
3 Min Read
A Taliban official says the movement’s fighters in Kabul have been instructed "not to intimidate civilians," and the Afghan Vice President announces he will stay in the country with his people.
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Taliban: We will not form a new governmental structure until the withdrawal of the foreign forces
Taliban officials announced Monday that they did not receive any reports about clashes across the country, a day after the movement took control of the capital Kabul after the collapse of the U.S.-backed government.
"The situation is calm according to our reports," stated a senior member of the movement. Reuters quoted a Taliban official stating that over 90 percent of government buildings were under the movement’s control.
Meanwhile, the Kabul Airport Authority announced canceling flights "due to chaos," while Sputnik reported that the U.S. military fired at Afghans at the airport, causing a number of casualties.
Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban's political bureau, said that the war in Afghanistan is over and the shape of the government and regime in Afghanistan "will soon become clear."
"We assure everyone that we will provide safety for citizens and diplomatic missions, we are ready for dialogue with all Afghan personalities and we will ensure that they receive the necessary protection," Naeem said.
A leader of the Taliban also disclosed to Reuters that the fighters were "regrouping from different provinces," assuring that " The Taliban will not form a new governmental structure until the withdrawal of foreign forces."
The Taliban official, who asked not to be named, added that al-Shabaab fighters in Kabul had been instructed: "not to intimidate civilians and allow them to resume their normal activities.”
Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh announced he will remain in his country with his people, stressing that he will not bow to the Taliban.
Earlier, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced that he had "decided to leave the country to prevent a massacre," as media reported that he and his family have fled to Tajikistan.
In addition, the UN Security Council is holding an emergency session on the situation in Afghanistan "as soon as possible," at the request of Norway and Estonia, according to UN diplomatic sources.
On Sunday, Taliban fighters entered the Afghan capital Kabul without fighting, announcing that they expected to take power soon, pledging to provide safety for all those working with the former Afghan administration.
A Taliban official said that the group will soon announce the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in the capital Kabul.
Since May, the Taliban have begun expanding their influence in Afghanistan, coinciding with the start of the final phase of the U.S. troop withdrawal scheduled to be completed by the end of August.
