SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Kurdish Islamic parties on Sunday expressed their different views about Taliban’s capture of Afghanistan.
Taliban fighters patrolled Kabul on Monday after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistan’s 20-year war, as thousands of people mobbed the city’s airport trying to flee the group’s feared hardline brand of Islamist rule.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday night as the insurgents encircled the capital, capping a military victory that saw them capture all cities in just 10 days.
Member of Kurdistan Islamic Movement Leadership Ihsan Abdulaziz said on Sunday he had made a phone call with a Taliban leader to congratulate them for retaking Afghanistan.
“Today, I talked with Zabiullah Mujahid, a prominent Taliban leader, in a telephone call and congratulated them on the victory and the liberation of Afghanistan,” Abdulaziz said in a post on Facebook.
“I conveyed the eagerness and happiness of brothers and sisters in the movement’s leadership,” he added.
General Secretary of the Kurdistan Islamic Union Salahadin Bahadin said Taliban had been “an active player in Islamic insurgency, governance and suspicious relations” for about 30 years.
“It is still unclear how they fought against America for years and in peace and helpful in some other time,” he added.
“Now as they have returned, it is soon to make an assessment. We will wait.”
Meanwhile, Abdulstar Majid, member of the Kurdistan Justice Group’s leadership, said the situation in the Kurdistan Region and Afghanistan was similar in some points, calling on the Kurdish government to put an end to “monopoly”.
“We have to be careful of some things so that the government won’t have the same destiny,” he added, referring to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which the U.S. sees as an ally.
“The parties in powers must put an end to monopoly and reconcile with people. They should be united and don’t rely on foreigners,” he stated.
Afghan government forces collapsed without the support of the U.S. military, which invaded in 2001 after the September 11 attacks and toppled the Taliban for its support of Al-Qaeda.
But the United States ultimately failed to build a democratic government capable of withstanding the Taliban, despite spending billions of dollars and providing two decades of military support, according to AFP.
The Taliban sought to reassure the international community that Afghans should not fear their them, and they will not take revenge against those who supported the US-backed alliance.
In a message posted to social media, Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar called on his fighters to remain disciplined after taking control of the city.
The Taliban’s capture of the capital had occurred, as in many other cities, without the bloodshed that many had feared.
But there were desperate scenes at Kabul’s airport on Monday as people tried to board the few flights available.
The United States had sent 6,000 troops to the airport to ensure the safe evacuation of embassy staff, as well as Afghans who worked as interpreters or in other support roles.
Other governments had also organized charter flights.
The U.S. government said Monday it had secured the airport, but there was still chaos with witnesses reporting American soldiers firing in the air to warn off crowds.
The United States had earlier released a statement with more than 65 nations urging the Taliban to let Afghans leave the country, warning of accountability for any abuses.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the Taliban and all parties to “exercise restraint” and said the rights of women and girls, who suffered under the previous Taliban regime, must be protected.
The Taliban imposed an ultra-strict interpretation of sharia law during their 1996-2001 rule.
This included banning girls from schools and women from working, while people were publicly stoned to death for adultery.
