Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The U.S. State Department has acknowledged ongoing engagements with the Taliban, framing them as necessary to further American national interests.
Matthew Miller, the department’s spokesman, said during a Tuesday press briefing that such interactions are pragmatic and sometimes involve groups the United States officially designates as terrorists.
“We have the ability to engage with designated terrorist groups when it is in our interest,” Miller explained. “We have engagements with the Taliban to advance United States national interests, including, of course, finding and returning home the American journalist Austin Tice.”
Informed sources have indicated that the Biden administration’s talks with the Taliban largely focus on securing the release of three American citizens held by the group. These individuals include Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American and former head of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, George Galtzman, an American citizen, and Ryan Corbett, who has a background in private sector development in Afghanistan.
Efforts to ensure their release remain a key aspect of Washington’s negotiations, as sources emphasize the administration’s commitment to resolving these cases.
Meanwhile, human rights advocates continue to urge the U.S. government to broaden its approach, calling on officials to address Afghanistan’s worsening human rights crisis during discussions with the Taliban. Many argue that universal human rights, especially women’s rights, should not be sidelined for political or strategic purposes.
The developments unfold as President Joe Biden’s term nears its conclusion. With the next administration, led by Donald J. Trump, set to take office, uncertainty looms over the future of U.S.-Taliban relations.
Mr. Trump, who has criticized the Doha Agreement signed during his presidency, dismissed it as invalid and pledged a reassessment of U.S. policy toward the Taliban. The Taliban, however, maintain that the Doha Agreement remains the basis of their engagement with Washington.
As the transition approaches, the durability of this framework and the trajectory of U.S.-Afghan relations remain unclear.
