Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Abdul Rashid Dostum, a prominent warlord and former Afghan politician has announced that his forces are ready to take action against the Taliban.
Dostum conveyed this stance during a virtual meeting of the council on August 17, marking the second anniversary of the Taliban’s assumption of power on August 15, 2021.
Dostum, currently affiliated with the Supreme Council of National Resistance coalition, underscored that if the international community deems it incapable of handling the radical Taliban group, his fighters are prepared to intervene. He criticized the Taliban for rejecting proposals from the international community and highlighted international concerns regarding their treatment of women and religious minorities. The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, stemming from issues like drought, economic instability, and aid distribution challenges, further intensifies the situation.
Dostum expressed the dissatisfaction of Afghan citizens with the Taliban’s rule, which lacks international recognition, and urged political backing from the United States and other nations to aid his endeavor in removing the group from power.
Although Dostum conveyed these statements from his exile in Ankara, the Taliban has refrained from responding. Dostum, who once served as Afghanistan’s first vice president, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in 2019.
In 2018, Dostum survived a suicide bombing at Kabul airport following a year of self-imposed exile in Turkey. This period of exile followed accusations of his involvement in the torture and mistreatment of a political rival in northern Afghanistan.
Notably, members of the Supreme Council of National Resistance are currently based outside Afghanistan. Dostum’s history includes leading forces against the Taliban two decades ago and occupying key roles in various government defense and administrative positions, including vice presidency, after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.
