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Biden: I was totally opposed to occupation and trying to unite Afghanistan
Biden said that he had advised the Prime Minister of Israel not to occupy Gaza and make the mistake the US made in Afghanistan.
US President Joe Biden has asserted that he was “totally opposed to the occupation and trying to unite” Afghanistan.
In a press conference at the NATO annual summit, Biden said that when Osama bin Laden was killed, American forces should have withdrawn from Afghanistan.
Referring to the war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, he said that he advised the Prime Minister of Israel not to occupy Gaza and make the mistake the US made in Afghanistan.
“When I went to Israel immediately after the massacres that occurred at the hands of Hamas, one thing I said to Israel as a member of the War Cabinet, and with Bibi, don’t make the same mistake America made after bin Laden,” Biden said.
He also stated that he was against efforts to unify Afghanistan because it was impossible.
“I did still get criticized for it, but I was totally opposed to the occupation and trying to unite Afghanistan. Once we got bin Laden, we should have moved on, because no one’s ever going to unite that country,” Biden said.
The presence of American forces in Afghanistan ended after 20 years in August 2021.
Biden has repeatedly defended his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.
Last month, in a press conference with the president of Kenya, he said that it was highly unlikely that anyone would unite Afghanistan.
He added that there are other ways to control Daesh other than “occupying” Afghanistan.
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Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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