Khalilzad: IEA’s move to ban Jihad outside Afghanistan a positive step

Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. envoy for Afghanistan, has praised the Islamic Emirate’s decision to prevent its security forces from participating in jihad outside the country.

A few days ago, Saidullah Said, a professor at the Police Academy, stated during a police graduation ceremony in Kabul: “Traveling abroad with the intention of jihad is not permissible, and anyone who disobeys the orders of the Emir will be held accountable for the consequences.”

On Wednesday, Khalilzad wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page: “The Taliban leader (IEA Supreme leader) has issued a clear instruction forbidding Taliban (IEA) members from participating in “jihad” by joining militant groups outside Afghanistan.”

Referring to these remarks, Khalilzad described the Islamic Emirate’s move as a positive step.

However, some analysts believe that certain groups are trying to exploit citizens of other countries to pursue their own objectives, and that the Afghan people — who have endured years of war and instability — now need peace.

Officials of the Islamic Emirate have repeatedly stated that, because the people of Afghanistan have experienced the bitter taste of war and instability, they do not wish to contribute to insecurity or unrest in other countries, especially Afghanistan’s neighbors.

They emphasize that any instability elsewhere could also negatively affect Afghanistan — as seen in Pakistan’s recent forced expulsion of millions of Afghan refugees under the pretext of security concerns.