White House will continue to assist Afghans ‘without supporting’ the IEA

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said Monday that the US will continue to support the Afghan people, but will do so without “bolstering” the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

Jean-Pierre said in response to a question about Afghan girls’ education that US President Joe Biden has always been very clear about the importance of girls, not just in America but globally, being able to live freely and be able to go to school and get an education.

Jean-Pierre also said that the Biden administration has been very clear in laying out its concerns, such as girls’ education, with the IEA.

“We have been consistent with that. We’ve been very clear of that. And so, we also remain laser-focused on trying to support and assist the Afghan people without bolstering the Taliban (IEA),” Jean-Pierre said.

“And so, that’s something that we’re going to continue to do. That’s something that the President is going to continue to be clear about — not just him but his administration. And so, that doesn’t end today or — or — and two years ago. That certainly will continue throughout his administration.”

“We’re going to assist the Afghanistan — Afghan people as much as we can, without bolstering the Taliban (IEA). And that has been our commitment, our commitment not just the last two years, certainly, for the past few decades,” she added.

The Islamic Emirate, however, considers America to be a “false claimant of human rights” and says that women’s rights are better protected now than when the Americans were in Afghanistan because the Americans “did not even respect women’s lives and women and children were always victims in their bombings”.