At the Herat Security Dialogue in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Rahmatullah Nabil, the former chief of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS), raised concerns about the Taliban's potential pursuit of tactical nuclear weapons.
Nabil indicated that there are reports that a group within the Taliban assesses how to acquire tactical nuclear weapons. He stressed the Taliban could seek these weapons through Pakistan or by hiring scientists.
Nabil also emphasised the divergent global perspectives on Afghanistan, with some viewing it as a problematic "black hole" and others as an opportunity. He stressed the need for consensus to guide Afghanistan back to its people.
The dialogue, which commenced on Monday in Tajikistan, attracted various anti-Taliban figures, experts, and politicians.
Rangin Dadfar Spanta, ex-National Security Adviser during Hamid Karzai's presidency, urged the U.S. and NATO to acknowledge their failures in Afghanistan. He advocated for international efforts to alter Afghanistan's current trajectory.
Spanta lauded the endeavours of Afghan women for human rights and democracy, terming them as a remarkable representation of the Afghan people's strive for liberty and justice.
He attributed the Taliban's return to power to the inefficiencies of the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and shifts in the global order.
Spanta highlighted ongoing issues in Afghanistan, including the absence of rule of law and socio-economic disparities.
He also commented on a recent United Nations report, acknowledging its significance while criticising the UN special coordinator for Afghanistan, Feridun Sinirlioglu, for seemingly downplaying the Taliban's actions. Spanta believed that while the report contains useful insights for resolving the Afghan conflict, it should not gloss over the Taliban's conduct.
