Taliban Spokesman’s Remarks ‘As Illegitimate As His Regime,’ Says US Lawmaker
Congressman Bill Huizenga has dismissed recent comments by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, calling them “as illegitimate as the government he claims to represent.”
Congressman Bill Huizenga has dismissed recent comments by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, calling them “as illegitimate as the government he claims to represent.”
In a post on the social media platform X on Friday, Huizenga responded to Mujahid’s denial of his earlier claims regarding the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
“These statements made by Mr. Mujahid are as illegitimate as the government he claims to represent,” Huizenga wrote. “This is yet another example of why I believe the US government should stop sending taxpayer dollars to Afghanistan and why I have introduced legislation to stop taxpayer dollars from funding the Taliban.”
The remarks follow Huizenga’s statements during a recent hearing of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, where he argued that the Biden administration’s rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan had dramatically altered the regional threat landscape.
He warned that terrorist groups, including ISIS-Khorasan and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), are expanding their capabilities and pose a growing risk to regional and global security.
In response, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid insisted that the Taliban-led government is strong, maintains full control over Afghan territory, and does not allow any group to use Afghan soil to launch attacks against other nations.
The exchange underscores growing tensions between the Taliban and US lawmakers, particularly amid the US House of Representatives’ recent passage of a bill aimed at preventing American taxpayer funds from reaching terrorist organisations.
The Taliban, which remains unrecognised by the United States and most of the international community, has repeatedly claimed that it is committed to ensuring Afghanistan does not become a base for extremist activities. However, no US officials and independent analysts continue to express concerns over the country’s security trajectory since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
