White House defends calling Taliban “cooperative and pragmatic” in American departure negotiations

The White House said the Taliban had been “pragmatic and professional” in their negotiations to allow the Americans to leave Afghanistan, calling the dialogue “cooperative” and presenting it as a “positive first step”.

The U.S. government said it facilitated the safe evacuation of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents of Afghanistan on Thursday on a Qatar Airways chartered flight that landed safely in Qatar.

THE FLIGHT OF KABUL WITH AMERICANS ON BOARD AWAITS IN QATAR

The White House National Security Council issued a statement on the evacuation of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, saying the Taliban were “cooperative” in the effort.

“We have worked extensively within the United States government to ensure the accuracy of the manifesto and the safe departure and transit of the aircraft, and today’s safe flight is the result of diplomacy and of a careful and hard engagement. ”

“The Taliban have cooperated to facilitate the departure of US citizens and lawful permanent residents on charter flights from HKIA,” NSC spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement.

“They have been flexible, and they have been serious and professional in our dealings with them in this effort,” noted Horne. “This is a positive first step.”

The White House’s comments regarding the professionalism and cooperation of the Taliban come after the group officially announced the formation of its new government on Tuesday.

The Taliban spokesman said government posts are now “on an interim basis,” but many of the old guard are in the new government.

The government, according to a BBC report, will be headed by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, with Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as deputy. Other appointments include Mullah Yaqoob as interim defense minister and Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi as second deputy.

At this point, the acting interior minister of the Taliban is Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of the Haqqani network, a terrorist organization and one of from the FBI most wanted terrorists.

The office of the director of national intelligence describes the network as “a militant Sunni Islamist organization” which is “responsible for some of the most publicized attacks of the war in Afghanistan”.

“The Haqqanis are considered the deadliest and most sophisticated insurgent group targeting US, coalition and Afghan forces in Afghanistan,” according to the DNI report. “They usually carry out coordinated assaults with small arms coupled with rocket attacks, IEDs, suicide bombings and attacks using vehicles loaded with bombs.”

U.S. officials have blamed the Haqqani Network for many high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, including the 2011 attack on the Kabul International Hotel and a pair of suicide bombings at the Indian embassy. The group also attacked the United States Embassy in Kabul in 2011 and is charged with “the largest truck bomb ever built”, a 61,500-pound device intercepted by Afghan security forces in 2013.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘NO RUSH’ TO RECOGNIZE NEWLY ANNOUNCED TALIBAN GOVERNMENT IN AFGHANISTAN

Haqqani is also known as the Taliban’s chief military strategy and was appointed head of security in Kabul after militants took over the city last month. His exact age is not clear, but he would have been born in Afghanistan or Pakistan between 1973 and 1980, according to the FBI, which placed him on its list of the most wanted and offers a reward of 5 million dollars.

Since 2008, Sirajuddin Haqqani has been wanted for questioning in connection with a bomb attack on a hotel in Kabul that killed six people, including an American. He is also believed to have coordinated and participated in attacks against US and Allied forces in Afghanistan and to have played a role in the failed assassination attempt of former Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Asked by Fox News on Thursday how the White House might describe the Taliban as “like business and professional,” press secretary Jen Psaki replied, “We are here to celebrate the return of American citizens who wanted to leave. Afghanistan, legal and permanent residents. , of Afghans who fought alongside us in Qatar successfully on a Qatari Airlines flight. ”

“In order to get these people out, we had to work with some members of the Taliban to pressure them and work professionally to get them out,” Psaki said.

Earlier this week, however, Psaki noted that there was “no rush” for the Biden administration to recognize the Taliban government as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

“There is no rush to recognition, and it will be planned according to the actions taken by the Taliban,” Psaki said. “The world will see if they allow American citizens, if they allow individuals to leave who want to, and how they treat women and girls across the country.”

She added, “I don’t have a schedule for you.”

TREASURY SAYS IT HAS NOT REDUCED THE PRESSURE OF SANCTIONS ON THE TALIBAN

Psaki’s comments come after President Biden on Monday said recognition of the Taliban government was “far away.”

Meanwhile, the NSC has acknowledged that there is a “continuing terrorist threat” to the evacuation operations of US and Afghan allies, and said it “would not share details of these efforts until people be safe out of the country “.

Horne said the administration “will continue these efforts to facilitate the safe and orderly travel of US citizens, lawful permanent residents and Afghans who have worked for us and wish to leave Afghanistan.”

“Because there is a continuing terrorist threat to operations of this nature, we will not share the details of these efforts until people leave the country safely,” Horne said.

So far, the Biden administration has returned more than 6,000 US citizens and lawful permanent residents to the US in what the White House describes as “Operation Allies Welcome.”

“As President Biden said, if you are an American citizen who wants to leave Afghanistan, there is no deadline,” Horne added. “We remain committed to getting them out if they want to get out.”

Peter Doocy of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.