‘Afghan leadership failed to stand up to the Taliban’

Afghans wait in front of a bank as they try to withdraw money in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. Pic/AP/PTI

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has blamed Afghanistan's political and military leadership for the quick collapse of the former government.

Stoltenberg said the US and NATO are not responsible for the collapse of the former government, TOLO News reported on Sunday.

"Parts of the Afghan security forces fought bravely. But they were unable to secure the country. Because ultimately, the Afghan political leadership failed to stand up to the Taliban and to achieve the peaceful solution that Afghans desperately wanted.

"This failure of Afghan leadership led to the tragedy we are witnessing today," he said. According to Stoltenberg, the withdrawal of the US-NATO soldiers was pre-planned, and it was not a cause for the collapse of the Afghan state."

"We never intended to stay in Afghanistan forever. Over the past few years, from over 100,000 troops we went down to less than 10,000 - and now to zero."

"But what we have seen in the last few weeks was a military and political collapse at a speed which had not been anticipated," he added.

The Taliban, however, blamed the US and NATO for the collapse of the former government, saying that Washington and the Alliance used Afghanistan to reach their own goals.

"When the Americans left, the administration collapsed automatically. Therefore, they are responsible for this crisis," said Abdulhaq Emad, a Taliban official.

Pak runs commercial flight to Kabul

Pakistan's national flag-carrier on Monday ran its first commercial flight to Kabul since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August. The Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight - PK 6429 - took foreign journalists to Kabul and returned with a team of World Bank and international media organisations, Radio Pakistan reported.

Qatari FM meets Taliban leadership

Visiting Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Muhammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met the Taliban leadership and cabinet members, including acting PM Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, upon his arrival in Kabul. Al-Thani has visited Kabul several times since the Taliban takeover but this is his first trip after the Taliban announced their caretaker government, Khaama News reported.

‘Kabul's response not up to expectations'

France's foreign minister has expressed disappointment in Afghanistan's newly formed Taliban government, saying the group so far has failed to live up to its promises of offering a more moderate and inclusive style of leadership. Speaking alongside his Qatari counterpart during a visit to Doha on Monday, Jean-Yves Le Drian said, "The response we have seen from Kabul so far is not up to our expectations."

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