U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price holds a press briefing on Afghanistan at the State Department in Washington, D.C., August 16, 2021. (Photo by KEVIN LAMARQUE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The State Department vowed to maintain pressure on the Taliban in order to get them to provide aid to its citizens and stop executing them. The U.S. Department of State said it would not tolerate human rights abuses from the Taliban.
On Friday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price warned Taliban leaders against continuing amputations and executions.
“We condemn in the strongest terms reports of reinstating amputations and executions of Afghans. The acts the Taliban are talking about here would constitute clear, gross abuses of human rights, and we stand firm with the international community to hold perpetrators of these, of any such abuses, accountable,” said Price.
"We condemn in the strongest terms reports of reinstating amputations and executions of Afghans. The acts the Taliban are talking about here would constitute clear gross abuses of human rights and we stand firm… hold perpetrators of any such abuses accountable."
–@StateDeptSpox— Emily Miller (@emilymiller) September 24, 2021
Price’s condemnation comes just one day after one of the Taliban’s founders, Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, told the Associated Press the terrorist organization aims to bring back harsh punishments. Turabi claimed enforcing such punishments, including killing murderers and cutting limbs off of thieves, is necessary for security.
Turabi condemned critics who oppose the Taliban’s measures, saying “no one will tell us what our laws should be. We will follow Islam and we will make our laws on the Quran.” He added his cabinet is working on developing a policy on punishing criminals and will look at whether to make them open to the public.
However, Price said he maintains the State Department will continue to impose sanctions on the terrorist organization to keep them in check. In addition, Price reiterated the Taliban made commitments with the U.S. and other countries to abide by humanitarian standards and to allow humanitarian aid to get to its citizens. He has stressed the Taliban keeping their end of the bargain would lead to them getting international recognition.
The Taliban must hear a united international message regarding counterterrorism, humanitarian access, human rights, safe passage for those who want to leave Afghanistan, and inclusive governance. A G20 meeting at #UNGA on Afghanistan advanced this effort.
— Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) September 22, 2021
“The Taliban will need and in fact, want, international assistance. They will seek legitimacy,” said Price. “They’ve already sought such legitimacy in important ways already. We have been very clear that the United States and the international community will be watching very closely as things unfold going forward.”
In the meantime, the U.S. Treasury Department said it would continue to allow humanitarian assistance be sent to Afghanistan. The agency’s order allows several international agencies, NGOs and other charitable organizations to work with the Taliban in a limited fashion on humanitarian aid, to not violate the sanctions put in place. Additionally, the treasury vowed to work diligently to make sure the Afghan people have their basic human needs met.
Source: One America News Network
