News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/10th June 2024
The leader of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) met on Tuesday with a high-ranking Taliban official who is still on a U.S. wanted list, with a bounty of up to $10 million for his involvement in deadly attacks, including one that killed an American citizen. This meeting underscores the growing international divide on how to engage with the Taliban, who took control of Afghanistan in 2021. The Taliban have since imposed strict regulations, barring girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and severely restricting women’s roles in public life. While Western nations have not recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, several countries in the Middle East and elsewhere have initiated contact with them.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi, met with Sirajuddin Haqqani at the Qasr Al Shati palace in the UAE capital, as reported by the state-run WAM news agency. The agency released a photo of Sheikh Mohammed shaking hands with Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister and leader of the Haqqani network, a faction known for orchestrating some of the deadliest attacks against Afghanistan’s former Western-backed government. The meeting reportedly focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in economic and developmental areas, and supporting Afghanistan’s reconstruction.
The Taliban’s account of the meeting was brief, mentioning discussions on “mutual interests” and noting the participation of Abdul Haq Wasiq, the Taliban’s intelligence chief who was previously detained at Guantanamo Bay and released in a prisoner swap in 2014. Despite the Taliban’s takeover, Haqqani remains a prominent figure on the U.S. radar. In 2022, a U.S. drone strike in Kabul killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a house reportedly associated with Haqqani, highlighting ongoing concerns about his activities.
The Taliban argued that the drone strike violated the 2020 Doha Agreement, which facilitated the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan but also included a Taliban commitment not to harbor al-Qaida members or others plotting attacks against the U.S. The Haqqani network, known for its deadly tactics such as roadside bombs and suicide attacks, has been responsible for high-profile assaults, including attacks on the Indian and U.S. embassies and the Afghan presidency. Haqqani himself has admitted to planning a 2008 attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul, which killed six people, including U.S. citizen Thor David Hesla.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller did not comment on the specifics of Haqqani’s visit but emphasized that United Nations members must seek permission for travel by sanctioned individuals. The U.S. has long been a security partner for the UAE, which hosts thousands of U.S. troops and serves as a strategic location for American military operations in the region.
Since the Taliban’s resurgence, China has been notably receptive, accepting a Taliban diplomat, while other countries, such as Qatar, have also engaged with the group. The UAE, which hosted a Taliban diplomatic mission during their initial rule, has been strengthening ties despite its past military support for the Western coalition in Afghanistan. Emirati airlines like Air Arabia and FlyDubai have resumed flights to Kabul, and an Emirati company has secured a contract to manage airfield security in Afghanistan.
The international community, led by the United Nations, continues to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, where millions face food insecurity, natural disasters, and a struggling economy. Human rights concerns under Taliban rule remain pressing. On Wednesday, U.N. human rights spokesperson Jeremy Laurence condemned a mass flogging of 63 men and women in Sar-e-Pul for alleged offenses such as “running away from home” and “moral crimes.” Laurence urged the Taliban to cease all forms of corporal punishment immediately, highlighting ongoing violations of human rights in the country.
