Taliban Minister of Interior has recently warned that if the White House continues to refuse the recognition of Taliban authority, threats against the U.S. interests will continue by the group. The warning of the Minister of Interior of Taliban government against the U.S. on endangering the interests of the country may be an indicative of a probable change of the Taliban’s attitude towards the U.S. Within the recent months, Taliban had repeatedly asked the U.S. to recognize the authority of the group in Afghanistan.

On the opposite side, the U.S. underscored that it is not in hurry to recognize the authority of Taliban in Afghanistan, and had subjected any revision about the group to change Taliban’s policies, procedures and measures. In addition to non-recognition of Taliban by Washington, through freezing the assets of Afghanistan, it has practically created a major economic challenge for the people of the country. Non – access to Taliban to the financial resources of the Central Bank at international banks has caused Taliban government not to be able to procure the main requirements of the people of Afghanistan including foodstuffs and medicines from other countries. For the very same reason, this is the United States of America that has challenged Taliban more than any other country which has led to the weakening of the group in Afghanistan.

From Taliban point of view, although Europe has taken an independent gesture on decision taking about how to deal with Afghanistan, but in practice, it has pursued the U.S. policies. As long as the U.S. does not recognize Taliban authority, it seems very unlikely that European countries take any step in this respect.

At the moment, the U.S. and Europe call for removal of the present restrictions for the activities of different ethnical, religious, business and political groups in Afghanistan and any step to recognize Taliban authority is subjected to respect individual and social rights and freedoms as well as setting up a far-reaching government with the participation of all ethnicities of the country.

Although in more than five months since Taliban has again taken power in Afghanistan, they have not taken any measure to respect the principles of republic, freedom of women for education and work, and including other ethnicities in power, yet the world community continues to refuse Taliban’s request to officially recognize the group.

In such a situation, having aimed at attracting the U.S. view to recognize the group in Afghanistan, Taliban government has adopted a threatening approach.

There is a speculation that having conceived to put an emphasis on war in Afghanistan was effective to make foreign forces exit the country after two decades, Taliban has concluded that they can threaten the U.S. of resuming measures against the interests of the country, and thus oblige the White House to officially recognize the group.

Although Taliban, in a way managed to resort to force and militarization in order to regain power in Afghanistan, but having the positive view of countries to recognize the group is not an issue to achieve by force. The Taliban government is obliged to observe some international norms and standards inside Afghanistan in order to be officially recognized by the world community and afterwards trust in the group will gradually be restored.

Specially with reference to the recent meeting between Taliban and the representatives of some Western countries in Oslo, it was underscored in the concluding statement of Oslo Meeting that the only way to recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan is to set up a far-reaching government which Taliban has not been ready to comply with in this field.

Ultimately, it seems that despite some openings and even humanitarian aids, the U.S. Administration will not be ready to easily recognize Taliban government until a far-reaching government is set up in Afghanistan and the normalization of living conditions for the people within the framework of the accepted international freedoms in personal and social areas.

Real U.S. Policy Versus Taliban

In view of the slogan of the U.S. Administration at the beginning of Afghanistan occupation in 2001 to develop democratic values in the country and to expand individual and social freedoms within the framework of the provisions spelled out in human rights conventions, as long as the developments of Afghanistan under Taliban authority will not proceed towards the creation of the required openings for strengthening the republic, respect the rights of different social classes especially women, media, political groups and minorities, Washington Administration will probably continue to freeze the assets of Afghanistan as a leverage in order to put pressure on Taliban government to change its procedures, behaviors, policies and programs.

With regards to the issue that the Western countries usually act in coordination with the U.S. on their foreign policy, particularly on Afghanistan issue, in case Taliban does not make the changes expected by the U.S. in Afghanistan, other Western (European) countries follow the Washington pursuit and will not be ready to officially recognize Taliban authority in Afghanistan. This issue can increasingly raise the challenges and crises ahead of Taliban government in Afghanistan.

Ultimately, Taliban threat in relation to endangering the U.S. interests at regional level is not to the extent that can make the White House authorities change their maximum pressure policy on Taliban. Because the U.S. has the potential to exert pressure on them through military measure whenever Taliban forces endanger the U.S. interests in the region. Today situation of Afghanistan, the major part of which caused by incapability of Taliban government in governance of the country indicates that the threat raised by the group against the U.S. is merely slogan and Taliban tries to force the U.S. to free the frozen assets of Afghanistan through such threats.