Pashtu-Language Television Channel Shamshad News: U.S. And Other Western Nations Want Former Warlords Back In Afghan Government To Serve Their Interests

On October 2, 2022, Shamshad News, the popular Pashtu-language television channel in Afghanistan, published a report quoting Afghan political experts as saying that the U.S. and other Western countries are planning to bring former Afghan warlords back into power in Kabul to serve their interests. Currently, Afghanistan is ruled by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban jihadi organization which seized power in August 2021, but its acting government is yet to be recognized by other countries.

According to the Shamshad News report, the Afghan political experts believe that the Americans want to replace the interim Taliban government with an inclusive arrangement in order to bring the warlords loyal to them back into power through intra-Afghan talks, which were supposed to be the next step following the signing of the Doha agreement between the U.S. and the Afghan Taliban on February 29, 2020, in the Qatari capital.

In addition to pressure from some of Afghanistan’s neighbors such as Russia and China, the U.S. and some European countries have also insisted on the creation of an inclusive government which would require the Taliban’s “acting” government to include women and members of minority Shi’ite and other religious and ethnic groups in the government ministries and departments – a demand that the Taliban have refused to meet. The U.S. is insisting that some former warlords be included in intra-Afghan dialogue regarding the formation of the next government. This new government would be expected to pull the country out of the ongoing crisis, the report said.

Quoting political experts, the report stated that the national interest requires that a broad-based government made up of all the parties be established in Kabul. However, the U.S. and other countries’ suggestion that talks should be held with former warlords who would then be included in the government is not acceptable to some parties.

“A broad-based system [of government] and intra-Afghan conference are in Afghanistan’s national interest, and any system whose foundation is broad-based is acceptable to Afghans. However, the U.S. and Europe’s remedy is not acceptable to Afghans. If America, once again, wants the former warlords to participate in the government, it will be against the national interests of Afghanistan,” commented political analyst Mukhtar Hatif.

The intra-Afghan talks for the establishment of an inclusive government are not only the demand of the United States but also of Russia, China, and other neighboring countries. According to the report, Afghan political experts believe that other groups who are not members of the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban organization) have no participation in the incumbent Taliban government.

The report quoted political affairs expert Tariq Farhadi as saying: “Not only America but also the neighbors, the Russians, and the Chinese are saying that the Taliban have restricted the power to their specific circle. If we see the orders of the Emir-ul-Momineen [i.e., Taliban leader Mullah Hibbatullah Akhundzada] regarding appointments, no one is there except the Taliban [members]. The non-Taliban people of whatever ethnicity should have some participation in the government so that Afghanistan could move toward stability.”

According to the report, political activist Dewa Patang stated that in the name of intra-Afghan talks, the U.S. wants to see prominent Afghans, who in the past protected the interests of America and other Western countries and were closely linked to Western intelligence agencies, form part of the new government.

“The international community and America have raised the issue as if Afghanistan needs another intra-Afghan dialogue. It is their goal that talks should be held with the people who are close to them and work for their intelligence agencies. But the fact is that such negotiations should be initiated so that all the people of Afghanistan could see themselves [participate] in the governance,” Dewa Patang said.