Major Anti-Taliban Afghan Resistance Groups Criticize Russia’s Decision To Remove Taliban From Its Terrorist List

Some of the major anti-Taliban resistance groups active in Afghanistan have condemned Russia’s removal of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) from its terrorist list. Their criticism comes as the U.S.-led international community is slated to hold the third Doha meeting on the future of Afghanistan on June 30-July 1, 2024.

In a May 29 statement, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said it was concerned over the Russian decision, saying that Russia’s political interaction with the Taliban group is not only dangerous for Russia, but also a threat to the region and the world. “A concession to Taliban will in fact be a concession to fundamentalist and radical ideas around the world,” it said.

The National Mobilization Front (NMF), another anti-Taliban resistance group, warned Russia and China not to interact with the Taliban. “National Mobilization Front clearly states that Russia has no right to recognize a terrorist group as a legitimate government in Afghanistan,” it said.

On May 30, the National Resistance Council (NRC) for the Salvation of Afghanistan – a coalition of veteran Afghan leaders such as Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, Ata Mohammad Noor, Abdul Rashid Dostum, Ahmad Massoud, and others – also criticized Russia’s decision to remove the Taliban from the list of terror groups.

“The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan appreciates and welcomes international meetings, including the Moscow format meeting, if they focus on the solution to transition from the current unfavorable situation [under the Taliban] to the restoration of sovereignty to the people of Afghanistan,” the NRC said.

Following are excerpts from the AFF statement:[1]

“In A Situation Where The Danger Of Terrorism And Fundamentalism Is Knocking At The Gates Of Central Asia, Giving Privileges To Taliban Will Lead To Inviting Terrorism And Fundamentalism To Central Asia And Beyond”

“Recently, worrying news and statements indicating the possible decision of the Russian Federation to remove the name of the Taliban group from its list of terrorist groups and the desire to bring changes in the political interaction of this country with the Taliban have been published in the media. These discussions are dangerous not only for Russia, but for the region and the world, while there has been no change in the behavior and views of the Taliban terrorist group. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, the Afghanistan Freedom Front notes the following:

“First, any kind of privileges to the Taliban group, in fact, will be privileges to all terrorist groups in the direction of destabilizing the constitutional order throughout the region. The strengthening of terrorist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Ansarullah of Tajikistan, and other armed extremist networks in Central Asia, whose terrorist activities have reached Russia in recent months, is a direct result of the usurpation of political power in Afghanistan by the Taliban.

“A concession to Taliban will in fact be a concession to fundamentalist and radical ideas around the world. In a situation where the danger of terrorism and fundamentalism is knocking at the gates of Central Asia, giving privileges to Taliban will lead to inviting terrorism and fundamentalism to Central Asia and beyond.

“Second, it is evident that Taliban has usurped political power through terror and conspiracy, removed women and girls from the political and social scene, banned political and social freedoms in Afghanistan, and exiled all political and civil forces. They forced and allowed hundreds of other types of oppression to the people of Afghanistan. The official steps of the Taliban group are in complete contradiction with the supreme interests of Afghanistan and the collective happiness of its people, because they have practically put this country in the abyss of an uncontrollable crisis.”

“The Privilege Of Removing The Name Of The Taliban Terrorist Group From Among Their Similar Groups Is In Conflict With The Commitments Of Russia In The Fight Against Terrorism And Fundamentalism”

“In such circumstances, giving privileges to the Taliban group from the point of view of removing their name from the list of terrorist groups will be against the people of Afghanistan and against the traditional friendship between the people of Afghanistan and Russia.

“Third, the privilege of removing the name of the Taliban terrorist group from among their similar groups is in conflict with the commitments of Russia in the fight against terrorism and fundamentalism. The organic and complex relationship of Taliban with groups such as Al-Qaeda, Ansarullah of Tajikistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Islamic Movement of East Turkestan, and other terrorist groups is undeniable.

“In fact, such behavior will be considered a double behavior in the field of fighting terrorism at a global level and will be against the dignity of a great country like the Russian Federation. Considering the above and hundreds of other valid reasons that show the terrorist nature of Taliban, the Afghanistan Freedom Front expects the authorities of the Russian Federation to deeply review their possible decision to remove the name of the Taliban from their list of terrorist groups.

“In this way, to show the good will of Russia towards the people of Afghanistan and the commitment of this great world power, which has a brilliant history of supporting the resistance of the people of Afghanistan against the black terrorism of Taliban, in line with the same fight against terrorism in the region and the world.”

Following are excerpts from the NMF statement:[2]

“As It Is Known To Everyone, The Russian Federation Has Been One Of The Big Supporters Of The Taliban Terrorist Group For The Past 20 Years, And The Taliban Terror Group Has Used Russian Weapons And Equipment Gifted To The Taliban”

“As everyone knows, the Russian Federation has been one of the big supporters of the Taliban terrorist group for the past 20 years, and the Taliban terror group has used Russian weapons and equipment gifted to the Taliban in most of the attacks on the security forces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Afghan people. They were widely used, but the dual politics of Russia was such that this [Taliban] group was still recognized on paper as a banned group by the Russian Federation.

“Russia is the first and only in the world that after the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan [on August 15, 2024] surrendered its embassy to the brutal Taliban group and accepted one of the founders of the suicide school as a military officer of the Afghan Embassy in Russia. This is the second time in the past month that the heads [sic] of state of Russia have given a green light for the officialization of the Taliban terrorist group as a legitimate government.

“During the visit of President Putin to China, in the declaration of these two countries, the U.S. was also warned that they should not think of establishing new bases in Afghanistan, while the U.S. played as much a role in the rise of this green light for the recognition of this terrorist group in the near future and its removal from the blacklist of terrorist organizations.

“Now, [Russian Foreign Minister] Mr. Sergey Lavrov considers the Taliban terrorist organization to be the only real power in Afghanistan and gives a green light for the recognition of this terrorist group in the near future and removes it from the blacklist of terrorist organizations.”

“Russia Should Stop These Hostile Policies As Soon As Possible Because The People Of Afghanistan Have Not Yet Forgotten The Crimes Committed By The Soviet Union Against The People Of This Land”

“While every day from former soldiers to journalists, women, civil activists, and human rights activists are arrested, tortured, and killed by this group in Afghanistan; schools are closed to our children; women do not have the right to work and the right to freedom. But Russia shamelessly supports this barbaric group.

“National Mobilization Front clearly states that Russia has no right to recognize a terrorist group as a legitimate government in Afghanistan. Otherwise, Russia will also be introduced as a big supporter of international terrorism in the world.

“Russia should stop these hostile policies as soon as possible because the people of Afghanistan have not yet forgotten the crimes committed by the Soviet Union against the people of this land and compared to the activities of proxy and insecurity groups in 20 years. In the past, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan also did not receive the war compensations of the Soviet Union era, with the establishment of an inclusive and legitimate government that is established by the will of the Afghan people. This demand will also be fulfilled, and Russia will be obliged to pay its war compensations.

“As much as the United States of America is condemned in the eyes of the Afghan people for empowering the terrorist group of the Taliban, the countries of Russia, China, and even Iran are also condemned in the eyes of the people of Afghanistan due to their extensive support to this terrorist group. And the People’s Republic of China should also learn from the interference of Russia and the United States in the last 40 years and not try to legitimize the Taliban terrorist group in the affairs of Afghanistan.”

Following are excerpts from the NRC statement:[3]

“[The Council’s] Expectation From The Countries Of The Region And The International Community Is That Instead Of Competing Over The Use Of An Ignorant And Violent [Taliban] Group As A Tool For Their Long-Term Interests, They Should… Interact With The Government Arising From The Will Of The Citizens… Of Afghanistan”

“The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan understands the position of countries regarding the protection of their interests. But the expectation of this council from the mentioned countries, especially the Russian Federation as a country with a deep historical relationship with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is – instead of focusing on interacting with an extremist irresponsible group [the Afghan Taliban], which operates as a terrorist group, and actually hosts more than 22 regional and international terrorist groups and threatens the security and stability of the region – [to] evaluate the interests of Russia centered on the people of Afghanistan and in interaction with political society of Afghanistan.

“Certainly, supporting the people of Afghanistan will have long-term positive consequences for the interests of both countries.

“The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan appreciates and welcomes international meetings, including the Moscow format meeting, if they focus on the solution to transition from the current unfavorable situation [under the Taliban] to the restoration of sovereignty to the people of Afghanistan.

“From the point of view of this council, the Doha meeting, the Moscow format and other meetings can be effective when all effective parties, the representatives of parties, ethnic groups, civil society and active presence of women be invited to participate in the said meetings and the said meetings should focus on the transition from the current situation, the formation of a transitional government, the restoration of the rule of law, and the restoration of ruling arising from the will of the people.

“The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, as the largest political organization in the country, considers itself obligated to defend the rights and freedoms of the people, and in addition to demanding international measure to solve the country’s crisis and to treat the critical situation of human rights and its widespread violation, it actively seeks to find a solution for the disastrous situation of the country.

“And its expectation from the countries of the region and the international community is that instead of competing over the use of an ignorant and violent group as a tool for their long-term interests, they should think about the people of Afghanistan and interact with the government arising from the will of the citizens of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.”

[1] X.com/AfgFreedomAFF, May 29, 2024.

[2] X.com/AfghanistanNMF, May 28, 2024.

[3] NRCAfghanistan.org (Afghanistan), May 30, 2024.