Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesman, acknowledged on Tuesday that the United States interacts with the Taliban to pursue its national interests.
In a press briefing, Mr. Miller indirectly described the Taliban as a “terrorist” organization, emphasizing that such engagements are pragmatic and focused on advancing specific American priorities.
“We have the ability to engage with designated terrorist groups when it is in our interest,” Mr. Miller said in response to a question. “We have engagements with the Taliban to advance United States national interests, including, of course, finding and returning home the American journalist Austin Tice.”
According to earlier reports shared by informed sources, much of the Biden administration’s interaction with the Taliban revolves around securing the release of three American citizens currently held by the group.
The detainees include:
Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American and former head of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority.
George Galtzman, an American citizen.
Ryan Corbett, an American with a background in private sector development in Afghanistan.
Efforts to secure their release remain a key priority in Washington’s negotiations with the Taliban, these sources indicated.
Human rights activists, particularly advocates for women’s rights, have urged the Biden administration to address Afghanistan’s deteriorating human rights situation as part of its discussions with the Taliban. They argue that core principles of universal human rights should not be compromised for political or strategic gains.
These developments come as President Biden’s term nears its conclusion, with just weeks left before Donald J. Trump returns to the White House. Mr. Trump, who previously pursued a hard-line approach to the Taliban, has dismissed the Doha Agreement—signed during his presidency—as invalid. He has vowed to reassess U.S. policy toward the Taliban.
For their part, the Taliban continue to assert that the Doha Agreement remains the foundation of their relationship with the United States. However, with a new administration poised to take office, the fate of the accord and future U.S.-Taliban relations remain uncertain.
