KABUL, Afghanistan — Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, has interpreted recent comments by Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, as a sign of escalating political and diplomatic pressure on the Taliban.
Rubio suggested that a reward “greater than that for Osama bin Laden” could be offered for the capture of Taliban leaders if reports of the Taliban taking American citizens hostage prove accurate.
“The comparison of Taliban leaders to Osama bin Laden signals that the United States views the Taliban not as a legitimate political entity but as a global security threat,” Nabil told Amu TV on Sunday.
“Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported. If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on Bin Laden,” Rubio wrote on X.
Nabil characterized Rubio’s statement as a serious warning to the Taliban, one that underscores the potential consequences of hostage-taking or collaboration with terrorist groups.
“This could send a message to the Taliban that any actions like hostage-taking or supporting terrorist networks will have severe repercussions,” Nabil said.
He suggested that the U.S. stance may be informed by intelligence on possible security threats originating from Afghanistan, including the use of the country as a base to plan attacks against American or allied interests.
Nabil also noted that these statements might strengthen international pressure on the Taliban, particularly concerning issues such as human rights abuses and the group’s failure to combat terrorism.
“This position may carry a political dimension, aiming to push the Taliban toward reconsidering their policies,” he added.
