Taliban reject US hostage claims, says listing Afghanistan an excuse for future action

Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid -- File Photo

The Taliban criticized the US for labeling Afghanistan as a wrongful detention country, denying unlawful detentions and claiming only two Americans are held. They warned the US designation could justify future actions and rejected using detainees as political leverage.

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The Taliban have criticised the United States for placing Afghanistan on its list of wrongful detention countries, saying the move is an excuse to justify potential future action against the group.

In an interview with TOLOnews, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the issue of American detainees in Afghanistan was not serious and could be resolved through legal procedures or dialogue between the two sides.

Mujahid said the Taliban were holding only two US citizens and denied American claims that Afghan-American Mahmood Shah Habibi was among those detained.

“The issue of American detainees is neither complex nor serious,” Mujahid said, adding that the matter could be resolved either through judicial processes or through negotiations.

The United States has said that three of its citizens, including Habibi, are being held by the Taliban. The US State Department recently added Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to its list of countries responsible for wrongful detentions.

US Secretary of State officials have accused the Taliban of using American citizens as political leverage. However, Mujahid rejected the allegation and insisted that the detentions were linked to violations of Afghan law.

“We have not carried out unlawful detentions. American citizens have been detained for violating Afghanistan’s laws,” Mujahid told TOLOnews.

He also warned that pressure from Washington would not resolve the issue and suggested the designation by the United States could be used to justify unspecified future actions against the Taliban.

He said the move to highlight detainee cases and add Afghanistan to the list was “an excuse for certain future scenarios”.

Mujahid did not clarify what these scenarios might involve. However, some observers believe the United States could consider further action against the Taliban if the detainees are not released.

Adam Boehler, the US president’s envoy for hostage affairs, recently warned that the Taliban could face consequences similar to those faced by Iran if American detainees were not freed. Iran is currently under heavy US air strikes.

Mujahid also accused Washington of maintaining a wartime approach toward the Taliban. He said this was evident in sanctions, blacklists and what he described as “the use of Pakistani generals to destabilise the region”.

During the interview, Mujahid also addressed the escalating conflict involving Iran. He said the Iranian regime would not collapse despite current tensions.

“The Iranian regime will not collapse,” Mujahid said, adding that Iran had endured similar challenges in the past and possessed strong military capabilities.

He said the Taliban would not intervene in the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, but expressed concern about the continuation of hostilities.

“We are affected by this war. War is not the solution, and it has no winner,” Mujahid said.

The comments come amid renewed scrutiny of US policy toward Afghanistan following Washington’s withdrawal and the loss of the Bagram air base, which some American officials say could have been strategically important for regional operations.