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The Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in an August 3, 2023 interview with Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) that the U.S. must fully abide by the Doha Agreement like the Taliban does. He said that the U.S. must respect Afghanistan's sovereignty, not fly drones in Afghan airspace, and lift economic sanctions and allow Afghanistan to access funds frozen in American and foreign banks. Muttaqi said that Afghanistan has never allowed its territory to be used in attacks against other countries, including the United States, and he claimed that terrorist groups that came to Afghanistan during the American occupation spread false information. He added that terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda are not present in Afghan territory.
Amir Khan Muttaqi: "I met with the American delegation two days in a row (here in Doha). The negotiations were excellent, and the atmosphere was very positive. We listened to their concerns, and they listened to our ideas and suggestions. In accordance with the Doha Agreement, the U.S. must respect our national sovereignty, and not fly drones in Afghan airspace. The U.S. administration should delete its blacklist and should deal positively with the new government in Afghanistan.
"We have implemented the Doha Agreement. We have not allowed – and never will – to use Afghan territory against others, including the United States. We have implemented and abided by the Doha Agreement in full, and abide by our responsibilities towards the international community and the U.S.
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"We have clear channels and a clear mechanism, which allows us to sit down to the negotiation table with the U.S. There are several issues that are discussed during these negotiations and meetings. In these meetings, we discussed a variety of issues that are important to both sides. For example, we discussed the issue of the banks. The U.S. must lift the sanctions, so that the Afghan banks will be able to send and receive money. We have also discussed the funds frozen in American and foreign banks. Our national banks should be able to manage the [Afghan] funds in the U.S.
"We have committees discussing all the issues – political issues, security issues, and economic issues. Each committee discusses things that concern Afghanistan. These meetings open the door for mutual confidence-building. In general, I am satisfied with the outcome of these meetings, and with the fact that things are heading in the right direction.
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"The big problem is that the past twenty years, and during the foreign occupation, many large terrorist groups have arrived in Afghanistan.
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"There are parties that spread propaganda. They [prepare] false reports and information, and sell it to neighboring countries and to the U.S., which, in turn, use these reports in their statements and in their position towards us. Where did [the U.S.] get the information that the Al-Qaeda organization is present in Afghanistan? What are their sources? Who leaked this information to them?
"After all, we are the ones ruling Afghanistan, so how come we do not see Al-Qaeda or the [other] groups? This is an attempt to tarnish our reputation. No one has hard irrefutable proof that Al-Qaeda or other militant groups are present on Afghan soil."
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