Taliban needs EU’s money, not democratic principles

Support us, but don’t tell us to behave decently—this is the Taliban’s to the European Union’s (EU’s) call for democratic and humane principles.

The European Council supports the peace negotiations in Afghanistan and also provides financial assistance to the war-torn nation. The EU said in a statement on Friday, "The EU will condition its future political and financial support to ensure that the republican, democratic and values-based principles are protected and further promoted."

This has not gone down well with the Taliban, which sees the EU remarks as an affront to Afghanistan's sovereignty. "We have constantly shown commitment to non-interference in the internal affairs of others in our statements," a statement from the group's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on yesterday.

"We also expect others to not interfere in our internal affairs nor complicate the issue of Afghanistan even further. The future governance system in Afghanistan shall be chosen by the Afghans in intra-Afghan negotiations," the statement added.

The Taliban stand is not just deplorable but also hypocritical. For the terrorist group has never shied away from allying with foreign terrorists, including Osama bin Laden, to fight against their own rivals in Afghanistan. Besides, it was Osama’s presence in and nefarious activities organized from Afghanistan that attracted the American ire post-September 11 in the first place.

Lakhs of Afghans have died in the US’ war on terror in the war-torn country. Since 2009 alone, when the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan began systematically recording civilian casualties, over 100,000 civilians have been killed or injured in the conflict.

And now the Taliban is championing the cause of Afghan sovereignty!

Unsurprisingly, the Afghan government, which is fighting the Taliban terror, has welcomed the EU Council's support for Afghanistan. "The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan welcomes the recent decision of the Council of the European Union for its support for the peace process and development of Afghanistan and to stand by Afghanistan in the future," the presidential palace said in a statement yesterday.

While Kabul’s intentions are honorable, those of its enemies, the Taliban, are suspect. The terrorist group wants the EU to keep giving money without expecting better behavior from the violent Islamists. They just hate republican, democratic, and values-based principles—indeed any principles other than those of the shariat law that they want to impose all over the world. Hence their pique against the EU. Sovereignty is camouflage their jihadist agenda.

(with agency inputs).