Blinken Says Taliban Takeover Would Make Afghanistan 'Pariah State'

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2021) Afghanistan will turn into a pariah state if the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) takes over the country, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview on Friday.

"We do have deep concerns about the actions the Taliban is taking indicating that it may be trying to take the country by force, but were that to happen, Afghanistan would be a pariah state," Blinken said. "It would not get the assistance that it's looking for and the Taliban says it wants - if it has any responsibility for the country. It would not get the support from the international community that it says it wants."

Blinken pointed out that the United States is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan because the ongoing conflict has no military solution.

"We're sustaining our support through our embassy, through other embassies for the Afghan people, and at the same time we're working to make good on our commitment to those who helped us and put their lives on the line - interpreters, translators - they're benefiting from a program called Special Immigrant visa programs that allow them to seek visas to come to the United States," he said. "We are moving very, very rapidly ahead with that program."

Afghanistan has witnessed an increase in violence as the Taliban stepped up military activities after international troops began withdrawing from the country in May.

On Thursday, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid told Sputnik the movement controls 90 percent of Afghanistan's borders, including with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran.