WASHINGTON, August 4. /TASS/. The United States fears that members of the radical Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) may trigger a civil war in Afghanistan, US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price told has told reporters.
"If they [Taliban] seek to contravene what they have said, then they will be an international pariah. They won’t have the support of their people. They won’t have the support of the international community. And the concern on the part of all of us - one of many concerns - is that the result will be civil war, will be a civil war in which the Afghan people do not have and won’t be in a position to achieve the safety and security in which they deserve to live," he said.
"Actions are going to speak louder than words, of course. They continue to be engaged in Doha. So look, we’re going to be looking to their actions. They have said that they see the utility of a negotiated solution," Price added.
At the same time, the spokesperson said the progress in negotiations in Doha "has been too slow." "It has not achieved what we ultimately want it to achieve," the diplomat added.
"So again <…> we’re going to judge them based on their actions. Their actions to date have sent a different message, but we are going to continue to do all we can to facilitate, to galvanize, to organize that diplomacy," he continued. "Only through diplomacy can we bring about a stable, secure, peaceful Afghanistan."
In early July, the Taliban seized control of the areas in Afghanistan along the borders with five countries - Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China and Pakistan amid the withdrawal of the troops of the US-led Western coalition.
Afghanistan’s new Army Chief, General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, has announced that the Army will prioritize protecting the country’s major cities, border passes and highways. As the general pointed out, the Taliban chieftains first intend to cut off the roads used for goods delivery and then launch an offensive on cities and their regions.