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Agence France-Presse

World leaders were adjusting to the new political reality in Afghanistan on Monday, the downbeat mood in the West leavened by a more pragmatic approach from some other powers.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the return of the Taliban to power as “particularly dramatic and terrible”.
“It is terrible for the millions of Afghans who had worked for a freer society and who, with the support of the Western community, have focused on democracy, on education, on women’s rights,” she said.
It was also devastating for the loved ones of soldiers who paid with their lives in the Nato operation, she said.

US President Joe Biden defended the troop pull-out, in an address to the nation after having cut short his holiday to return to Washington.
“I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces,” he said.
His administration has come under heavy criticism, with even some allies arguing that once the US decided to pull out its troops they had no choice but to follow.
Biden acknowledged that the collapse of the previous Afghan administration had happened faster than expected.
But referring to the country’s former leaders, he said: “We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them with the will to fight for that future.”
Like Merkel, he addressed the plight of the country’s women and girls under the new Taliban regime.
“We’ll continue to speak out on the basic rights of the Afghan people, of women and girls,” he said.


On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose country holds the rotating G7 presidency, called for a virtual meeting of the group’s leaders to discuss the crisis to agree a “unified approach”.
Before the previous Afghan administration collapsed, Johnson had said on Friday the UK and its partners should ensure “the government of Kabul does not allow that country, again, to be a breeding ground for terror”.
French President Emmanuel Macron took a similar line in a televised address on Monday.
Afghanistan should not once again become the “sanctuary of terrorism” that it had been until the US-led invasion two decades ago, he said.
“This is key for international security and peace … we will do everything for Russia, the United States and Europe to cooperate efficiently as our interests are the same,” he added.
France and the European Union would set up an initiative to prevent large “irregular” migrant flows from the country, he added. EU foreign ministers are to discuss the crisis on Tuesday.
US tells Taliban forces not to hinder Kabul evacuation; global airlines avoid Afghan airspace
Russia, one of the few countries not evacuating its diplomatic staff from Kabul, said it was suspending judgment on the regime.
Foreign ministry official Zamir Kabulov said Russia would decide on recognising the new Taliban government based “on the conduct of the new authorities”.
Moscow had “established working contacts with representatives of the new authorities” and Russia’s ambassador was due to meet the Taliban on Tuesday.
A Chinese government spokesman said on Monday Beijing was ready to deepen “friendly and cooperative” relations with Afghanistan.
“The Taliban have repeatedly expressed their hope to develop good relations with China, and that they look forward to China’s participation in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan,” said a foreign ministry spokeswoman.

Iran’s new ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi saw the chance of something positive.
“The military defeat and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan should offer an opportunity to restore life, security and lasting peace in that country,” said Raisi, quoted by his office.
While his statement did not directly mention the Taliban, it did say Tehran wanted good relations with its eastern neighbour and was “closely monitoring” developments there.
Iran hosts nearly 3.5 million Afghans, who make up nearly four per cent of its population, according to the UN refugee agency.
Others meanwhile, welcomed the Taliban’s return to power.
The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said it “congratulates the Taliban movement and its courageous leadership on this victory, which was the culmination of its long struggle over the past 20 years”.


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Afghanistan

World leaders adapt to new political realities in Afghanistan after Taliban takeover

Children sit in front of a banner reading ‘We say No to Taliban’ as Afghan migrants demonstrate over the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, on the island of Lesbos, Greece on Monday. Photo: Reuters

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks about current developments in Afghanistan at a press conference in the Chancellery in Berlin, Monday Aug. 16, 2021. Merkel has called the latest developments in Afghanistan “bitter, dramatic and awful.” Merkel told reporters on Monday night that the “breathtaking speed” with which the Taliban have taken over is especially bitter for the “millions of Afghans who supported a more liberal society and who counted on the support of the Western countries when it comes to democracy, education, women’s rights and who also had achieved important progress.” (Odd Andersen/Pool via AP)

FILE PHOTO: Ebrahim Raisi, who assumed office as Iran's president this month, speaks during a news conference in Tehran, Iran June 21, 2021. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo

Profits and poppies: Afghanistan’s illegal drug trade a boon for Taliban

Afghan farmers work at a poppy field in Jalalabad province, Afghanistan. Photo: Reuters

(FILES) This file photo taken on April 5, 2017 shows Afghan security personnel destroying an illegal poppy crop in the Surkh Rod district of eastern Nangarhar province. The Taliban -- which banned poppy cultivation when it ruled Afghanistan -- now appears to wield significant control over the war-torn country's heroin production line, providing insurgents with billions of dollars, officials have told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / NOORULLAH SHIRZADA / TO GO WITH Afghanistan-unrest-drugs-Taliban,FOCUS BY ANNE CHAON

US Gen. Joseph Votel, top U.S. commander in the Middle East, speaks to reporters during an unannounced visit Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, to the al-Tanf military outpost in southern Syria. The U.S. trains Syrian opposition forces at the outpost. (AP Photo/Lolita Baldor)

Afghanistan conflict: I watched Kabul fall to the Taliban

People cross the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan to flee the Taliban’s advance. Photo: AP

A crowd in front of a bank in Shahr-e naw, Afghanistan. Photo: Sonia Sarkar

A mural in Kabul. Photo: Sonia Sarkar

TOPSHOT - Afghans crowd at the tarmac of the Kabul airport on August 16, 2021, to flee the country as the Taliban were in control of Afghanistan after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and conceded the insurgents had won the 20-year war. (Photo by - / AFP)

Traffic jams formed in Kabul as news of the Taliban's advance spread throughout the city. Photo: Sonia Sarkar

The streets were deserted and cafes closed as the Taliban advanced on Kabul. Photo: Sonia Sarkar

Risks and opportunities for China in Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan

Taliban fighters take control of Afghanistan’s presidential palace in Kabul. Photo: AP

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of Afghanistan's Taliban, in Tianjin, China July 28, 2021. Picture taken July 28, 2021. Li Ran/Xinhua via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

World left waiting to see whether Taliban stands by promises

Taliban fighters take control of presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo: AP

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the return of the Taliban to power as ‘particularly dramatic and terrible’
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for a virtual meeting of the G7 leaders to discuss the crisis to agree a ‘unified approach’



French President Emmanuel Macron said Afghanistan should not once again become the ‘sanctuary of terrorism’ that it had been until the US-led invasion.
