Afghan Politician Confronts US on Ghani’s Presidency and Military Tactics

Mohammad Muhaqiq, leader of the People’s Unity Party of Afghanistan, has sharply responded to recent comments made by Zalmay Khalilzad, accusing him of deceit. Muhaqiq asserted that the United States, fully aware of Ashraf Ghani’s corruption and incompetence, maintained him in power through fraud and military pressure. In response to Khalilzad’s claim that Ghani was the most corrupt president in history, Muhaqiq questioned: if that was the case, why did Washington impose him on the fate of the nation using undemocratic tools?

In an intriguing revelation, the leader of the People’s Unity Party unveiled a significant military-political secret from 2019. He disclosed that during a parallel swearing-in ceremony, Zalmay Khalilzad and the chief commander of NATO explicitly threatened Abdullah Abdullah’s team with military action at a meeting held in the White Palace. According to Muhaqiq, American officials warned that if they persisted with the parallel government, NATO forces would be deployed against them, which ultimately forced Abdullah to retreat. Muhaqiq characterized these dual policies as an attempt to absolve the U.S. of responsibility for the collapse of the system and the disastrous consequences of the Doha Agreement. For more insight on the complex geopolitical landscape, you can read about Ahmad Massoud’s critiques of the Taliban’s security policies.