US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the future engagement with any Taliban-led government in Afghanistan would depend on "one simple proposition, our interests." In remarks at the Department of State, Blinken said "our focus right now is on getting our citizens and on getting our partners, Afghan partners, third country partners who have been working in Afghanistan with us, out of the country into safety." He added "For that purpose, first the Taliban, whether we like it or not, is in control, largely in control of the country, certainly in control of the city of Kabul, and it's been important to work with them to try to facilitate and ensure the departure of those who want to leave." He continued, "There's still talks and conversations under way even now between the Taliban and former members of the Afghan government with regard, for example, to a transfer of power and some inclusivity in a future government." He stressed, "Going forward, we will judge our engagement with any Taliban-led government in Afghanistan based on one simple proposition, our interests and does it help us advance them or not." "If engagement with the government can advance the enduring interest we will have in counterterrorism, the enduring interest we will have in trying to help the Afghan people who need humanitarian assistance, the enduring interest we have in seeing that the rights of all Afghans, especially women and girls, are upheld, then we'll do it," he remarked. He noted, "But fundamentally, the nature of that engagement and the nature of any relationship, depends entirely on the actions and conduct of the Taliban." Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters during a briefing that President Joe Biden "was briefed this morning on contingency plans and continues to have optionality should he decide to change plans, even as we are on track to complete our mission by Aug. 31." She reiterated, "We are continuing to work every day to get as many people evacuated as we can." "I'd also note that as the secretary of state said we will continue and we are continuing to look at a range of options to provide support and provide a means for departing Afghanistan even after our US military departs," she noted. — KUNA
