US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has said that President Joe Biden’s claim that no American troops were killed in Afghanistan under his administration was not true.

Biden said in the presidential debate with former US President Donald Trump that he was the only president in a decade that “didn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world.”

 “That is a lie, Mr. President,” McCaul said. “I’d like to remind President Biden of the 13 servicemembers that died on his watch during a terrorist attack at Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021, during his deadly and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

He noted that it was the deadliest day for the United States in Afghanistan in over a decade.

“And it will remain a stain on America and American foreign policy for generations. And it happened under Joe Biden’s watch,” McCaul said.

“Shame on him. Shame on him for his heartless comments that disregard the ultimate sacrifice of so many Americans under his tenure as Commander-in-Chief,” he added.

Trump in the presidential debate on CNN also hit out at Biden over America’s global stature which he said is like a “third world nation” today and said Washington is not “respected” anymore.

Trump termed the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as the “most embarrassing day” in the country’s history.

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Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that under Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, the government could target Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts across the border in Afghanistan.

“If the need arises, there is nothing more important than Pakistan’s sovereignty,” Asif told VOA when asked whether Pakistan would consider cross-border attacks to control perpetrators.

Addressing the legality of potential cross-border attacks, Asif argued that Pakistan must prioritise its own interests. “It is also a violation of international norms when Afghan soil is used to export terrorism, with those responsible receiving protection and safe havens by the people there,” he added.

He also dismissed the possibility of negotiations with TTP.

“There is no chance of a dialogue with them. What do we talk about, we need to have a common ground to speak to them,” Asif said.

He questioned the success of the Imran Khan government’s reintegration of 4,000 to 5,000 TTP militants, asking, “If that experiment was successful, let us know so we can follow suit.”

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have soured in recent months. Islamabad says Kabul is not doing enough to tackle militant groups targeting Pakistan.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) rejects Islamabad’s allegations, saying Afghanistan is not responsible for the “security failure” of Pakistan.

IEA slams Pakistani defense minister’s ‘careless’ comments on cross-border operation

Following the statements of the Pakistani Defense Minister about the possibility of attacks on TTP hideouts in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defense on Friday slammed the remarks as “careless” which will not benefit any side.

The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the Pakistani defense minister’s remarks were an attempt to “muddy the waters”, calling on the Pakistani leadership to not allow anyone make such “sensitive” statements.

The Ministry of Defense warned that anyone who violates Afghanistan’s sovereignty under any pretext will bear the consequences.

The ministry emphasized that IEA will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.

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The world is coming to realize that the ّIslamic Emirate is legitimately in charge in Afghanistan, something that Russia acknowledged long ago, Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said.

“Of course, [the world] is becoming aware of this fact. And Russia was ahead of the curve here. Better late than never,” Kabulov said when asked by TASS news agency if the international community is aware of the fact that it has to do business with the IEA as a government.

The Afghan crisis will be the focus of the upcoming UN meeting in the Qatari capital Doha, scheduled for June 28.

Commenting on Russia’s expectations ahead of the meeting, Kabulov said: “In our opinion, this meeting will be useful if it contributes to reviving close and constructive cooperation between the international community and the Afghan authorities, primarily for resolving the social and economic problems the country and its people are facing.”

The Russian diplomat also said he would “most definitely” talk to the IEA delegation on the sidelines of the coming meeting in Qatar. 

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