Blinken urges Syria’s HTS to learn from Islamic Emirate’s isolation

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, has urged Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria to fulfill its promises of forming an inclusive government and learn from the global isolation faced by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Wednesday, Blinken called for the establishment of a “non-sectarian” government in Syria that protects minorities and addresses security concerns.

“The Taliban (IEA) presented a more moderate face during their takeover of Afghanistan – or at least tried to – but their true nature later became evident,” he said.

As a result, the IEA remains globally isolated due to their failure to deliver on their commitments, he added.

He went on to state: “If you are an emerging group in Syria and wish to avoid such isolation, you must take specific actions to advance the country.”

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of Syria’s HTS, has vowed that Syria will not follow the path of Afghanistan under the IEA.

Jolani has consistently advocated for protecting individual freedoms, ensuring women’s rights, and fostering a pluralistic society.

The Islamic Emirate, however, rejects Blinken’s statements and says that Afghanistan is not currently isolated from the world and that they have relations with other countries.

The IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the Islamic Emirate government has fulfilled all its commitments made in Doha.

Meanwhile, a number of Afghan experts believe that the United States is still using political and economic pressure against the Islamic Emirate to achieve its political goals.