The leader of the Freedom Front is confident that resistance to the terrorist regime in Kabul is growing.
Author: Andrey Serenko, own correspondent of "Nezavisimaya Gazeta"
Source: “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” (Russia)
The Taliban (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) is in a state of war with the people of Afghanistan, and this makes armed forms of resistance to their regime legitimate. General Yasin Ziya, the leader of the Freedom Front of Afghanistan (FFA), stated this in an exclusive interview with NG columnist Andrei SERENKO.
Along with the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRFA) of Ahmad Massoud, the Freedom Front is the leading force in the resistance movement emerging in Afghanistan today to both the Taliban and other terrorist groups that threaten the security of the region. General Yasin Zia is a former governor of the northern Takhar province, deputy head of the National Security Directorate (NSD), and chief of the General Staff of the Afghan National Army (ANA). Today, the fighters of General Zia's Freedom Front are carrying out the most effective operations against the Taliban in the cities of Afghanistan, including Kabul and Kandahar. In his first interview with Russian media, General Yasin Zia shared with us his assessment of the political situation in Afghanistan.
– Mister General, how do you assess the economic and socio-political situation in Afghanistan and the consequences of two years of Taliban rule?
– Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban is in the worst situation from an economic and political point of view, which is also confirmed by the latest reports from international organizations on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, which are simply shocking. Afghanistan has become heavily dependent on international humanitarian aid. According to UN officials, 34 million people in Afghanistan live in poverty, and the total population of Afghanistan is estimated at 40 million. Based on this, one can understand the economic situation in Afghanistan, under the rule of the Taliban.
The Taliban ignores all of Afghanistan's international obligations, including membership in existing human rights conventions, in particular the Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Political parties were dissolved, the rule of law was neutralized in its infancy, the presence of Afghan women was erased from the socio-political arena of society, and officials of the previous government were either brutally killed or persecuted, tortured, and various persecutions.
From a political point of view, the Kabul Emirate Taliban is a totalitarian, extremist, and autocratic regime, the distinctive features of which are the lack of rights and freedoms of women, lack of education, brutal repression of the opposition and even ordinary citizens.
They (the Taliban - NG) extort money from people, promote prejudice and preach discrimination among the various ethnic groups of Afghanistan, and forcefully displace the indigenous population. They destroyed people's privacy. The policies pursued by the Taliban regime are illegitimate.
The Taliban turned Afghanistan into a safe nest for terrorists, a full-scale hell and a huge prison for its citizens, making the face of the country completely unrecognizable and practically isolating the state in the international arena.
– Why were the Taliban able to return to power in Afghanistan?
– Two main factors contributed to the return of the Taliban to political power. Firstly, Afghanistan is one of the few countries in the world that has never achieved mature political stability; the ruling elites in this country were overthrown one after another. Suppose we trace the long history of the Afghan government. In that case, we see that unrest and changes in power in dramatic and violent ways have always been part of the country's historical and political tradition.
In other words, the Taliban's rise to power is not something new, even taking into account its illegitimacy. There were the Taliban and they left, now they have come again and will definitely be overthrown again. This means that the post-Taliban political order will also be doomed to be toppled whenever it chooses to put on the dirty clothes of the past. From my point of view, the main reason for the overthrow of the regimes in Afghanistan lies precisely in this.
The second factor is of somewhat secondary importance compared to the first and lies in interregional international relations and the disappointment of the Western world with the failures and inability of the authorities of the republican era to govern the state.
Over the past 20 years, the Taliban, with the direct support of a number of countries and their intelligence organizations, have fought against a government that was creating a new political order that faced the trial and error of a young, emerging democracy.
Poverty, ignorance, as well as the cultural and social conditions of life on both sides of the Durand border (the border line separating Afghanistan and Pakistan, which no Afghan government has recognized - “NG”) served as the basis for the Taliban’s recruitment of people from poor and marginalized backgrounds, layers of society by abusing the religious beliefs of the people. Finally, as a result of a secret deal, they occupied the country. Even now we do not believe that the Taliban regime is compatible with any legitimate governance structure, rather it is a proxy terrorist group, while the term “government” and the Taliban regime have nothing in common.
– There are no mass demonstrations against the Taliban dictatorship in Afghanistan. Does this mean that Afghans have accepted or even supported the Taliban government?
– A demonstration is a peaceful civil-political action directed against responsive political systems that are subject to the law. The Taliban is a terrorist movement that has no obligation to uphold the rule of law and responds with fire to any action that contradicts its terrorist policies.
The legitimacy of armed resistance to the Taliban is due to the fact that the Taliban do not submit to the legitimate demands of the Afghan people. A movement that has usurped political power by violent means will not submit to anything and is incapable of anything except violence and coercion.
The claim that there are no demonstrations or movements against the Taliban does not correspond to the reality in Afghanistan. We are witnessing how, from the first days of the occupation of political power by the Taliban, women in a number of cities began peaceful civil actions against this terrorist trend. What was the Taliban's reaction? Prison, torture, kidnapping.
Remember that Afghanistan is a traditional society, and in such a society it is not customary to affect the honor and dignity of people. The Taliban, with their repressive and shameless treatment of Afghan women, not only reveals their identity but also demonstrates their doom.
The reason for the lack of civilian demonstrations is the brutal and terrorist nature of the Taliban, the response to which can only be armed resistance in Afghanistan. Afghan society is full of motivation to rebel against the Taliban regime.
The surrender of Afghanistan to the terrorist Taliban plunged the people of our country into psychological shock. To some outside observers, it may seem that there is no popular protest against the Taliban. However, the public's open and covert support for resistance groups, especially the Afghan Freedom Front, large-scale protests by women and girls inside and outside the country, and national and international disapproval of the Taliban clearly demonstrate the group's opposition to the group.
– What will be the role of the Afghan Freedom Front in the resistance to the Taliban? Who supports you, who do you rely on in your struggle?
– Resistance – this is how I can briefly describe for the Russian audience the opposition to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. In 2023, the Freedom Front is doing the same thing against the Taliban Nazis that you (USSR - NG) did against the German Nazis in 1941. Is permission from any country required for such activities? From whom did the Soviet people receive permission to defend their homeland from the Nazis? Which country supported them? We are defending our country and people from a demon who is no different from the Nazis, we are fighting for our Motherland.
We salute every country, institution and movement that unconditionally supports the liberation struggle against the brutality, barbarity, extremism and terrorism of the Taliban.
But the main thing about this is that we accept any type of cooperation without the slightest dependence. We are not and will not be associated with any country or movement because we are fighting for the freedom of our country. The world has a moral obligation to support our people's liberation struggle against the brutal Taliban emirate. This fight will continue by any means possible. Let me end my answer with the famous words of Afghan national hero Ahmad Shah Massoud: “We want to cooperate with everyone, but we do not accept any affiliation.”
Confronting the Taliban is the most important task in Afghanistan today and the only legal and effective way to wipe out the Taliban empire from the face of the earth.
We have the right to live and enjoy a political system of government that is based on the law and consistent with the desires and needs of our people and society as a whole. On the path of our people to achieve this great, but objective and achievable goal, the Taliban has become a huge obstacle: in the 21st century, they are trying to plunge Afghanistan into the Stone Age.
This situation is unacceptable to any free-thinking progressive person. Ending the rule of the Taliban, returning power to the people based on consent, creating a political system based on the will of the people, law and order - these are the reasons for the existence of the Afghan Freedom Front and its liberation struggle.
On this complex and difficult path, we rely on the will, love of freedom and developed dynamic self-awareness of our people. We are realizing the hidden request of our society to protest against the Taliban with its ideology of extremism.
– How long do you think the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan will last?
– The Taliban regime is doomed to be overthrown. Political systems acquire their consistency and stability already in the first days of their formation. Even on the eve of the usurpation of state power on August 15, 2021, the Taliban had already ended their political career by decisively opposing the will of the Afghan people. Do you think a few uneducated mullahs from Pakistani schools can rule a complex country like Afghanistan? How long can a regime that lacks domestic legitimacy and international recognition last? How long will Afghanistan's dying economy give the Taliban a chance to survive? How long will Western money continue to flow into the Taliban's bag?
There are hundreds of reasons that prove that the longevity of this regime is impossible. The peaceful existence of the entire Asian region is threatened by the continued rule of the Taliban regime, under which terrorism and religious extremism may spread to Central and South Asia, as well as beyond.
From our point of view, the Taliban regime will not last long, we are determined to get rid of their tyranny as soon as possible.
– I would like to know your forecast for the further development of the situation in Afghanistan for a year or two.
– The dangerous consequences, or rather, the results of the rule of the Taliban regime will become its gravediggers and the reasons for its fall. The economic situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, continued violence and various discriminatory measures, teaching and supporting blind ideological and religious prejudices are weakening the foundations of the Taliban emirate, thus making resistance groups and the liberation movement, including the Freedom Front, increasingly powerful and significant. Protest against Taliban rule and tyranny will become increasingly open, widespread and diverse.
The international community and the countries of the region are becoming increasingly aware of the terrorist and radical nature of the Taliban Kabul Emirate, and for various objective reasons they will have no choice but to support the call for freedom and resistance of the Afghan people.
The Taliban will, over time, try to strengthen their recruiting grounds and attempt to continue their medieval rule by expanding the level of uneducated, ignorant and poor society. This is extremely dangerous for the future of the people of our country; this poisonous process must be stopped as soon as possible.
– How do you assess the prospects for intra-Afghan negotiations and their possible outcome?
– Negotiations with the Taliban make no sense since they will not be satisfied with anything other than subordination to them. Surrendering to the Taliban means surrendering to the executioner. Solving the problem of Afghanistan in the current situation is beyond the capabilities of the Afghan people. Afghanistan needs serious and meaningful intervention from the world, especially the UN Security Council. The Security Council should explore the possibility of humanitarian intervention in Afghanistan. The only way to make coexistence with the Taliban possible is through the general disarmament of Afghanistan under the auspices of the United Nations, transferring political power to a neutral third party, and laying the groundwork for democratic elections.
At the moment, all three mentioned actions are unattainable without the unconditional surrender of the Taliban or their overthrow with complete neutralization, as was done with the Nazis in 1945. From the point of view of the Freedom Front, it is gullible and naive not only to negotiate with the Taliban but also to expect negotiations on reconciliation with them. We are sad witnesses to the fate of those who believed the Taliban, took advantage of the general amnesty of the Taliban and returned to their homeland...
In fact, the Taliban have driven themselves into a dead end both in politics and diplomacy, the only way out of which is an inevitable armed confrontation.
The Taliban do not believe in the concept of negotiation and dialogue because they have nothing to say, they only believe in coercion and violence. For this reason, we see no place for dialogue and negotiations with the Taliban regime. The Afghan Freedom Front is ready for a military campaign against the Taliban.
– How strong are terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State (Vilayat Khorasan, ISIS) banned in the Russian Federation and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan? What threats might they pose to neighboring countries and the region?
- These terrorist groups are no different from the Taliban from an intellectual and ideological point of view. They have their supporters and like-minded people among various layers of the Taliban. The most obvious reason for this claim is the American assassination of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of the al-Qaeda network, last year in the center of Kabul, which was under Taliban rule.
On the other hand, there have been several attacks on Shiite gatherings in Afghanistan over the past two years. These attacks are attributed to ISIS, although no documents or evidence of such large-scale and complex attacks on their part have been presented. Such operations, as has happened in the past, are well coordinated at both the tactical and strategic levels between the Taliban, ISIS, al-Qaeda and even the Pakistani Taliban.
The settlement and establishment of thousands of ISIS fighters or persons inclined to recruit into its ranks in the northern regions of the country, in the border area of Afghanistan and Central Asia, is another reason to confirm this assertion.
– How do Afghans feel about their former allies after the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan? How do you assess the results of the West's 20-year experiment in Afghanistan?
– In politics, interests are decisive. Trust of the type that normal human relationships imply is unthinkable in the world of politics. It is clear that the people of Afghanistan are disappointed and angry, they think that they have been betrayed, but I want to emphasize once again that it is the people themselves who can intelligently consider and determine their national interests.
However, the answer to your question requires more research and careful study. The United States, NATO, and other international partners have incurred enormous costs and sacrifices to build, strengthen, and equip Afghan forces, manage, and provide other assistance to Afghanistan since the Bonn Accords. Over the course of 20 years, this large-scale and expensive process has experienced many ups and downs and faced countless trials and errors. Corruption, inefficiency, and the lack of prospects for creating a common and acceptable future for all groups in Afghanistan by politicians without the proper vision have led to the failure of the democratic process. As a result, the international community left Afghanistan with disappointment.
Whatever the opinion of the people of Afghanistan over the past 20 years, they do not deserve today’s hellish rule of the Taliban regime, which over the past two years has turned the country into a haven for international terrorist groups and ideological extremists, has isolated the state from the international community, leaving it on the outskirts of the world.
People are looking for an alternative to the Taliban emirate in Afghanistan, and we at the Freedom Front are moving in accordance with the wishes of all our people and trying to expand relations with all countries whose public opinion, cultural and civilizational values do not accept the Taliban and similar groups, terrorism and extremism in all its manifestations.
– How do you assess China’s role in the Afghan crisis? Will China be able to replace America as Afghanistan's main economic and political partner?
– We think about the present and future fate of our country and people. China, as Afghanistan's powerful and wealthy neighbor, can play a decisive role in political and economic relations. However since the different approaches of the countries involved in Afghanistan over the past half century have become a factor in the crisis and instability in our country, we expect that the end result of such involvement will be repeated.
In pursuit of achieving their political and economic interests in order to succeed in the field of global competition with regional and global powers, some countries began to consider possible ways of interaction with the Taliban group, and this is a violation of the rights of the Afghan people. Such short-sighted actions will have the most disastrous consequences for regional and global peace and stability.
China thinks the Taliban and Uyghur terrorists are fundamentally different is a complete fallacy. Moreover, any agreement and interaction with the Taliban regarding the natural resources of Afghanistan by China or any other country is unacceptable due to the illegitimacy of the Taliban.
We expect that China, as an important country and member of the UN Security Council, will follow its traditional policy of not supporting conflicting parties or interfering militarily in the affairs of other countries. The Taliban are actually at war with the Afghan people, any support for the Taliban is actually supporting an illegal war against the poor people of Afghanistan.
– How do you assess Russia’s role in Afghanistan today and in the future? How do you see the relationship between Russia and Afghanistan?
– The Russian Federation was one of the key allies of the Afghan resistance during the first Taliban emirate. For 20 years, despite differences with the United States, Russia has supported the process of democracy and stability in Afghanistan and has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in development programs for the country.
The Russian Federation refused to recognize the Taliban emirate and held important meetings related to the political process and the study of current events in Afghanistan. We are optimistic about the role of this country in the future of Afghanistan and hope that it will restore its influence, adhere to its traditional consistent position expressed in rejection of the Taliban and the spread of the ideology of violence in Afghanistan, and also be able to counteract its plans to expand criminal influence in states of Central Asia and regional allies of Russia.
