Classifying Taliban as “Terrorist Body” Under Review: US Secretary of State

Thu May 22 2025
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Key points

  • I believe classification is now, once again, under review: Rubio
  • US Defence Secretary has ordered a Pentagon review of 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan
  • A comprehensive review was needed to ensure accountability: US Defence Secretary

ISLAMABAD:  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the United States (US) is reviewing whether to designate Afghanistan’s rulers, the Taliban, as a “foreign terrorist organization”, according to Al-Jazeera.

Asked by Representative Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, whether the US would classify the Taliban as a “foreign terrorist organization,” Rubio said: “I believe that classification is now, once again, under review,” according to Business Recorder.

According to The Express Tribune, earlier, the US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a Pentagon review of the chaotic 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has long been a target of Republican criticism.

“A comprehensive review”

“I have concluded that we need to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure that accountability for this event is met and that the complete picture is provided to the American people,” Hegseth wrote in a memo.

Hegseth said in a memo on Tuesday that after three months of assessing the withdrawal, a comprehensive review was needed to ensure accountability for this event, Al-Jazeera reported.

 

 

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