Afghan Embassy in Italy Welcomes Taliban's Release of U.S. Citizen, Labels Group 'Terrorist, Reactionary'
KABUL (Afghan Verified) — The Afghan Embassy in Italy welcomed the Taliban's release of American citizen Dennis Cole, while describing the group as a "terrorist, reactionary, and illegitimate" organization.
In a statement issued on 5 Hamal, the embassy demanded the release of other American prisoners held in Taliban custody. It accused the Taliban of subjecting millions of Afghan citizens to imprisonment and gradual death, and ignoring all public demands over the past four and a half years.
The embassy claimed that Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada "bowed down" before America out of fear of a warning from former U.S. President Donald Trump. According to the statement, Akhundzada made no mention of attacks by Pakistan in his Eid speech before authorizing Cole's release.
The embassy stressed that Afghanistan and the Taliban should not be conflated, urging the international community to stand by the country's civil and political society and support their "just and fair struggle."
The statement was released on Wednesday in response to the prisoner's release, which the embassy noted occurred amid heightened U.S. pressure.
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