Taliban Spokesman Removes Threatening Message Against US After Rubio’s Remarks
Attaullah Zaid, the spokesperson for the Taliban administration in Balkh, deleted a threatening message against the United States from his X (formerly Twitter) page. The message came in response to recent remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating that the Taliban would target the US with “American weapons.”
This reaction followed Rubio’s announcement on Monday, March 8, in which he declared that Afghanistan under Taliban rule would be designated as a country supporting illegal detentions. He emphasized that the Taliban employ terrorist methods to gain political concessions, a strategy that will not yield results.
In his now-deleted post, Zaid warned that if the US sought to pressure the Taliban again, the group was prepared to deliver a “crushing response.” He also added, “Do not forget, we will kill you with your own weapons, weapons that we have acquired.”
The US Secretary of State also called for the release of all American citizens whom he claimed were being held illegally in Afghanistan. These remarks have once again highlighted the issue of foreign detainees held by the Taliban administration; a practice previously met with widespread criticism from human rights organizations and the international community.
Despite removing the threatening message, the Taliban administration has yet to officially comment on the matter. The posting and subsequent deletion of such statements raise questions about the official stance of the Taliban regarding international pressure and the issue of detentions.
