Taliban Controls Afghanistan, Moeldoko: Indonesia's Attitude Against Terrorism And Radicalism Is Very Clear
JAKARTA - Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko emphasized that Indonesia clearly does not tolerate acts of radicalism and terrorism so far.
This was conveyed in response to concerns about the rise of terrorism and radicalism after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan recently.
"The basic attitude of our government is very clear towards acts of terrorism and acts of radicalism", Moeldoko told reporters in Jakarta, quoted on Thursday, August 19.
Even so, he is reluctant to talk much about the Indonesian government's attitude towards the current situation in Afghanistan. The former National Armed Force (TNI) Commander said that foreign relations were not under his authority but the authority of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi.
"I don't want to get ahead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' duties", he said.
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As previously reported, the Taliban succeeded in entering the capital city of Kabul and occupying the presidential palace on Sunday, August 15, making President Ashraf Ghani flee and foreign countries trying to evacuate diplomats, foreign missions, and civilians in Afghanistan.
The successive attacks carried out by the Taliban made it much faster for them to take control of Afghanistan. This is a far cry from US intelligence estimates that the Taliban will besiege Kabul within 30 days and capture the city in 90 days of successive attacks.
Regarding the presence of Indonesian citizens, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that currently there are 15 people who have reported their presence in Afghanistan. This number does not include staff serving at the Indonesian Embassy in Kabul.
These Indonesian citizens work as expatriates, work for United Nations agencies, and are married to local residents.
"They are all in good and safe condition. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in Kabul continue to monitor developments in the security escalation in Afghanistan", said Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and Indonesian Legal Entities (BHI) at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha via text message, quoted by Antara, Monday, August 16.