Threatened Taliban, NATO: We Have The Ability To Strike Remotely

Illustration of the NATO military in Afghanistan. (Wikimedia Commons/The US Army)

JAKARTA - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) says it will not allow the Taliban to turn Afghanistan into a breeding ground for terrorism.

If that happens, NATO is ready to carry out attacks from a distance as a consequence of the responsibility of the Taliban, who have taken power. The Taliban entered Kabul and captured the presidential palace on Sunday 15 August.

"Those who are now taking power have a responsibility to ensure that international terrorists do not regain their footing," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

"We have the capability to attack terrorist groups remotely, if we see terrorist groups again trying to establish themselves and planning, orchestrating attacks against NATO allies and their countries," he stressed.

The fight against the militant organization Al-Qaeda, which was responsible for the 9/11 attacks and whose leadership was guided by the Taliban, was the main reason for the West to intervene in Afghanistan in 2001.

As NATO this summer wrapped up military operations after nearly two decades, the Taliban swiftly advanced, capturing its largest cities in days rather than months predicted by US intelligence.

Earlier last week US intelligence said the Taliban would be able to encircle Kabul, the Afghan capital within 30 days and seize the important city within 90 days.

The sudden takeover of the capital Kabul sent thousands of people fleeing to the city's airport, which is still being held by the US military, desperate for evacuation flights.

On the occasion, Stoltenberg asked the Taliban to facilitate the departure of all those wishing to leave the country, and said Western defense allies had agreed to send more evacuation planes to Kabul.