Three Republican congressmen on Wednesday sent a letter to national security adviser Jake Sullivan warning that the thousands of prisoners released by the Taliban in Afghanistan pose “deep concern for the security of the country.” national security of the United States”.
Jailed Taliban are seen during an interview to The Associated Press inside the Pul-e-Charkhi jail in Kabul, Afghanistan on Dec. 14, 2019. (Rahmat Gul/AP Photo)
According to The Epoch Times, three Republican congressmen signed the letter to Mr. Sullivan: John Katko (New York State), Michael McCaul (Texas) and Mike Rogers (Alabama). They are respectively senior members of the House committees: the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Military Affairs.
The Taliban released thousands of prisoners at Pul-e-Charkhi prison, Bagram Air Base and other detention facilities. American media reported that the released prisoners included Taliban terrorists, senior al-Qaeda commanders and former prisoners at Guantanamo prison.
The letter from the three congressmen to Mr. Sullivan read: “With the very clear prospect that seasoned terrorist commanders are now free to move within Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, we write this letter. urgently request information on how the United States Government will do to mitigate threats to the interests of the United States and the United States of America.
The congressmen asked for detailed information about prisoners released by the Taliban, including information on whether the US government knew any of the released prisoners had previously been linked to the Taliban. plot to attack the US.
“As the American people prepare for the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, it is time to be reminded of the dangers to our country that emanate from terrorist safe havens. father, like Afghanistan,” the letter from the three congressmen continued.
The Epoch Times said it has contacted the White House to request comment on the content of the letter, but has not received a response.
Earlier, on Tuesday, national security adviser Sullivan told reporters that the worsening situation in Afghanistan was causing far-reaching challenges.
“We will remain on high alert for the terrorist threat in Afghanistan,” Sullivan said. But he also asserted that the United States “has demonstrated elsewhere that we can suppress terrorism without the direct presence of American troops on the ground.”
“We will have to deal with the potential terrorist threat from Afghanistan in the near term, just as we still have to deal with the potential terrorist threat from dozens of other countries, on every continent across the globe. world,” added Mr. Sullivan.
The warning letter from three Republican congressmen comes at a time when it is reported that at least two senior Taliban leaders are prisoners released by former US President Barack Obama from Guantanamo prison.
These two senior Taliban leaders are Mr. Khairullah Khairkhwa and Mr. Mohammad Nabi Omari. Both are members of the Taliban delegation negotiating with the Afghan government. Khairkwa was also the mastermind of the planning, allowing the Taliban to take over Afghanistan and seize power during the recent US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Both Khairullah Khairkhwa and Mohammad Nabi Omari are US military prisoners at Guantanamo prison. In 2014, they and three other Taliban leaders were held at Guantanamo prison, and were released by then-US President Barack Obama.
According to a report by the American News Network (OANN) on August 18, in 2014, the Pentagon classified Khairkwa as a prisoner “too dangerous to be released”. But Mr. Obama assured the American people that the Taliban leaders were released, there would be no action against the US.
However, since Mr Khairkwa’s release in 2014, he has become a key member of the Taliban regime in the negotiations in Qatar. He is now the mastermind in the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan.
