Taliban’s New Cabinet Includes US-Designated Terrorist

Kabul: Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund will lead the new Taliban government in Afghanistan and the group co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be one of the two deputies, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said on Tuesday. The Taliban announced the first members of their new Afghanistan government after delaying it twice.

The Taliban included the leader of a U.S.-designated terrorist organisation in the new government. Baradar, who is the Taliban co-founder signed a peace deal with the Trump administration last year, will serve as his deputy.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani Network who is on the FBI’s most-wanted list for terrorism, will serve as acting interior minister.

The Taliban want good relations with all countries in the world, including the U.S., Mujahed told reporters. He called the cabinet a “diverse group” that included a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds, although no women were chosen.

“We’re not a tribal force,” Mujahed said, adding that the group wanted good relations with the U.S. despite the war. “We hope all countries in the world will recognize the legitimacy of our government and our Islamic regime.”