U.S. concerned about some members of new Taliban government in Afghanistan

The State Department says the U.S. is assessing the new Afghan government announced by the Taliban.

"We note the announced list of names consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates and no women," a State Department statement said. "We also are concerned by the affiliations and track records of some of the individuals.

"We understand that the Taliban has presented this as a caretaker Cabinet. However, we will judge the Taliban by its actions, not words. We have made clear our expectation that the Afghan people deserve an inclusive government," it said.

On the issue of people trying to leave Afghanistan, the State Department said the U.S. will "hold the Taliban to their commitments to allow safe passage for foreign nationals and Afghans with travel documents, including permitting flights currently ready to fly out of Afghanistan to agreed-upon onward destinations."

The statement added: "We also reiterate our clear expectation that the Taliban ensure that Afghan soil is not used to threaten any other countries and allow humanitarian access in support of the Afghan people."
Blinken earlier Tuesday in Qatar said that the Taliban were cooperating so long as travellers had travel documents, amid charges from Republican lawmakers and activists that charter planes were stuck.
The Taliban named as their acting prime minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who is on a UN sanctions list and served in the 1996-2001 regime.

His deputy will be Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the Taliban who was released by Pakistan under US pressure to take part in negotiations on the withdrawal of US troops.
And the interior minister will be Sirajuddin Haqqani, part of a US-designated terrorist group, despite a US offer of millions of dollars for information leading to his arrest.
The Taliban swiftly toppled the 20-year-old Western-backed government last month just as President Joe Biden was completing a pullout to end America's longest war.