Kabul: U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said he did not help Ashraf Ghani flee Afghanistan, stating the former Afghan president had assured him that he was prepared to "fight to the death".
In an interview with the head of Afghanistan's TOLO News, Blinken also said that he did not know if there was truth to claims that Ghani had fled with millions of dollars in cash.
Blinken on Afghan TV talks recognising Taliban Ghani took to Twitter to say his flight from Kabul on Aug. 15 was done to save Afghanistan’s capital from bloodshed.
He said his security personnel advised the secret departure, which opened the gates of the city to a Taliban takeover.
Ghani also denied widespread allegations of corruption as well as charges that he left the country with millions of dollars.
Also read:US not in a rush to recognize Taliban govt: White House
He said there should be an independent investigation.
Ghani’s sudden departure was widely criticized both in Afghanistan and abroad.
Washington blamed Ghani’s flight and the government’s collapse for a Taliban takeover ahead of a negotiated deal.
On Wednesday, the Taliban named an interim government dominated by hardliners, including the head of the Haqqani network, an Al Qaeda-allied militant group, who is wanted by the FBI.
Blinken told TOLO's Lotfullah Najafizada that recognition of the new Taliban government will depend on whether it respects the commitments it has made about counterterrorism and the rights of Afghans.
Blinken insisted that America had achieved its main goals in Afghanistan when it killed Osama bin Laden and "degraded" Al Qaeda.
He said that while many Afghan soldiers fought courageously, the security forces and the government collapsed, opening the door to the Taliban's victory.
Also read:Ashraf Ghani apologizes for abandoning Afghanistan
Najafizada asked him whether the U.S. government was in contact with anti-Taliban fighters in Panjshir and other areas.
"Our focus right now is on working with the international community to set clear expectations for the government that emerges in Afghanistan and to communicate those expectations to the government to be and to work on that basis," replied Blinken.
The Taliban said Monday they had seized Panjshir province - the last not in their control - after their blitz through Afghanistan last month.
