Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Tuesday said that he will spare no effort to restore national unity and regain "our" social harmony after the US evacuated its troops from Afghanistan just before the Aug. 31 deadline. In a news conference at Kabul airport on Tuesday, Mujahid said, "I pledge before you that we will spare no effort to restore our national unity and to regain our social harmony, steering away from any form of hypocrisy or those who are trying to drive a wedge among our people. "On the economic front, since we regained our political independence, we are similarly in a dire need to restore our economy and economic independence." He said, "Congratulations to Afghanistan... This victory belongs to us all," adding "We want to have good relations with the US and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all." The Taliban on Tuesday took control of Kabul airport and celebrated the moment by firing their guns into the air as the United States completed the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan after 20 years. After the withdrawal, Mujahid said that "American soldiers left the Kabul airport, and our nation got its full independence." Meanwhile, senior Taliban official Anas Haqqani tweeted "We made history again. The 20-year occupation of Afghanistan by the United States and NATO ended tonight." The head of US Central Command, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie made the withdrawal announcement at a Pentagon news briefing after the last flight of a US military plane took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport in the Afghan capital Kabul. After the withdrawal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the US is moving its Afghanistan diplomatic mission to Qatar. "Given the uncertain security environment and political situation in Afghanistan, it was the prudent step to take," said Blinken. An estimated 200 American citizens are still present, looking to leave Afghanistan. More than 122,000 people have been flown out of Kabul since Aug. 14, the day before the Taliban regained control of the country. The evacuation process was completed on Tuesday, the deadline set by President Joe Biden for the complete troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in a deal with Taliban in Doha, Qatar. During the evacuation process from the Kabul airport as Taliban took over the capital, a suicide bomb attack claimed by Daesh (so-called IS) killed over 100 Afghans and 13 US troops. Earlier on Monday, the US anti-missile defense intercepted multiple rockets fired at Kabul's airport in the final hours of its withdrawal. Spokesman Mujahid believed the exit of foreign forces would stop IS attacks saying, "We hope that those Afghans who are influenced by Daesh will give up their operations on seeing the formation of an Islamic government in the absence of foreigners". Also on Monday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution requiring the Taliban to honor their commitment to let people freely leave Afghanistan, but the text doesn't cite a "safe zone" mentioned by French President Emmanuel Macron. Thirteen out of the 15 Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution drafted by the United States, France and the United Kingdom, while China and Russia abstained. The resolution says the council expects the Taliban to allow a "safe, secure, and orderly departure from Afghanistan of Afghans and all foreign nationals." It refers to an Aug. 27 statement by the Taliban in which the group said Afghans would be able to travel abroad, and leave Afghanistan any time they want to, including by any border crossing, both air and ground. The Security Council "expects that the Taliban will adhere to these and all other commitments," the resolution says. — Agencies
