Pentagon Says Taliban and Haqqani Network Might Be Commingling

August 29, 2021 Dime Foreign Policy

According to Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, there are presently no indicators of a Russian chemical weapons assault coming, but authorities are keeping a careful eye on the situation

The Pentagon stated on Saturday that there is some commingling between the Taliban forces and the Haqqani network in Afghanistan, Fox News informed.

The acknowledgment arrives just one day after the Department of State had called both the Taliban forces and the Haqqani network separate entities.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani Network, is also a deputy leader of the Taliban forces, and Khalil Haqqani who is his uncle, was put in charge of Kabul’s security after the Taliban took over the control of the city last week.

Fox News asked John Kirby, the Press Secretary of the Pentagon if the US considered the Taliban forces and the Haqqani Network to be separate entities.

Ned Price, the Press Secretary of the State Department the day before said that they were separate entities when asked whether the security coordination with Taliban forces has extended to the Haqqani Network.

Price denied those claims, stating that they are separate entities.

Kirby on Saturday said that he was not going to characterize Haqqani or the Taliban forces, but was later pressured in doing so by the fact that Haqqani is the Taliban’s deputy leader and has a bounty on his head for $10 million.