Taliban spokesman denies addressing media identified as Israeli
Taliban international media spokesman Suhail Shaheen denied on Monday that the organization gave an interview to Israeli media, after an interview was broadcast on Israel’s KAN station.
While denying he did not speak to any media identified itself as an Israeli, Suhail Shaheen was heard answering questions about the rights of minorities, including Jews.
In the recording of the telephone interview, which was widely reported, Shaheen is heard asking the Israeli journalist, Roi Kais, “What TV are you working at?” The reporter answered, “Kan News, Kan News.” Kan News is an Israeli state TV station.
“I do many interviews with journalists every day after the falling of provincial centers of Afghanistan and the capital, Kabul, to the Islamic Emirate. Some journalists may be masquerading, but I haven’t done an interview with anyone introducing himself [that] he is from an Israeli media,” wrote Shaheen on his Twitter account after news of the interview broke.
I do many interviews with journalists every day after the falling of provincial centers of Afghnistan and the capital Kabul to the Islamic Emirate, some journalists maybe masquerading but I haven’t done interview with any one introducing himself he is from an Israeli media.
— Suhail Shaheen. محمد سهیل شاهین (@suhailshaheen1) August 17, 2021
When asked about the Taliban being congratulated by Hamas, he thanked the Islamic Resistance Movement, but denied any cooperation with it.
“We fought the occupation only in Afghanistan,” he explained. “We do not have any cooperation with Hamas in any region. We thank anyone who congratulates us on our independence.”
The interview with Roi Kais asked how the Taliban had changed since 9/11. The Taliban spokesman said, “We will not allow our land to be used against other countries.”
האם טליבאן באמת השתנה מאז פיגועי ה-11 בספטמבר? בריאיון בלעדי ל-@kaisos1987 משדר דובר ארגון הטרור פייסנות – ושולח מסר לעולם: "לא נאפשר להשתמש באדמתנו נגד מדינות אחרות"#חדשותהערבhttps://t.co/wp0JkYdt26 pic.twitter.com/1GrKM4SQPA
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) August 17, 2021
On Sunday, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, two weeks before the U.S. was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.
