Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani released a video defending his decision to flee Kabul as Taliban forces advanced the capital. He said he supports talks between the former top officials and the Taliban. Here’s everything including claims against taking money from the country’s funds before fleeing.
More on Ghani’s first appearance
Ashraf Ghani, the former Afghan president, made his first appearance since fleeing Kabul on Wednesday. His pre-recorded video message, broadcast on his Facebook page. He promised to “safeguard the rule of Afghans over our country” and of his return home. “For now, I am in the Emirates so that bloodshed and chaos is stopped,” said Ghani. However, he is in exile in the UAE on humanitarian grounds.
In addition to this, he voiced his support for talks between officials of the Taliban and the former government. “I want the success of this process,” added Ghani, reminiscing the efforts of Hamid Karzai, his predecessors, and Abdullah Abdullah. He also justified that he left the country, not for his protection but to avoid more bloodshed.
“Do not believe whoever tells you that your president sold you out and fled for his advantage and to save his own life. These accusations are baseless. And I strongly reject them. I was expelled from Afghanistan in such a way that I didn’t even get the chance to take my slippers off my feet. Or pull on my boots,” clarified Ghani. He arrived in the UAE, empty-handed and in seek of asylum till the matter clears. Hence, he denied accusations by the Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan’s claims that he stole $169 million from the state funds.
Could have been the 2nd Afghan President to be hanged
Back when the Taliban seized Kabul for the first time in 1996, the group dragged Mohammed Najibullah, the former president. He was dragged from a United Nations office when he had taken shelter and was hanged in public after being tortured.
“Had I stayed there, an elected president of Afghanistan would have been hanged again right before the Afghans’ own eyes,” added Ghani. He also thanked the security forces of Afghanistan despite the failure at peace, leading to the Taliban takeover.