We will hunt you down and make you pay, says Biden
WASHINGTON/BEIJING: US President Joe Biden vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of the suicide bombings carried out by the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) terror group near the Kabul airport on Thursday that killed at least 100 people, including Afghan civilians and over a dozen American troops.
He insisted the ongoing evacuation process in Afghanistan should continue undeterred by the twin attacks.
Biden’s warning carries weight as the US military has in the past taken out Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who had masterminded the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in America; Islamic State (IS) founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi; and Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, considered the fountainhead of terrorism in West Asia.
“To those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes America harm, know this - we will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay. I will defend our interests and our people with every measure at my command,” Biden said in a speech from the White House.
He added, “We have some reason to believe we know who they are - not certain - and we will find ways of our choosing, without large military operations, to get them.”
The US president went on to strike a note of defiance. “We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not let them stop our mission. We will continue the evacuation,” he said.
Bien is facing continuing criticism at home and abroad for the abrupt withdrawal of US and US-led international forces from Afghanistan despite his and his aides’ attempts to blame the unfolding mess on his predecessor former US president Donald Trump and his 2020 deal with the Taliban.
Biden has also faced pressure to extend the self-imposed deadline of August 31 for pulling out all American troops and personnel from Afghanistan.
China calls on Taliban to break terror ties
China on Friday condemned the Kabul airport attacks and urged the Taliban to live up to its promise of breaking all ties with terror organisations. The foreign ministry said China hoped all parties would take measures to ensure a smooth transition of power in the country.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian condemned the terror attacks, saying Beijing expresses its deep condolences and sympathy to the victims and their families and injured.
China resolutely opposes and strongly condemns all forms of terrorism, and is willing to work with the international community to jointly respond to the threat of terrorism and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a source of terrorism again, the spokesperson said.
“We noticed that for the past 20 years, some terrorist organisations have gathered and developed in Afghanistan, posing a severe threat to international and regional security, especially the ETIM (East Turkestan Islamic Movement),” Zhao said.
“The Taliban officials have made clear,” Zhao said. “They should stay committed to their promise of drawing a line to all terrorist groups.”