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OIC Warns Against Afghanistan Becoming 'Terror Haven'


Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2021.
Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2021.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation said Sunday Afghanistan should never again be allowed to shelter "terrorist organizations," and called for inclusive dialogue to resolve the crisis following the Taliban's takeover.

The Jeddah-based organization said it would dispatch envoys to Afghanistan to stress the importance of "peace, stability and national reconciliation.”

Other multinational organizations have indicated they will convene to consider how to tackle the situation in Afghanistan, including the G-7, a week after Taliban militants re-took power.

Taliban Islamists first ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, during which time they sheltered al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, whose movement claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S. that took 3,000 lives.

The Western allies have faced harsh criticism over their handling of the crisis, symbolized in chaotic scenes as thousands of Afghans and foreigners tried to flee Kabul after the group seized the capital.

In a statement, the OIC "called upon the future Afghan leadership and the international community to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used as a platform or haven for terrorists and not allow terrorist organizations to have a foothold there."

It also raised the alarm over the humanitarian situation in the country, with surging numbers of displaced people and refugees.

The organization "called on the Member States, the Islamic financial institutions, and partners to act swiftly to provide humanitarian assistance in the areas that need it the most and urgently."

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