Afghanistan Will Become "Pariah State" If Taliban Seize Power: US

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani urged the international community "to review the narrative of the willingness of the Taliban and their supporters on embracing a political solution."

Afghanistan would become a "pariah state" if the Taliban take control by force, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, as a top-level delegation from the insurgent group visited China to assure officials of their international obligations. "An Afghanistan that does not respect the rights of its people, an Afghanistan that commits atrocities against its own people would become a pariah state," Blinken told reporters in India, where he is on his first official visit. In China, the Taliban's leadership assured Beijing the group will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a base for plotting against another country. A delegation including co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is in China for talks as the insurgents continue a sweeping offensive across Afghanistan -- including areas along their shared border.