Anti-Taliban Resistance Leader Addresses the European Union

On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, was invited to the European Union Parliament by the Mayor of Strasbourg. Along with the mayor of Strasbourg, other French politicians and diplomats welcomed Commander Massoud. The French conservative party expressed their support in a Twitter post, saying, “It was a pleasure to welcome you to the European Parliament today, Ahmad Massoud. We stand with you.” This happened when, a week ago, the leader of the French Republican Party also expressed his support for the NRF and Ahmad Massoud. The French MP, Nathalie Loiseau, stated in her speech, “This evening in the European Parliament, I pay tribute to the courage of Ahmad Massoud and the Afghans who, like him, are resisting the tyranny of the Taliban.”

Commander Ahmad Massoud stated in his speech that “under the Taliban, Afghanistan has turned into a hotspot for terrorism and a prison for its people. Strong political pressure on the Taliban is what we need, but it’s not being implemented." He went on and gave a very clear message to the world, in particular the European Nations: "Do not give in to the Taliban's demands for ransom. Don't be misled into expecting them to change; they haven't and they won't. Engage with the Afghan people, not the Taliban. We don't need military intervention or weapons. What we ask is for an end to dealings with the Taliban and unwavering support for justice."

It is worth noting that, 22 years ago, Afghanistan’s National Hero and Ahmad Massoud’s father, in a historic visit to France, gave a speech at the European Union, speaking of the dangers of extremism and how the Taliban and terrorism could affect not only Afghanistan and the region but the world. Unfortunately, his warnings were not taken seriously, which led to the horrific terrorist attacks of 9/11. Today, once again, Afghanistan bleeds under the reign of the Taliban, and terrorism is growing stronger than ever, even since 2001. Despite this, Ahmad Massoud, leading a national resistance front, is fighting for Afghanistan’s freedom and defeating terrorism. But he is left alone and has no international support. He has made it clear that the NRF is not looking for military support but for political support and for the world to cease its interaction with the Taliban.