Afghan diplomats chide allies, call on world to deny Taliban recognition

FILE PHOTO: The flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) is raised at the military airfield in Kabul, Afghanistan, September 5, 2021. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A group of Afghan diplomats from the deposed government in Kabul has issued a first-of-its-kind joint statement calling on world leaders to deny the Taliban formal recognition and chiding them for "leaving our people at the mercy of a terrorist group."

The statement https://graphics.reuters.com/AFGHANISTAN-CRISIS/lbvgngorxpq/Afghan%20diplomats%20statement%20on%20the%20situation%20in%20Afghanistan.pdf, which was provided to Reuters ahead of its public release, was signed by two dozen officials operating in a kind of diplomatic twilight, with no government to represent but still working from missions in the United States, Britain, France, Turkey and elsewhere.