Taliban Says US Violating Afghan Airspace With Drones

 

The US says it won't ask the Taliban for permission to fly over Afghanistan

by Dave DeCamp 

Posted onSeptember 29, 2021CategoriesNewsTagsAfghanistan

The Taliban has accused the US of violating Afghanistan’s airspace with drones and said the flights are a violation of the US-Taliban peace deal that was signed in Doha.

“The US has violated all international rights and laws as well as its commitments made to the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, with the operation of these drones in Afghanistan,” the Taliban said in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday.

“We call on all countries, especially United States, to treat Afghanistan in light of international rights, laws and commitments … in order to prevent any negative consequences,” the statement said.

The US says it maintains what the Pentagon calls “over the horizon capabilities” in Afghanistan to spy on the country and launch future airstrikes, so the US could be flying surveillance drones into Afghan airspace.

Last week, the Pentagon said that it has no plans to ask the Taliban for permission to launch airstrikes in Afghanistan. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said there is “currently no requirement to clear airspace with the Taliban.”

The US tried to negotiate new basing agreements in Central Asia so it would be easier to spy on and bomb Afghanistan after the withdrawal. But the US had no luck and has to settle for launching Afghanistan flights from bases or aircraft carriers in the Gulf region.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/09/29/taliban-says-us-violating-afghan-airspace-with-drones/