West Applies Double Standards in Fight Against Terrorism - Russian Foreign Ministry

The deputy director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for New Challenges and Threats (DNCT), Alexey Lyzhenkov, slammed Western countries for having a hypocritical stance on fighting international terrorism in his speech at the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO RATS).

The countries of the collective West, led by the United States, employ double standards in the fight against terrorism in Eurasia, Lyzhenkov stated.

"In matters of international anti-terrorist cooperation, US-led states seek to impose their own standards on everyone else, including to the detriment of those approved by the UN. At the same time, they do not shy away from using terrorists, practicing blatant double standards, and we see the consequences of such actions in the Middle East, North Africa, Ukraine, and Afghanistan," the deputy director stressed, speaking at the 9th International Scientific and Practical Conference "Trust, Cooperation and Professionalism as a Guarantee of a Secure Future" held by the SCO RATS.

The diplomat noted that while imitating the fight against Daesh* and al-Qaeda** in Afghanistan and other countries in the region, "the US continues to maintain close contacts with the terrorists from these organizations, and makes no bones about doing business with Islamist, far-right, neo-Nazi groups."

According to the diplomat, Central Asian countries are exposed to the risk of terrorist threat spreading because of Washington's actions. "There is a targeted propaganda campaign being conducted on the Internet, including in national languages, to create sleeper cells in the SCO member states. All this forms serious risks of terrorism expansion to the SCO spaces, first of all to the Central Asian states," Lyzhenkov added.

The situation in Afghanistan is still tense, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, speaking via video link at the SCO summit in July this year. In turn, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the opening ceremony of the SCO state leaders summit noted that the situation in Afghanistan affects the security of the member countries of the organization.

In early August 2021, the Taliban*** intensified their offensive against Afghan government forces, entered Kabul on August 15, and the next day declared that the war was over.

On the night of August 31, the US military left Kabul Airport, marking the end of the nearly 20-year US military presence in Afghanistan. In early September, the Taliban announced the composition of Afghanistan's interim government with Mohammad Hassan Akhund to be the Cabinet head. Akhund served as foreign minister during the first Taliban rule and has been under UN sanctions since 2001.

* Daesh (also known as ISIL/ISIS/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.
** Al-Qaeda is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and other states.
*** The Taliban is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities.