Eventually, the Biden administration will have to settle on a formal policy toward the Taliban now that the group has taken control of Afghanistan, but as of now, Politico reports, the White House is focused on the immediate aftermath of the takeover and evacuation efforts, which are still ongoing despite the U.S. military's withdrawal from the country.
Indeed, the question of whether Washington will recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's official government is not really part of "an active, current discussion," a senior administration official told Politico.
It seems unlikely the administration will go that route any time soon, but it's not completely out of the question. That's because the U.S. wants to make sure the Taliban takes a less hard line approach to human rights and helps stamp out terrorism in Afghanistan, even though many experts doubt the likelihood of achieving either result. So, there's a sense that "dangling" the prospect of international recognition from Washington and other governments could influence the Taliban's behavior. Read more at Politico.
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