A handout picture made available by the Iranian presidency shows, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (center) speaking during the first meeting of his cabinet, in Tehran, on Aug 26, 2021. (IRANIAN PRESIDENCY / AFP)
TEHRAN – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi denounced on Wednesday the human rights abuses committed in Afghanistan by the United States during its two-decade occupation, and lambasted the damage to security, stability and peace caused by US presence across the world.
The US-led military forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the pretext of searching for Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the Sept 11 terror attacks
"Taking into account the number of women and children who have been killed, injured or maimed in Afghanistan over the years, we will see the extent of the silent catastrophe that has been going on in that country," Raisi said in a cabinet meeting, quoted by the Iranian presidency's official website.
The US presence in different parts of the world, he added, "has never been security-creating, but detrimental to security, stability and peace."
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Instead of being held accountable before the world's public opinion, Washington is now creating a negative atmosphere around other countries by "fabricating different excuses," Raisi said.
The commander of US Central Command Kenneth McKenzie announced the end of the US troop pullout from Afghanistan in a press conference on Monday, after nearly 20 years of presence in the Asian country.
The US-led military forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the pretext of searching for Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the Sept 11 terror attacks.
Over the past two decades, the US-led operations on Afghan soil have caused more than 30,000 civilian deaths and more than 60,000 injuries, and turned about 11 million people into refugees.