U.S. Congressman Bill Huizenga has forcefully rejected recent statements by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, branding them “as illegitimate as the government he claims to represent” and reiterating his demand to block American taxpayer funding to the Taliban regime. The congressman’s remarks, shared in a post on the social media platform X, came in response to Mujahid’s denial of Huizenga’s earlier warnings about the growing presence and capabilities of terrorist groups operating within Afghanistan.
“These statements made by Mr. Mujahid are as illegitimate as the government he claims to represent,” Huizenga stated. “This is yet another example of why the U.S. government must stop sending taxpayer dollars to Afghanistan and why I have introduced legislation to ensure not a single cent supports the Taliban.”
The exchange follows Huizenga’s testimony during a hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, where he sharply criticized the Biden administration’s abrupt withdrawal from Afghanistan. He argued the pullout dramatically shifted the regional security landscape and created a vacuum now exploited by groups like ISIS-Khorasan and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which he said are expanding their networks and pose a rising threat to both regional and global security.
In his rebuttal, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed that the Taliban-led government maintains full control over Afghan territory and does not permit any group to use Afghan soil for cross-border attacks. However, U.S. officials and international analysts remain unconvinced.
Security experts and congressional leaders have consistently voiced concerns about the Taliban’s inability—or unwillingness—to curb the resurgence of transnational terrorist outfits. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, independent assessments have reported a steady increase in extremist activities, contradicting the group’s repeated assurances to the international community.
The clash underscores deepening tensions between Washington and the Taliban at a time when the U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation aimed at cutting off all taxpayer-funded assistance to Afghanistan under Taliban control. Congressman Huizenga’s bill is part of that broader effort to ensure U.S. resources are not misused or diverted to actors who threaten international peace.
“The American people should not be forced to fund a regime that harbors terrorist groups, denies basic human rights, and undermines global security,” Huizenga said. “Our policy must be rooted in accountability and strategic clarity.”
The Taliban, which remains unrecognized by the United States and most of the international community, continues to face mounting scrutiny over its governance, human rights record, and alleged ties to militant networks. As legislative momentum builds in Congress, further measures targeting the Taliban’s access to international resources are likely to follow.
