(26 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vienna, Austria – 26 June 2024
1. Leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan Ahmad Massoud greeting conference participants
2. Conference participants surrounding Massoud
3. Press conference panel
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ahmad Massoud, Leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan: “And the Doha peace process was nothing but a lie unfortunately. It was handled and managed in the worst way possible. And you see it went to the way or to the path that currently even the UN – it is basically backing down from its own mandate, from its own resolution, which was passed in the Security Council of the UN. And that is why what they said six months ago – they’re not following their own word. The credibility of Doha is completely shattered.”
5. Wide of press conference audience
6. Close of camera operators
7. Close of camera display
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ahmad Massoud, Leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan: “They can be a short term solution for the regional countries, and for the international community or for the superpowers. However they can never be a medium or long-term solution because they are not the legitimate representatives of Afghanistan. The legitimate representatives are those who the people of Afghanistan will decide to choose. We are here simply to facilitate, to unite, to reach to that point, to allow the people of Afghanistan to once again decide their own fate. Thank you very much.”
9. Wide of press conference audience
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ahmad Massoud, Leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan: “The women of Afghanistan are being represented more than before today in here, in this conference, in this process – which we are hoping to be able, we want the process to truly advocate and truly be the voice of the women of Afghanistan and finally to achieve what we always wanted, which is fundamental rights – that is the right of the women of Afghanistan for education and many other things.”
11. Press conference panel and cameraman
STORYLINE:
The leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, Ahmad Massoud, Wednesday said an upcoming round of U.N. talks in Doha lacks credibility.
Speaking at a joint press conference with other exiled opposition members in Vienna, Massoud said the Doha talks were “nothing but a lie” and that previous versions were handled so badly that now even the UN was “backing down from its own mandate.”
Participants criticised the upcoming talks for excluding women at the behest of the Taliban.
While Massoud acknowledged the Taliban could be a short-term solution, he stressed that "they can never be a medium or long-term solution because they are not the legitimate representatives of Afghanistan.”
The opposition forces gathered in Vienna said they want to represent the “voice of the women of Afghanistan” and promised to increase their representation at upcoming meetings.
AP video by Philipp Jenne
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