Blinken has appointed Amiri, a former US adviser, as Afghan women’s special envoy

By Jonathan Landay and Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday appointed Rina Amiri, a former US government adviser who criticized Afghanistan’s chaotic retreat, as Afghanistan’s special envoy for women, girls and human rights.

“We want peace, stability and security in Afghanistan, where all Afghans can live and thrive in political, economic and social inclusion. Special envoy Amiri will work with me to achieve this goal,” Blinken said in a statement.

Amiri has spent two decades advising governments, the United Nations and think tanks on Afghanistan-related issues. Under the command of former President Barack Obama, he served as chief adviser to the U.S. and Pakistani Special Representatives.

Blinken has appointed State Department veteran Stephenie Foster as the new chief adviser to women and girls in U.S. operations to evacuate and resettle Afghans at risk of Taliban revenge after taking over the country.

The Taliban took over in August when the former Western Afghan government collapsed and the last U.S. troops withdrew after 20 years of war.

Since then, the Taliban have curtailed the rights of women and girls, banned most of them from working, and banned the latter from attending schools.

The Bidas administration has lashed out at women rights activists for failing to secure a safe passage for activists and others who have long been targeted by the Taliban.

Amiri told Reuters earlier this year that the process of evacuating women at risk was a disaster.

Biden made it clear in high-level policy discussions that concerns about women’s rights would not undermine the decision to leave Afghanistan, although she pledged to pursue a gender-based foreign policy in the campaign, she said.

The Taliban decreed this week that women traveling more than 45 miles (72 km) should go with a close male relative. It was also forbidden to play music in vehicles.

The United States and other governments have accused the Taliban of failing to establish an “inclusive” government, and have expressed concern about the summary executions and the disappearances of former members of the Afghan security forces.