Biden to give aid to Afghanistan after Taliban refuses to work with US to contain ISIS

The Biden administration is set to give support to Afghanistan under the pretense that it's not interpreted as a sign of political recognition.

It's the conclusion to a weekend summit between the United States and representatives of the Taliban government that took place in Doha, Qatar.

The framing of the outcome by the Associated Press is that while the Biden administration is sending "humanitarian aid" to Afghanistan, it's to the people themselves and is not in any way a gesture of official recognition of the ruling party in the country.

"The U.S. delegation focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for U.S. citizens, other foreign nationals and our Afghan partners, as well as on human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. He described the discussions with the Taliban as "candid and professional," the Associated Press reported.

The issue of the Islamic State came up at the weekend's talks. Representatives for the Taliban adamantly refused the help of the United States when it came to the issue of containing their forces.

But a suicide bombing by ISIS-K forces on Friday in the town of Kunduz, Afghanistan, was fresh on the public's minds. It was one of the biggest attacks since the suicide bombing of Kabul airport back in August.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had harsher remarks than the United States. He said the Taliban broke promises to the country's women and girls from a humanitarian standpoint.

But Guterres also urged the countries of the world to donate to Afghanistan to make sure their economy doesn't collapse:

"We need to find ways to make the economy breathe again. This can be done without violating international laws or compromising principles. I urge the world to take action and inject liquidity into the Afghan economy to avoid collapse."