London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal’s new revelations on Afghanistan

Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal’s new revelations on Afghanistan

The absence of any prior relationship with the Taliban would allow Saudi Arabia to deal more freely with the new situation in Afghanistan.
Former head of the Saudi intelligence service Prince Turki al-Faisal sought, with very remarkable timing, to distance himself and Saudi Arabia from any role in the rise of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, noting that he resigned ten days before the events of September 2001.

Prince Faisal also noted that contrary to widespread belief, the Taliban had not adopted the Saudi interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law). They are rather Sufi Deobandi, he said, stressing that this means the Taliban are rather committed to a religious ideology that is completely different from that of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab.

Prince Faisal was speaking on September 22, during a meeting of the Royal Society of Asian Affairs in London, to mark the release of his book “The Afghanistan File” edited by Michael Field.

The statements of the former Saudi intelligence chief, who revealed his resignation before the events of September, came after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) declassified documents related to the 9/11 attacks.

His statements also coincided with increased pressure on Saudi Arabia along with Washington’s ongoing reset of relations with the kingdom.

Prince Faisal noted that the Saudi religious vision differs completely from that of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, in an attempt to dispel a common misconception that claims the two radical groups have been inspired by Wahhabism.

Observers told the Arab Weekly that Prince Faisal was seeking to distance the kingdom from al-Qaeda and other extremist groups.

Prince Faisal, the observers said, was denying any Saudi role in the events of September 2001, whether directly or indirectly, even if most of those who carried out the attacks were Saudis.

The absence of any prior relationship with the Taliban would allow Saudi Arabia to deal more freely with the new situation in Afghanistan, the observers added.

In earlier statements, Prince Faisal had said that ““Al-Qaeda targeted the kingdom first before anyone else,” referring to Saudi Arabia.

In his most recent statements, he was keen to note the difference between “the so-called Wahhabi interpretation of Islamic law” and the Deobandi school followed by the Taliban.

He indicated that “there are many references, whether in the media or in scientific books that claim that there has been Wahhabi influence on the Taliban. Yet, this is not what has been happening.”

In this regard, Prince Faisal insisted that “ideologically, the Taliban hold different views,” noting that “Deobandi ideology continues to define the group’s vision to this day.”

The Deobandi is an Indian Islamic school that blends strict Salafist thoughts and Sufism, which makes it a target of criticism by many Arab Sunni movements.

In his most recent statement, the Saudi intelligence chief also revealed important details on the Afghan file, saying that he had personally sought to get Osama bin Laden extradited in 1998, but then-Taliban leader Mullah Omar in a major U-turn rejected the idea after first agreeing to it.

The former Saudi intelligence chief said that "Mullah Omar simply denied that he had made a promise to hand over bin Laden or to form a committee to look into ways to do so."

He added, “After Mullah Omar said that Saudi Arabia should talk with bin Laden and that instead of fighting him, it should fight the imperialists, I simply stood up and said: Mr Omar, what you say, and what you do will bring harm to you and to us … and on the way back to the kingdom, I sent reports to the king and the crown prince advising them to cut ties with the Taliban, which the Saudis did eventually.”

Prince Faisal also revealed that Saudi Arabia had previously tried to mediate between the Taliban and the government of former President Hamid Karzai and that this was done at the request of the latter.

He added, "The Taliban delegation visited the kingdom and the crown prince, who later became King Abdullah, asked them: did you sever your ties with al-Qaeda? This was before bin Laden's death. Their answer was: No. So we told them, OK, we won't have any connection with you until you sever ties with bin Laden."

Despite raising many points of contention with the Taliban, Prince Faisal warned the international community against abandoning Afghanistan at the current critical juncture. He also called for the need to support the country, urging the Taliban to take required steps to back up their statements so as to show the movement’s readiness for openness and cooperation.

More than any other Sunni country, Saudi Arabia is better positioned to play a key role in Afghanistan. However, the kingdom does not want to see the country turn into a launchpad for Iranian ambitions, as was the case in the past when Tehran exploited hotbeds of tension to expand its foothold in the region, particularly in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×