Afghanistan’s former president, Ashraf Ghani, posted a recorded video message on his Facebook page, saying he planned to return to his homeland and denying that he took large sums of money with him when he left on Sunday.
The video posted late on Wednesday is the first sign of life from Ghani since he fled Afghanistan as the Taliban took over the capital, Kabul, and the country. The United Arab Emirates earlier on Wednesday confirmed that it had “welcomed” Ghani and his family into the country on “humanitarian grounds.”
“For now, I am in the Emirates so that bloodshed and chaos is stopped,” Ghani said. He said he supported the talks underway between the Taliban and former Afghan officials to form a new government. He said he is “in talks” to return home.
“Do not believe whoever tells you that your president sold you out and fled for his own advantage and to save his own life,” he said. “These accusations are baseless.”
He said he did not leave the country with suitcases full of cash, as has been alleged by some.
“I left with just a waistcoat and some clothes. The personality assassination against me has been ongoing, saying that I have taken money with me,” Ghani said in the video.
In an interview on Wednesday with ABC News, US President Joe Biden stood by the decision to withdraw US troops and said he does not think the chaos of the exit could have been avoided.