Taliban leader says foreigners must quit Afghanistan for peace
Source: Reuters
The new leader of the Taliban called for an end to foreign forces' "occupation" of Afghanistan as a preliminary step to a settlement based on Islamic law that he said would bring unity to a country riven by decades of war.
In one of his first public statements, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, who was named leader of the movement after the death of his predecessor Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in a U.S. drone strike in May, said agreement was possible if the government in Kabul renounced its foreign allies.
"Your support and siding with invaders is like the work of those abhorrent faces who in our past history supported the Britons and the Soviets," he said in a message ahead of next week's celebration of Eid, one of the major festivals in the Islamic calendar.
He said the Taliban had a program aimed at creating an independent and united country under Islamic law and told the Western-backed government in Kabul that "the doors of forgiveness and tolerance are open".
"Our clear message is that we do not want a monopoly of power," he said "All Afghan tribes and races need each other."
The statement came two days after a suicide attack that killed more than 30 newly graduated police cadets and wounded dozens more and less than two weeks after more than 20 people were killed in separate attacks in Kabul and the northern province of Badakhshan.
NATO leaders meet at a summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 where they are expected to approve maintaining support for the Kabul government up to 2020.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban-idUSKCN0ZI0AR
uawchild
(2,208 posts)"NATO leaders meet at a summit in Warsaw on July 8-9 where they are expected to approve maintaining support for the Kabul government up to 2020."
Umm, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization whose chartered purpose is to defend western Europe seems to be continuing to broaden its mandate. Huh. I guess when you are a hammer, every problem starts to look like a nail to you.
It's past time for a brokered peace in Afghanistan, there is no military solution to the continued existence of the Taliban and its support amongst the 20 million ethnic Pashtuns in that country, not to mention amongst the other 20 million Pashtuns across the border in Pakistan's so called northwest "tribal areas".
christx30
(6,241 posts)and leave. Let the Taliban do whatever they want. If they are serious about peace, let them make it happen. We're getting no where there. Just a bunch of wasted money and death.
It's been 15 years since 9/11. What exactly are we trying to accomplish? If it hasn't happened in the last 15 years, what will more time do for us?
whatthehey
(3,660 posts)But let's be honest it's not a country that has reacted particularly well to foreign military presence since long before the Taliban, or even Islam.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)Let's get the Hell out!