Taliban Ask NATO to Leave Afghanistan; Rule Out Talks with Puppets

Taliban on Saturday asked NATO and other foreign troops to leave Afghanistan without delay.

This was said by chief spokesman of Taliban fighters Mulla Abadul Hayee Mutmaen in an interview with Afghan Islamic Press on the occasion of the completion of five years of US invasion of Afghanistan.

 US led coalition forces dislodged Taliban government in October 2001 after Taliban refused to handover them al-Qaed Commander-in-Chief, Osama bin Laden to US for masterminding 9/11 attacks.

"We have no conflict with any one outside Afghanistan. The foreigners have attacked us and we have been showing strong resistance while the attack gave nothing but only dead bodies to US," he said.

Mulla Mutmaen: "US did not want an Islamic government in Afghanistan, it made Mujahidden groups fought among themselves and attacked Taliban by making the 9/11 incident as a pretext. The US had planned attack on Afghanistan three years before the 9/11 incident."

The attackers of 9/11 incidents were not Taliban but they were pilots, trained in US and killed in the attack, he observed.

The Taliban spokesman said, "Neither Osama bin Laden planned these attacks nor he financed it but being an Arab Muslim of the Middle East he (Osama) morally supported it owing to unjust US policies."

He alleged that US attacked Afghanistan without any solid proof while Taliban had made it clear on Osama bin Laden not to use Afghanistan soil against any one. Osama bin Laden could support the attack morally either he was in the mountains, populated area or anywhere in the world but the US make it a pretext and attack Afghanistan, he said.

Abdul Hayee Mutmaen denied Taliban involvement in the killing of Ahmad Shah Masood and said, "Taliban did not plan the killing of Northern Alliance leader. We were fighting against him and also holding talks."

He ruled out talks with the present Afghan puppet government and said, "Talks cannot be held with the present setup as it is a puppet administration and not free. First the foreign troops must leave Afghanistan then we will make the decision."

About the whereabouts of the commander-in-chief of al-Qaeda, he said, "We do not know about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden whether he is alive or not, as they have their own network."

He, however, said that the Taliban Supreme Leader Mulla Muhammad Omar was alive and living in Afghanistan since the US invasion.

"Our resistance is not the resistance of only Taliban but it has become people's resistance which God willing, will continue with full strength, he vowed. Regarding Pakistan's alleged support to Taliban, Mutmaen said, "Pakistan provided its soil and logistic resources to US for attack on Taliban and it is a foolish thinking that Pakistan was supporting Taliban."

Our joining of puppet government is also a foolish thinking as Afghanistan is no more a free and sovereign country, he said.

The Taliban chief spokesman said US wanted to escape and pushed NATO into the fighting, therefore, NATO should not succumbed to US conspiracy and leave Afghanistan.

Several indirect proposals were extended to us that areas under Taliban control would be given freedom (sovereignty), however, we rejected all these proposals because we think it a way to divide Afghanistan, he revealed.

Taliban formed national unity in Afghanistan by starting its movement at a time when voices of "Grand Tajekistan" and "Hazaristan" were being raised, he said, adding that Taliban were fighting for a free, permanent and united Islamic Afghanistan.

Our resistance will become fiercer against foreign troops and now the NATO will have judged well our resistance, he said.

He informed that Taliban did not have any group or organization outside Afghanistan and no one could represent them outside Afghanistan.

In a messaged at the end of the interview, Abdul Hayee Mutmaen said, "We want a free Afghanistan with an Islamic system. Our message to NATO is to leave Afghanistan along with all foreign troops. No one can use this land against any one if there is stability in Afghanistan and if there was anarchy in Afghanistan then any one use it against other due to instability., the AIP reports from Peshawar.