ISLAMABAD: The supreme leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, on Friday issued his traditional “Eid” message wherein he assured the neighbours and the world that Taliban do not intend to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, instead he urged fighters to protect Afghanistan’s borders.
Assuring the world and the neighbors that the Taliban struggle is aimed only at forming an “independent Islamic regime and obtaining independence of our country”, the Taliban supremo said.
“We are not intending to interfere in the (internal) affairs of the region and the countries of the world, nor do we want to harm them. Similarly, we don’t tolerate their role to harm us and urge them to have reciprocal stance.”
The Taliban leader asked his fighters to protect Afghanistan’s borders.
“I call on all Mujahideen in the frontier areas to protect their borders and maintain good relations with neighboring countries on the basis of mutual respect.”
Fighting to continue till foreign troops leave
Mullah Omar, whose whereabouts are unknown since the US military has dislodged the Taliban government in late 2001, said Taliban are winning their war against foreign forces and they will continue fighting until a single foreign soldier stays in Afghanistan.
“We believe the war in Afghanistan will come to an end when all foreign invaders pull out of Afghanistan and a holy Islamic and independent regime prevails here,” he said in the message posted on the Taliban website.
In a thinly veiled reference to a proposed security agreement that will see US troops remain in Afghanistan beyond the 2015 deadline, the Taliban chief said presence of limited number of troops, under whatever title, will mean continuation of occupation and the war.
“This is because none can tolerate invading forces in one’s soil.”
He also sent a veiled warning to the incoming Afghan leaders over the signing of the controversial security agreement with the United States that allows a longer stay of few thousands American troops beyond this year.
“We would like to tell those who are contemplating to sign a security treaty with the invaders to desist from acts which add to prolongation of the invasion and to causes of the war. The presence of the invaders in our country is not in the interest of anyone. The continuation of war aggravates security of the region and the country,” warned Mullah Omar.
Claiming that the Taliban are winning the war in Afghanistan, he said that the “blanket of invasion has rolled back from vast areas.”
“Vital centers of the enemy have come under successful attacks in cities. Writ and administration of the Islamic Emirate has become stronger comparatively,” he further claimed.
Highlighting the political role of his group, he said the Taliban have gained a political facade at world’s and internal levels through their office in Qatar.
“Many entities that used to oppose us now have come around to accept the Islamic Emirate as a reality.”
He referred to the recent exchange of the detainees with the US as a result of the efforts of the representatives of the Political Office of the Taliban was a spectacular achievement.
The Taliban freed a US soldier for five senior leader released from the infamous American detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
Rejecting what he called the fake election process, Mullah Omar said that recent elections has plunged the Kabul Administration and Western democracy into disrepute.
“In fact, the invaders and their internal allies wanted through the said process, to show to the Afghans that a (tangible) change has taken place. But the Afghans had realised their ambitions from the beginning. That is why majority of the people boycotted the process.”
The Taliban leader claimed all now believe that election and the ballots of the people were mere slogans to deceive the people; sow racial, geographical and lingual and other hatred among the people.
“We all now see that the American game under the name of elections proved, as in the past, to be selections. The power is in the hands of the invaders. What they say is compulsory on their internal allies to obey without taking into account interests of their country and people.”
He urged the American and European governments, who have troops in Afghanistan or are intending to maintain political influence or military bases in Afghanistan, to let the Afghans establish an independent Islamic government on the basis of their religious and national aspirations.
“If you want to deprive them of their right to form a government, it will be not only a tyranny and violation of human norms but also will result in the self-same consequences that you have seen in the past thirteen years,” he said.
