|
KABUL, Afghanistan – The Taliban on Sunday urged all NATO nations in Afghanistan tofollow France's lead and pull their forces from the war. The call came in a three-page statement released just as heads ofstate opened the NATO summit in Chicago to talk about the future ofAfghanistan. The Taliban also on Sunday took responsibility for a suicidebombing in southern Afghanistan. The newly elected president of France has said he will withdraw allFrench combat troops from Afghanistan by year's end — a fulltwo years before the timeline agreed to by nations in U.S.-led NATOcoalition. "The declaration of the new president of France, Francois Hollande,that all its troops will be removed from Afghanistan at the end ofthis year is a decision based on realities and a reflection of theopinion of its nation," the Taliban said in an English version ofthe statement posted on its Web site. The Taliban often issues long statements addressed to world opinionduring international conferences dealing with Afghanistan. "We call upon all the other NATO member countries to avoid workingfor the political interests of American officials and answer thecall of your own people by immediately removing all your troopsfrom Afghanistan," the insurgent group said. It cited a recent New York Times/CBS News poll that found that 69percent of Americans thought the U.S. should not be at war inAfghanistan. "So the NATO member countries who claim to be the electedrepresentatives of its people and consider their government thepeople's government — by the people, for the people —how will they answer the call of their people in this summit?" theTaliban asked. The Taliban also reiterated U.S. estimates that few al-Qaidafighters remain in Afghanistan. Routing al-Qaida from Afghanistan has been a key basis for U.S.involvement in the decade-long war. "The American intelligence networks, including the CIA, state thatmembers of al-Qaida have all left Afghanistan and that there arenot more than 50 left, therefore the military presence of Americais not for its own security, but a long-term strategy for turningour country and the region into its colony." American officialshave given an estimate of less than 100 al-Qaida members. The United States has denied being an occupying force and has saidthat it has no interest in establishing long-term military bases inAfghanistan. However, a U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership documentsigned this month gives the U.S. the option of keeping forces inAfghanistan after nearly all international combat troops withdrawby 2014. Any such force would serve two specific purposes: trainingof Afghan forces and operations against al-Qaida. Officials have previously said as many as 20,000 U.S. specialoperations forces and other troops could remain after the combatmission ends, but that still must still be negotiated. "They are conjuring artificial excuses to prolong the occupation ofAfghanistan, are wavering in their stance and do not seem to have aclear strategy for a political solution," the Taliban said. "TheIslamic Emirate (which is what the Taliban call themselves)considers the claims of the invaders of finding a politicalsolution as meaningless until they come out of their fluctuatingunstable state." Violence in Afghanistan continued on Sunday across the country. NATO reported two of its service members killed in an insurgentattack, while Afghan officials reported that a suicide bomberstruck a police checkpoint in Uruzgan province in the country'ssouth. NATO did not provide any further details on the attack that killedthe service members, its location or their nationalities. It wasnot clear if the two attacks were related. The deaths bring to 24 the number of foreign troops killed thismonth in Afghanistan and 156 this year. Fareeb Ayal, a spokesman for the police chief of Uruzgan province,said a suicide bomber blew himself up at a police checkpoint near amarketplace in Tarin Kot, the provincial capital. Ayal said a NATOconvoy was at the checkpoint at the time of the explosion. He saidsix children were wounded, two of them critically. He said therewere some NATO casualties too, but he didn't have details. Taliban spokesman Qari Youssef Ahmadi said the Taliban were behindthe attack. In other violence, police in western Farah province said that 20Taliban militants were killed and another 15 were wounded during anoperation that began Friday. Mohammad Ghaws Milyar, the deputy police chief of Farah, said theTaliban were killed during an ongoing operation by the Afghansecurity forces in the Bala Buluk district. He added that theoperation will continue until the end of the week and its goal wasto clear the area of Taliban insurgents. Milyar said two Afghan Army soldiers and a member of the Afghanintelligence services were also killed during a gun battle withinsurgents in Bala Buluk on the first day of the operation. Five insurgents were also killed in a gun battle on Sunday withAfghan police forces in eastern Nuristan province, the provincialgovernor's office said. The battle started after Taliban attacked apolice checkpoint in Nuristan's Kamdesh district. A police officewas killed and another was wounded in the attack, a statement said. Also, a roadside bomb in the northern province of Kunduz lateSaturday killed a young student and two police officers, said SayedSarwar Hussaini, a spokesman for the provincial police chief. ___ Associated Press Writer Mirwais Khan contributed to this reportfrom Kandahar. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as China Stainless Steel Chain Necklace , Mens Stainless Steel Pendants for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Stainless Steel Mesh Bracelet.
Related Articles -
China Stainless Steel Chain Necklace, Mens Stainless Steel Pendants,
| 
