Afghan Taliban Deny Terror Agenda in Western Countries
By Evan Kohlmann
The NEFA Foundation has obtained a communication from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban) titled “On the Occasion of the Eighth Anniversary of the American Attack on Afghanistan”, in which the Taliban noted, “they were promising they would withdraw within three months, in their words, after eliminating the so-called terrorism. Contrarily, today eight years from that time have passed, but they have built up hundreds of military bases in Afghanistan and Iraq. They say that they will raise the level of their troops to almost 110,000 troops. It is clear from this, that they have occupied Afghanistan for the execution of their expansionist plans in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Southeast Asia.” In their anniversary message, the Taliban likewise insisted, "We did not have any agenda to harm other countries including Europe, nor do we have such agenda today."
The statement continued, “We believed from day one, that this is not a war between democracy and the so-called terrorism but rather a war between the western colonialism and the freedom-loving nationalist and Islamist forces.” The Taliban warned, “if you want to turn the country of the proud and pious Afghans into a colony, then know that we have an unwavering determination and have braced for a prolonged war. Have a glance at the history, the Afghans are the people characterized by historical distinction of always sacrificing in the way of their religion and country. Today, we will not fall short of this.”
A copy of the Taliban anniversary message can be downloaded from the NEFA Foundation website.
