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Taliban seeks diplomatic relations: leader | SBS News
Taliban seeks diplomatic relations: leader
Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah says his group wants to build a relationship with the rest of the world.
Source: AAP
11 Sep 2016 - 6:20 AM UPDATED 11 Sep 2016 - 6:20 AM
Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah says the insurgent group aims to build a relationship with the world that would allay international concerns about violence in Afghanistan.
"We want to have relations with the world and answer their questions and mitigate their concerns so that we will protect our country from being harmed by others in the future, and so that others will also not be harmed by our country," said the Taliban leader in a message on the eve of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.
Haibatullah said Afghanistan's main insurgent group "has been continuing to make diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the issue of Afghanistan, apart from its military approach".
"We have nominated the political office for this purpose as well as for maintenance of relations with the world and pertinent entities (for peaceful and diplomatic efforts)," added the leader, without specifying if he was referring specifically to the Taliban headquarters in Qatar.
The Taliban has a political group in Qatar that has in the past made attempts to hold peace talks.
However, after being appointed the group's leader in May, Haibatullah had said he would follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Mullah Mansoor, and not join any peace talks with the Afghan government.
"Now that we have control over many areas of the country, it is time for us to reap the fruit of the 15 year-long jihad" since a US-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime in 2001, said the leader in his message.
Taliban seeks diplomatic relations: leader
Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah says his group wants to build a relationship with the rest of the world.
Source: AAP
11 Sep 2016 - 6:20 AM UPDATED 11 Sep 2016 - 6:20 AM
Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah says the insurgent group aims to build a relationship with the world that would allay international concerns about violence in Afghanistan.
"We want to have relations with the world and answer their questions and mitigate their concerns so that we will protect our country from being harmed by others in the future, and so that others will also not be harmed by our country," said the Taliban leader in a message on the eve of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha.
Haibatullah said Afghanistan's main insurgent group "has been continuing to make diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the issue of Afghanistan, apart from its military approach".
"We have nominated the political office for this purpose as well as for maintenance of relations with the world and pertinent entities (for peaceful and diplomatic efforts)," added the leader, without specifying if he was referring specifically to the Taliban headquarters in Qatar.
The Taliban has a political group in Qatar that has in the past made attempts to hold peace talks.
However, after being appointed the group's leader in May, Haibatullah had said he would follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, Mullah Mansoor, and not join any peace talks with the Afghan government.
"Now that we have control over many areas of the country, it is time for us to reap the fruit of the 15 year-long jihad" since a US-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime in 2001, said the leader in his message.