LONDON - The Afghan Taliban vowed to eradicate terrorist organisation Daesh within a month after American soldiers exit Afghanistan.
“Eliminating Daesh is not a problem for us,” said Afghan Taliban spokesperson Sohail Shaheen. “It will take us only a month to do so.”
In an interview with BBC, Shaheen disclosed that the Afghan Taliban were hunting down terrorists belonging to Daesh by dismantling their terror network but the incumbent Afghan and US government shifted them to safe havens.
“We were killing Daesh terrorists until the Afghan and US government began supporting them,” he stated.
Shedding light on the Afghan peace talks, Shaheen said the dialogue with foreigners pertained to not allowing any country or terrorist organisation using Afghan land to conduct or plan attacks on US forces.
“If the talks with US yield success then we will hold a dialogue with the Afghan government,” he concluded.
In an interview with a foreign news agency, another Taliban spokesman said President Donald Trump is serious about getting out of Afghanistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid said talks with the militants are “on the right path”, fuelling speculation of a breakthrough in the 17-year conflict.
The US president’s apparent eagerness to pull troops out has weighed on the negotiations, which culminated with six straight days of meetings in Qatar last week.
“An agreement was reached on a principle framework... which, if implemented, and if the Americans take honest steps and stick to it truthfully, then God willing we are hopeful that the Americans will end the occupation of Afghanistan,” Mujahid said.
Ghani begs US to stay
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has offered to negotiate ways to minimise the costs of keeping US troops in Afghanistan amid concern that US forces will pull out of the region prematurely.
Although Ghani did not include specific proposals for how to cut costs of US troops and contractors in Afghanistan, his letter to President Trump dated Monday says the objective is “maximum effectiveness to aid efficiency.” He also requested Trump visit Afghanistan soon to “discuss a mutually beneficial path forward toward lasting peace and increased security for both of our countries and peoples,” the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Ghani also alluded to media reports that Trump instructed the Pentagon to withdraw half of the roughly 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan in December, although the National Security Council denied that such orders were given.