Mullah Omar says Taliban winning war in Afghanistan

Afghan Taliban supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, on Friday issued his traditional “Eid” message, asking his fighters to protect Afghanistan’s borders. He said Taliban are winning and foreigners loosing war in Afghanistan.

“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,” said Omar, whose whereabouts are unknown since the U.S. military has dislodged the Taliban government in late 2001.

He assured the world and the neighbors that the Taliban struggle is aimed only at forming an “independent Islamic regime and obtaining independence of our country.”

“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.”

Omar said Taliban are winning their war against foreign forces and said Taliban 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.

The Taliban chief said the presence of limited number of troops under whatever title it may be will mean continuation of occupation and the war. “This is because none can tolerate invading forces in one’s soil.”

He also opposed 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,” the Taliban leader said. 

He claimed that the Taliban are winning the war in Afghanistan and 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.

The Taliban leader highlighted the political role of his group and 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 recalled that the recent exchange of the detainees with the U.S. as a result of the efforts of the representatives of the Political Office of the Taliban was a spectacular achievement.

The Taliban freed a U.S. soldier for five senior leader released from the infamous American detention center at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Omar again rejected what he called the fake election process that he said 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 realized 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.

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Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of Kabul airport attack

Shortly after Pakistan strongly condemned series of recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, senior Afghan officials claimed Pakistan’s security agencies were behind the Thursday’s attack on the Kabul international airport.

Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and the group’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said four Taliban took part in what he called “martyrdom attacks” as part of their spring offensive codenamed “Khyber.”

Mujahid also released to the media names of four attackers who belonged to different parts of Afghanistan. He claimed the attackers inflicted “heavy losses on the enemy.”

The Afghan authorities however denied any casualties and losses to the aircraft and other infrastructure. The Afghan security forces killed all four Taliban militants during a five-hour gun battle.

The Afghan Interior Ministry however blamed Pakistan’s main intelligence agency ISI besides the militant groups. The Interior Ministry spokesman Siddiq Siddiqi told a news conference in Kabul that attacks on Kabul airport have been increased after the June 8 assault on the Karachi international airport.

“Our interpretation is that after Karachi attack, certain circles, especially Haqani, Taliban and ISI, trie to attack our airport. After attack on Karachi airport international flights postponed there, they fixed evil goal that same attack should be taken place on Kabul airport to stop international flights that we are witness of them,” Siddiqi said, according to an Afghan journalist who attended the presser.

The Afghan official said the Thursday’s attack was third on Kabul airport after the Karachi airport. He also claimed that the attackers were speaking Urdu language, adding “it was a revenge of the Karachi attack.”

Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan had claimed responsibility for the deadly attack that had killed over 30 security, aviation and PIA personnel.

Deputy Interior Minister Gen. Ayub Salangi said: “Intelligence networks of neighbouring countries are behind the attack.”  Two rocket launchers, a machine gun, two Kalashnikov rifles and ammunitions were found at the scene, according to private Pajhwok news agency.

Afghan Taliban have increased attacks since they have launched their traditional annual “Spring Offensive.”

Also on Thursday the Taliban attacked a security team of President Hamid Karzai who was on its way to eastern Paktika province where a powerful car bomb killed nearly 80 persons this week. Two members of the Presidential security team were injured. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack.

In Islamabad the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Pakistan strongly condemns the recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, including the one in Paktika Province, in which a large number of innocent civilians have lost their lives including children.

“No cause justifies such wanton acts of violence, especially in this holy month of Ramadan. We reiterate our condemnation of terrorism in all forms and manifestations,” Tasnim Aslam said at her weekly press briefing.

Kabul has once again directly charged Pakistan just two weeks after senior security officials of the two countries met in Rawalpindi and agreed “to build further trust, continue to talk under all circumstances and evolve a robust and effective bilateral border coordination mechanism.”

The Pakistan Army had raised the issue of “terrorist sanctuaries” in eastern Kunar and Nuristan provinces in Afghanistan and attacks on Pakistani border villages and posts from those sanctuaries with top Afghan defence and intelligence officials on July 3.