Taliban urge US to leave Afghanistan or face Soviet-style defeat
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KABUL: The Taliban warned the United States on Thursday it would face the same fate as the Soviet Union in the 1980s if it did not leave Afghanistan, as Washington considers slashing troop numbers.
In a taunting message sent on the 39th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of the war-torn country, the Taliban said US forces faced “humiliation” and could “learn a great deal” from the experience of their Cold War foe.
The Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989, ending a decade-long occupation and precipitating a bloody civil war and the emergence of the Taliban.
“Take heed from the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan and abandon thoughts of testing the mettle of the already proven Afghans,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement in English, Dari and Pashto.
Mujahid said any future relations between the Taliban and the United States should be based on “sound diplomatic and economic principles” rather than conflict.
The Taliban have not formally responded to the news that Trump had decided to withdraw roughly half of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan.
But a senior commander said that the group was “more than happy”. The Taliban have long insisted on the withdrawal of foreign troops as a condition for engaging in peace talks.
Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2018
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Comments (29) Closed
Dec 28, 2018 10:34am
Taliban are Pushtuns, the majority in Afghanistan. When an Afghan says 'get out of my land', do not think for more than a second.
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Dec 28, 2018 10:39am
Largest and most sophisticated military coalition in the world could not break the Afghans. The killers of Pushtun APS children better leave yesterday or face being made an example out of.
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Dec 28, 2018 10:42am
Killing of five US soldiers in quick time and extreme hostility by Afghans was too much for the US.
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Dec 28, 2018 11:14am
USA should quit the region and mind its own business within USA.
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Dec 28, 2018 11:40am
Only Alexander the Great was a wise man not to stay long in the Afghanistan.
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Dec 28, 2018 11:51am
Hunger for power and resources makes you do things that you would not even think of doing in a normal state of mind. That's what the US is suffering from. Years of competing for imperialism is not gonna go away in an instant. US should have learnt something from the Vietnam fiasco, but did she? Ofc not. Gotta keep the Military Industrial Complex happy, right?
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Dec 28, 2018 12:01pm
Pakistan will also suffer after withdrawal.
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Dec 28, 2018 12:17pm
Great advice to the attacking, invading and occupying U.S. armed forces by Talibans, the indigenous people of the country striving hard to rid their homeland from the invaders, as Washington D.C. is doomed for the same defeat as encountered by Russia and the British colonial masters during yesteryears, in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
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Dec 28, 2018 12:36pm
@javed, That applies to every other nation. Islamic or not.
Everybody should mind their business.
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Dec 28, 2018 01:03pm
US is leaving Afganistan. Don't get impatient.
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Dec 28, 2018 01:13pm
@javed, Taliban allowed training camps from which attacks on the USA were planned so that does sort of does make it USA's business how that country is run. Or not?
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Dec 28, 2018 01:14pm
Only a fool can think that once USA withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, there will be peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.
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Dec 28, 2018 01:20pm
As the Taliban have said, " US may have the watches, but we have the time."
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Dec 28, 2018 01:20pm
@Fastrack, We in this region believe in myths.
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Dec 28, 2018 01:21pm
Well there will be other forces, NATO, and some US troops, such as to fly drones, which recently killed a Taliban Commander.
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Dec 28, 2018 01:46pm
Some think after sending away America they can take over. Why should Taliban treat them differently? Or do they think where Russians and Americans lost they will win?
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Dec 28, 2018 02:11pm
So they don’t want to get rehblitated, they want war.
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Dec 28, 2018 02:36pm
After Russia, now USA is facing similar defeat in Afghanistan - this is a classical example of saying 'what goes around comes around'.
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Dec 28, 2018 05:34pm
This is exactly what Taliban are demanding for the last 17 years but US is not listening.
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Dec 28, 2018 06:11pm
Taliban's offer for peace and trade should be taken positively for the collective good of the region. Guarantees for not allowing Afghan land for attacks on USA and allies may be obtained though
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Dec 28, 2018 06:26pm
Once US leaves, Talibanism will spill into neighbors. And already ISIS is also present in Afghanistan.
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Dec 28, 2018 09:05pm
If Taliban are fighting against USA then who is providing them weapons. Didn't they used american 'Stinger' missiles against Soviets.
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Dec 28, 2018 10:33pm
@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, please enlighten me , what Emirate of Afghanistan? As far as I know their is neither an Emir nor Sheikh, nor Sultan in Afghanistan.
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Dec 28, 2018 10:42pm
@Mansur Ul Haque, Absolutely. And Afghanistan will continue receiving US aid, irrespective of who is in power there. The Taliban leader should not compare old Soviet autocratic regime with today’s US Administration, and don’t forget the Soviet were pushed back with US help they got.
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Dec 29, 2018 05:05am
Afghanistan needs a long period of peace and economic development. Let Afghanis work hard.
Pakistan should stop helping imperialist powers, including USA, Russia and China, meddle in Afghanistan's political affairs. These nations can only help it economically.
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Dec 29, 2018 09:01am
@Abhishek, It also applies to your motherland too.
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Dec 29, 2018 09:03am
@Mohan , No one thinks to take over Afg, one has plans to remove the enemy presence from afgh to make it peaceful.
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Dec 29, 2018 09:43am
A country that earn its budget by foreign governments donations cannot survive on its own.
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Dec 29, 2018 10:57am
Time to pack up and head home.
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