Does Taliban leader issues Muslim holiday message (AP) as Afghanistan hikes police?”
The Taliban’s reclusive leader ruled out talks with President Hamid Karzai and called on Afghans on Wednesday to break off relations with his “stooge” administration. Mullah Omar’s message, issued ahead of the Muslim Eid holiday this weekend, comes less than a week before President Barack Obama is expected to announce an increase of thousands of troops for Afghanistan. The White House has said Obama is focusing on how the United States eventually will withdraw from Afghanistan, even as he plans to send more forces. In a statement, Omar insisted foreign troops were losing the war. His message, issued Wednesday ahead of the Muslim Eid holiday, came a week after Karzai reached out to the Taliban during his inauguration speech, saying it was important to include in the government former Taliban who were ready to renounce terrorism. The hardline militia has long refused to negotiate with the Karzai government or join what it considers a puppet administration. “Ground realities in our belove
KABUL — The Taliban’s reclusive leader has issued a Muslim holiday message calling on Afghans to break off relations with the government, which he calls a “stooge” administration. Mullah Omar’s message ahead of Eid comes a week after President Hamid Karzai reached out to the Taliban during his inauguration speech, saying it was important to include in the government former Taliban who were ready to renounce terrorism. The message was posted on a Web site used by the Taliban, and was also e-mailed to journalists Wednesday from an address often used to send out Omar’s messages. Omar said the people of Afghanistan would not agree to any negotiations that would prolong the presence of foreign forces in the country.
