Taliban welcomes US decision to ‘negotiate’

UNDISCLOSED (Afghanistan): Taliban, in a statement on Monday, welcomed United States (US) deputy assistant secretary for south and central Asia Alice Wells for dialogue, mentioning Wells remark that US has kept the doors of dialogue open for the Taliban.

According to detail, Taliban statement continued, in response to Wells, Taliban calls on American officials to talk directly to the political office of Taliban regarding a peaceful solution to the Afghan quandary.

It will help in finding a solution if America accepts the legitimate demands of the Afghan people and forward its own concerns and requests for discussion to the Taliban through a peaceful channel.

The Taliban made it clear to the American people and congressmen through an “open letter” that war is not our choice, rather it has been imposed upon us. For ending the occupation, we want a peaceful resolution to the Afghan issue.

It must now be established by America and her allies that the Afghan issue cannot be solved militarily.

America must henceforth focus on a peaceful strategy for Afghanistan instead of war.

Military strategies which have repeatedly been tested in Afghanistan over the past 17 years will only intensify and prolong the war and this is not in the interest of anyone, Taliban statement concluded.