Commander says Taliban cannot win war: report

[RPK]

AFP: Commander says Taliban cannot win war: report


KABUL — One of the most senior Taliban commanders has admitted that it is unlikely the insurgents can win the war in Afghanistan, according to an interview published by Britain's New Statesman magazine.
The identity of the Taliban leader is not revealed but the interview was conducted by Taliban expert and author Michael Semple, who was a UN envoy to Afghanistan and is now with the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at Harvard.
"It would take some kind of divine intervention for the Taliban to win this war," the commander, who is referred to only as Mawlvi (mullah) tells Semple, according to excerpts of the interview on the magazine's website.
"The Taliban capturing Kabul is a very distant prospect."
The Islamists were in power in Afghanistan from 1996 until they were ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001 for harbouring Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, and have since waged an increasingly bloody insurgency.
"At least 70 percent of the Taliban are angry at Al-Qaeda," Mawlvi is quoted as saying. "Our people consider Al-Qaeda to be a plague that was sent down to us by the heavens.
"To tell the truth, I was relieved at the death of Osama. Through his policies, he destroyed Afghanistan. If he really believed in jihad he should have gone to Saudi Arabia and done jihad there, rather than wrecking our country."
The Taliban insurgents now face the growing forces of the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai, supported by some 130,000 US-led NATO troops, who are due to withdraw by the end of 2014.
"It is in the nature of war that both sides dream of victory. But the balance of power in the Afghan conflict is obvious," says Mawlvi, who is described as one of the most senior surviving Taliban commanders and a confidant of the movement's leadership.
"Any Taliban leader expecting to be able to capture Kabul is making a grave mistake. Nevertheless, the leadership also knows that it cannot afford to acknowledge this weakness.
"To do so would undermine the morale of Taliban personnel. The leadership knows the truth -- that they cannot prevail over the power they confront."
The views presented in the interview contrast strongly with the Taliban's belligerent public statements, but Mawlvi said that "for the moment, as long as (supreme leader) Mullah Omar is alive, the Taliban will be prepared to follow him in this fight".

 

[SLIM]

I cant believe a senior Taliban would make such a statement, whats up with the"confession"?

 

[saiyan0321]

this thread will most probably become a troll fest since the two second last posts are beyond senseless

Probably gave up on Allah.

hope you like pink post reported

 

[DANGER-ZONE]

The identity of the Taliban leader is not revealed but the interview was conducted by Taliban expert and author Michael Semple, who was a UN envoy to Afghanistan and is now with the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at Harvard.

Nuff Said for the rest of the interview

 

[Kompromat]

Time will tell , Afghans have always won , turning invaders into graveyards. When Indians will run from Kabul no blue elephant or blue mogli with an bow and arrow on a flying charriot will come to their rescue.

 

[Gandhi G in da house]

Time will tell , Afghans have always won , turning invaders into graveyards. When Indians will run from Kabul no blue elephant or blue mogli with an bow and arrow on a flying charriot will come to their rescue.

Yes , it is due to this fighter like qualities of the Afghans that Taliban in Afghanistan will lose.

And btw , It's Mowgli not Mogli .

 

[CENTCOM]

Those who are quick to side with conspiracy theories and doubt any and all reports of ISAF’s progress in Afghanistan should consider what is being said in this article. Afghanistan has seen significant progress since the Taliban were removed from power and Al Qaeda removed from the country. Given this progress and the international community’s commitment to a stable and secure Afghanistan, it is certain that the Taliban will not succeed. Complex challenges still remain. This is the reason we regularly emphasize the importance of cooperation between regional and international partners. We will continue our mission until our goals are met, and leave the ANSF fully capable of protecting their nation.

LTC Taylor,
DET, United States Central Command
U.S. Central Command

 

[Oldman1]

This is no different in Iraq when attempt to rebuild Iraq's forces to maintain stability. Build up the forces. In Iraq all the terrorists can do is blow up cars and attack Iraqi police and military but that does not lead to gaining control of territory.

 

[Sher Malang]

Taliban Commander Says Taliban Cannot Win Afghan War: Report


By MUHAMMAD LILA (@muhammadlila)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

The Taliban leadership knows it cannot win the war in Afghanistan and is prepared to accept peace with the Afghan government, but only if the militant group plays a prominent role in the country's future, according to an interview with an alleged senior Taliban commander conducted by a former high-ranking diplomat.

The full interview, to be published in Thursday's edition of the British current affairs magazine New Statesmen, was conducted by Michael Semple, the former UN envoy to Afghanistan during Taliban rule and current fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard. Semple is considered an authority in Pashtun politics and reportedly still has contacts within the Taliban's senior ranks.

The Taliban commander, whose name is not revealed during the interview, is said to be a senior leader who spent time at Guantanamo Bay and is described in a preview of the article as "one of the most senior surviving Taliban commanders and confidant of the movement's leadership."

In the preview published on the New Statesmen's website, the Taliban commander says it would take "some kind of divine intervention for the Taliban to win this war" and calls al Qaeda a "plague" on Afghanistan.

Other revelations from the interview, according to the Taliban commander:

Taliban's Icy Relationship With al Qaeda "Our people consider al Qaeda to be a plague that was sent down to us by the heavens. Some even concluded that al Qaeda are actually the spies of America. Originally, the Taliban were naive and ignorant of politics and welcomed al Qaeda into their homes. But al-Qaeda abused our hospitality."

Relief at Bin Laden's Death "To tell the truth, I was relieved at the death of Osama. Through his policies, he destroyed Afghanistan. If he really believed in jihad he should have gone to Saudi Arabia and done jihad there, rather than wrecking our country."

Taliban Control of Kabul Won't Come Anytime Soon "The Taliban capturing Kabul is a very distant prospect. Any Taliban leader expecting to be able to capture Kabul is making a grave mistake. Nevertheless, the leadership also knows that it cannot afford to acknowledge this weakness. To do so would undermine the morale of Taliban personnel. The leadership knows the truth -- that they cannot prevail over the power they confront."

Controversial Taliban Policies Evolving? Maybe Later "In their time, the Taliban gained notoriety over three points: their treatment of women, their harsh enforcement of petty rules on things like beards and prayers, and their international relations. The priority now should be restoration of security. But on the other issues I anticipate that they would soften their tough policies."

Pakistan Remains a Taboo Subject "The one thing I dare not talk about is the relationship with Pakistan."

Reports of the interview come days after a videotape surfaced showing a purported Taliban execution in a village just an hour's drive from Kabul. On the video, a young woman squats on a patch of ground before a militant approaches her, firing several shots at point blank range, while a crowd of a hundred or so alleged militants cheers "Long Live the Mujahideen" in the background. The Taliban often refer to themselves as Mujahideen, or freedom fighters, trying to expel foreign invaders from the country.

The video met with international condemnation. U.S. officials denounced the crime as a cold-blooded murder, while Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered his security forces to apprehend those behind it.


On Wednesday in Kabul, dozens of protesters, mostly women, took to the streets to demand justice. Many held placards calling on the international community to do more to safeguard women's rights in the country, while others chanting "death to the perpetrators."

"Every day these violences and these killings are getting more and more" said Zujra Alamyar, a women's rights activist. "We want the government to take serious action and stop them."

Source: Taliban Commander Says Taliban Cannot Win Afghan War: Report - ABC News

 

[GR!FF!N]

Time will tell , Afghans have always won , turning invaders into graveyards. When Indians will run from Kabul no blue elephant or blue mogli with an bow and arrow on a flying charriot will come to their rescue.

India has no wet dream to "Occupy Afganistan" or "Use it as his Backyard"(like some country)..hope you understand how retarded your comment is..

 

[Rafi]

Basically a stalemate, the tabs can't control the cities and major towns, while ISAF and the ANA, can't control the countryside - the only way out of this quagmire is a negotiated settlement - with compromise from both sides. The sad thing is - this could have been done years ago, saving the huge price paid in blood and treasure by both sides.

 

[babajees]

Those who are quick to side with conspiracy theories and doubt any and all reports of ISAF’s progress in Afghanistan should consider what is being said in this article. Afghanistan has seen significant progress since the Taliban were removed from power and Al Qaeda removed from the country. Given this progress and the international community’s commitment to a stable and secure Afghanistan, it is certain that the Taliban will not succeed. Complex challenges still remain. This is the reason we regularly emphasize the importance of cooperation between regional and international partners. We will continue our mission until our goals are met, and leave the ANSF fully capable of protecting their nation.

LTC Taylor,
DET, United States Central Command
U.S. Central Command

What a JOKER you are! Hahaha. Why should we believe YOUR reports (when you have been known to LIE a LOT), especially since the NAME of the so called commander is with held.

Oh, and I can quote MULTIPLE reports by YOUR own media and your forces that YOU cannot win this war! hahaha. Hows that?

Anyone can write a report like this. Heck, I'll write one now..

"Anonymous sources reveal to BNS (thats Babajees News Service) that President Obama has expressed grave concern on America forces losing a number of soldiers on the battle field. The President was heard saying that the war is illegal, un winnable (if thats a word) and too costly, but since its re-election time, he'll keep killing the innocent "Af-Pakis" to quench the blood thirst of his CIA and Generals and keep ratings high"

Bla bla bla bla

Some better grammar and a AFP quote might add more credibility, yeah!

Keep dreaming. I'll tell you the truth. We HATE you. The majority of the world HATES you. You have ATOM BOMBED cities, OCCUPIED countries, BROUGHT revolutions (yeah.. democracy), Supported dictators, bombed wedding parties, raped 14 year old girls and made videos about them, killed journalists and hid the video evidence, jailed wistle blowers.... the list goes ON and ON and ON...

What should be YOUR punishment, Sir?

 

[saiyan0321]

India has no wet dream to "Occupy Afganistan" or "Use it as his Backyard"(like some country)..hope you understand how retarded your comment is..

never occupy but influence yes very yes and thats karzai for you the taliban will never accept that

i agree with rafi the only way to end this is a deal the pushtuns support the taliban and they will never bow down to a non pushtun leader and non pushtun hate the taliban and they will never want pushtun rule again that is the basic thing in their fights now and if this is solved then peace will be there but the problem is how to make the two sides to compromise but again i agree with rafi it was much worse to enter a war which only had loses and no gains at all

India has no wet dream to "Occupy Afganistan" or "Use it as his Backyard"(like some country)..hope you understand how retarded your comment is..

never occupy but influence yes very yes and thats karzai for you the taliban will never accept that

i agree with rafi the only way to end this is a deal the pushtuns support the taliban and they will never bow down to a non pushtun leader and non pushtun hate the taliban and they will never want pushtun rule again that is the basic thing in their fights now and if this is solved then peace will be there but the problem is how to make the two sides to compromise but again i agree with rafi it was much worse to enter a war which only had loses and no gains at all

 

[GR!FF!N]

never occupy but influence yes very yes and thats karzai for you the taliban will never accept that

i agree with rafi the only way to end this is a deal the pushtuns support the taliban and they will never bow down to a non pushtun leader and non pushtun hate the taliban and they will never want pushtun rule again that is the basic thing in their fights now and if this is solved then peace will be there but the problem is how to make the two sides to compromise but again i agree with rafi it was much worse to enter a war which only had loses and no gains at all

what india is doing is pouring money on infrastructure and in afghan's economy..India neither will have military or any other kind of presence in Afganistan.and now don't start to claim that India will try to form a puppet govt..so no possible scenario is there where "India will retreat" from Afganistan..and yes,we'll influence Afganistan so that you and Taliban will never find a safe havens in there...

 

[Haseebullah]

I totally agree with that statement but you see the thing is,you don't need to beat a superpower,you just need to make it bleed.

This is gorilla warfare,there is no winning or losing here!
If there was i would say U.S was on the losing side.