Afghanistan

Politicians call for ‘revenge’ against the Taliban

A number of Afghan politicians in exile held a virtual meeting to commemorate the late anti-Taliban resistance front commander Khair Mohammad Khairkhwah and emphasized the need for revenge against the Taliban.

The virtual meeting – which was hosted by the University of Westminster in London – was attended by Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the National Resistance Front; Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, former Afghan vice president and the leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan; Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, a former Jihadi leader; Abdul Latif Pedram; Mohammad Mohaqiq; Atta Mohammad Noor and a number of other politicians.

Ahmad Masoud described the meeting as anti-Taliban politicians coming together with a “common vision”. He said he hoped the meeting would lead to “complete coherence” among parties.

Former Afghan vice president Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum accused the Taliban of summary killings of a number of Jihadi figures and commanders, saying that he witnessed how the Taliban “slaughtered” the late Hazara Leader Abdul Ali Mazari.

He also stated that the Taliban was involved in the killing of the former leader of the Jamiat-e-Islami party and head of High Peace Council Burhanuddin Rabbani; Afghan national hero Ahmad Shah Massoud; Piram Qol and Ahmad Khan Samangani, former jihadi figures, and emphasized the need to take revenge against the Taliban.

Raising his voice over the killing of former Afghan soldiers by the Taliban, Dostum said that he will honor the sacrifice of the resistance fighters in Panjshir, Andrab, and all the commanders and jihadi figures who were killed by the Taliban and that he will “take revenge”.

Dostum called on the members of the Council of National Resistance for the Salvation of Afghanistan to mobilize for a war against the Taliban.

“We want nothing, we have one wish to honor the blood of the martyrs, let’s go and be killed in the Dorahi Hairatan [in Afghanistan],” Dostum said,

He also called for unity among the participants and urged all anti-Taliban movements to create a political plan as soon as possible.

“We will stand against this demon (Taliban), we must say that we all must be united and move with one slogan forward,” Dostum added.

Dostum criticized Russia and the countries of Central Asia for their “close” relations with the Taliban and said that the creation of a railway from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan and from there to Peshawar is a project that was planned years ago during the former Soviet Union. This is “impossible” to be implemented.

He also warned against the movement of “Islamist” terrorists in the northern parts of Afghanistan, stating that the Taliban support these groups and that the situation poses a danger to Central Asia.

Mohammad Mohaqiq, the leader of the Hizb-i-Wahdat political party, stated that all politicians must “convince the world that we are united. They don’t trust anything we say.”

Abdul Latif Pedram, the leader of the Afghan national congress party of Afghanistan, suggested the formation of a federal government to resolve the current crisis in Afghanistan.

“My suggestion is that we either go towards federalism or disintegration. There is no national identity and national unity [among the people of Afghanistan],” Pedram said.

Atta Mohammad Noor also called for the creation of a united front against the Taliban and called the group “oppressive”.

Khair Mohammad Khairkhwah, a commander of the resistance front, was killed forty days ago in a clash with the Taliban in the Pul-e-Hisar area of Andrab.