The Taliban, in an “open letter” to the American people has called for dialogue to end the prolonged Afghan war, claiming increased U.S. military airstrikes have not “retaken even a single inch of land” from the insurgency.
Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, released copies of the 10-page document Wednesday in several languages, detailing insurgent gains and so-called failures of the “illegitimate” U.S.-led invasion, now in its 17th year.
The insurgent group has written the letter with the hope American people, independent groups and “the peace loving Congressmen” will read it “prudently” to evaluate the future of their military mission in Afghanistan.
The U.S. undertook the “felonious act” to eliminate the “single unified” Taliban and al-Qaida, but it “merely paved the way for anarchy” and emergence of multiple groups in the country, the letter alleged. It apparently was referring to, among others, the rise of Islamic State in the country.
Loyalists of the Middle East-based terrorist groups have lately increased attacks in parts of the country, particularly in the eastern and northern provinces.
The insurgent letter also cited recent U.N. surveys to note record levels of opium-poppy production in Afghanistan, saying it is fueling insecurity, though U.S. officials estimate 65 percent of Taliban funding comes from the illegal narcotics trade.
The Taliban reiterated U.S. and Coalition countries have lost thousands of their citizens and spent billions of dollars to establish a legitimate Afghan government, but their efforts have instead led to a politically divided and financially corrupt ruling system in the country.
“If you want peaceful dialogue with the Afghans specifically, and with the world generally, then make your president and the war-mongering congressmen and Pentagon officials understand this reality and compel them to adopt a rational policy towards Afghanistan,” the letter said.
The Taliban has released the letter at time when the United States has stepped up airstrikes in support of anti-insurgent ground and air operations by Afghan forces under President Donald Trump’s new war strategy to break the military stalemate with the Taliban and push insurgents to the negotiating table.
During a visit this week to eastern Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, who commands the U.S. and NATO’s Resolute Support mission in the country, said the intensified offensive is yielding results.
FILE – The commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Gen. John W. Nicholson speaks during a change of command ceremony at Task Force Southwest atn Shorab military camp of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Monday, Jan. 15, 2018.
“The success of the Afghan operations around the country, supported by Resolute Support and U.S. forces, has caused the enemy high casualties everywhere. This has caused them to stop their attempts to seize provincial capitals, to stop trying to seize districts,” Nicholson said.
The American general asserted a recent wave of Taliban suicide bombings against Afghan civilians stemmed from insurgent battlefield setbacks and losses.
The Taliban’s letter, however, questioned those assertions.
“Only in past September — in accordance with Trump’s new strategy — American forces used all their new powers and carried out 751 airstrikes. You should ask your generals that despite using such force, have you retaken even a single inch of land from the Taliban, or have they become even more powerful.”
The insurgent group insisted the presence of American forces in Afghanistan and the “inexperienced policies of President Trump and his warmonger advisers” will mean more hostility for and beyond the region.
The Taliban has long wanted direct talks with Washington, saying they are the final authority to determine the fate of the war and dismissing Afghan rulers as “mere American puppets.”
U.S. officials maintain any peace process involving insurgents has to be initiated under the leadership of the Kabul government and within the Afghan constitution, requiring the Taliban to renounce violence and ties with al-Qaida terrorists.
The Afghan government has not commented on the Taliban letter.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has been calling on insurgents to engage in a peace process to end the war. But in the aftermath of deadly bombings in Kabul late last month, Ghani vowed not to engage in talks with those who publicly took credit for plotting the violence.
Afghan ambassador to Washington, Hamdullah Mohib, has claimed the Taliban’s open letter is an admission of defeat and a “face saving” attempt to seek a “truce.”
The Afghan government has always had an “open arms approach” to peace talks and it will be happy to “reintegrate all those Taliban that repent their actions and seek forgiveness from the Afghan people for their atrocities,” wrote Mohib on his official Twitter account.
The attacks, including a suicide car bombing, targeted the Intercontinental hotel in the Afghan capital and the city’s old interior ministry building, killing around 140 people, mostly civilians. The hotel attack also left at least four Americans dead.
Taliban spokesman Mujahid claimed responsibility for both the attacks, saying they were aimed at Afghan and U.S. security personnel.
The violence has since fueled anger against the Taliban in Kabul and prompted Trump to close doors for peace talks with the insurgents.
The chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Seattle will appear in federal court on Thursday to face charges that he stole the identities of immigrants to defraud banks.
Raphael A. Sanchez is accused of devising a scheme to obtain money and property by using the identities of “seven aliens in various stages of immigration proceedings” with ICE over a period of four years to defraud American Express, Bank of America and others, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
Sanchez, who is due to make an initial court appearance Thursday morning, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft, court documents show.
He has resigned from the agency, his lawyer, Cassandra Stamm, said on Wednesday.
The offenses allegedly took place between October 2013 and October 2017, and included an instance of forwarding a copy of part of a Chinese passport and other information from his government email address, according to court documents.
The investigation involved ICEs internal affairs division, according to an ICE official, who referred questions to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Justice Department, whose Public Integrity Section brought the charges, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As chief counsel, Sanchez was involved in a $2.25 million government settlement in 2015 with Broetje Orchards, a Washington state company that admitted to employing unauthorized workers after being told by ICE they did not have permission to work in the United States.
