Taliban calls on Trump to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) – The Taliban terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) has released an open letter to US President Donald Trump, in which the groups calls for a complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, saying they provoke ongoing violence in the country, local media reported Tuesday.

In their letter, the group has claimed that the ongoing violence in Afghanistan had a direct link to the presence of US forces, calling them “occupation forces” that provoke war in Afghanistan used by everyone in their own interest, Khaama Press news agency reported.

The group also accused the US-led coalition for the destruction of the country that has made Afghanistan one of the worst nations in terms of security, governance, and economy.

The Taliban has released the new letter amid the Trump administration’s review of Afghanistan policy.

Afghanistan has long been suffering from unstable political, social and security situation due to the simmering militant insurgency, including that of Taliban and Islamic State (IS) terrorist groups, outlawed in Russia.

The United States and its allies launched a military operation in Afghanistan in 2001 following 9/11 terror attacks. The mission in Afghanistan ended in 2014. On January 1, 2015, NATO announced its new mission in the country, called Resolute Support, to train and assist the Afghan security forces. More than 8,400 US troops remain in Afghanistan with an additional 5,000 NATO forces.

On July 14, Defense Secretary James Mattis said the Pentagon was close to completing its policy review for a new strategy in Afghanistan. On August 3, US Sen. Lindsey Graham said the United States could turn the tide of the war in Afghanistan with just 3,000-4,000 additional troops and boosted air capacity. Last week, US Sen. John McCain introduced an amendment that details a strategy to resolve the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, while Trump said his administration was getting closer to making a major decision on Afghanistan.