- The Taliban has denied reports that the Islamist group
is in negotiations with US officials and claimed that its regrouped forces
are giving foreign troops an increasingly rough ride.
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- In an exclusive interview with Aljazeera, Mulla Abd al-Latif
Hakimi said the rumour had begun after US forces decided to release prominent
Taliban member, Mulla Mutawakkil Akhondzada.
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- A one-time foreign minister, Mulla Mutawakkil was a familiar
face on TV screens as Taliban spokesman before the US-led war to oust the
Taliban in 2001.
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- But the Taliban spokesman said Mutawakkil's "release"
amounted to nothing more than house arrest in Kandahar.
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- "He cannot freely speak his opinion ... it is not
freedom. In any case, we will never cease our enmity with the Americans
and other occupiers who have illegally invaded Afghanistan."
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- Casualties
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- Hakimi added that the Taliban was able to target US soldiers
with increasing ease and gave numerous examples.
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- "We killed 18 American soldiers near the Maryam
school in Gazney province, another three in the town of Zargary.
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- "In the mountains of Khoyani we set a trap in a
depot and killed 43 US soldiers with one bomb."
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- "We never let the Americans sleep in their base
at Khost. Every night there is a rocket attack."
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- The mulla claimed the Taliban were well-organised and
had units "from Spin Buldak to Badakshan, Torkham to Shir Khan Bandar
and Torgondi to Zarang".
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- Pakistan
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- The cleric also denied that the Taliban was crossing
the Pakistani border in order to attack government forces there, saying
the situation was the exact opposite.
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- "The Pakistani government is trying hard to operate
against the Taliban. It is they who hunt mujahidin in north and south Waziristan
and hunt for those who oppose American occupation in Afghanistan."
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- Pakistani paramilitaries have attacked various villages
in the northern province of Waziristan since mid-March, attempting to end
tribal support for Taliban soldiers.
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- Though aware of operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan
to crush Islamist forces, Hakimi played down their chances of success.
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- "History shows that maintaining an invasion and
occupation in Afghanistan is extremely difficult. We have faith in Allah
and confidence in our mujahidin, Shaikh Usama [bin Ladin] as well as [Qalb
al-Din] Hekmatyar."
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- Hekmatyar is head of the Hizb-e-Islami and has recently
made an alliance with Taliban.
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- Blocking US-backed elections
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- The spokesman also described plans to disrupt approaching
elections in addition to its policy of targeting foreign forces on Afghan
soil.
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- "We do not accept the so-called elections in Afghanistan.
The current administration is a puppet.
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- "This is a toy government and toy elections. The
Americans should go now. We know how to live with each other here and we
can fix things ourselves."
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- Addressing his last comment to the White House, Hakimi
said that Taliban were not the ones who had started the fight against US
forces.
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- President George Bush "has made the world hate America
by sending their forces all over the world.
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- "In the past, we did not despise or hate Americans
as people. But Bush now makes us disrespect them just as Moscow's armies
made us hate Russians."
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