AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: There are certain countries in the region that are trying to keep the Taliban’s war machine operational, as they believe that conflict in Afghanistan protects their interests, a famous Afghan General said.
Kandahar Police Chief, General Abdul Raziq has said that countries like Pakistan, Russia and Iran are funding and equipping the Taliban and other insurgent groups in a bid to fuel the war machine and pursue their own objectives. “Some Countries in the region have a vested interest in the conflict in Afghanistan.”
There are enough evidence, showing that Pakistan, Russia and Iran are funding the Taliban and other militant outfits in the country, he claimed.
“The Russians have been in contact with the Taliban militants since 2004 or 2005. It is not correct to say that they (Russians) engaged in ties with the Taliban in recent times (only), but now these relations have been clarified. Pakistanis, Iranians and the Russians are jointly supporting the terrorists, however the Russians do their work through Iran, for instance sending the Taliban weapons and money,” said Raziq.
It is a matter of shame for the Taliban insurgents to ask foreigners for support to achieve their evil ambitions in the country. He accused the group of destroying themselves for foreigners.
“We want to tell the Taliban that it is very shameful for them to fight in the name of Jihad (holy war) but ask for money from Russia. This is the Russia which destroyed our country and deprived us of development for years. It is now forty years that we are fighting with ourselves, so our demand from the Taliban is to avoid such action,” added Raziq.
“The war will be increased on some special fronts. They hail only minor gains. There is a possibility about the rise in casualties among our forces, but at the end, Afghanistan will be victorious, so far the insurgents have managed to take over only a small locality,” said civil society activist Ahmad Shah Sepahr.
This comes at a time that heavy fighting is being witnessed in a number of southern provinces including Uruzgan, Zabul and Helmand – which has been a hotbed of conflict between government forces and the Taliban over the past few years.