Foreign forces using Afghan troops as shield
13 July, 2012
KABUL: Reacting over defence ministry's statement that Taliban attacks on Afghan security forces have increased recently, Taliban on Thursday said foreign troops were using Afghan forces as shield to protect themselves.
Taking to Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) �Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said targeting foreign forces were among their priorities.
"Attacks on American and other foreign forces are among the priorities of mujahideen. The Afghan security forces suffer casualties because like the former Soviet Union troops, the American and other foreign forces are using them as shield. The Afghan forces are in frontlines. They are guarding bases of foreign forces and fighting in frontline. In other words, the Afghan forces are in the frontline to protect of foreign forces. As a result, the suffer casualties," Mujahid said.
The Taliban spokesman said all the mujahideen had been directed to first target foreign soldiers, adding the foreign forces protect themselves and send Afghan troops to the line of fire.
To a query, he said the Taliban always trying to separate the Afghan troops from the foreign forces. He said their message to the Afghan security forces was to part ways with the foreign forces for the defence of religion and country.
"We urge all the Afghan security forces to stop partnering and defending the foreigners and join their mujahideen brothers to fight against the Americans and NATO occupying forces to defend the religion and country," he said.
Lauding the Afghan soldiers, police personnel and other security forces who conduct attacks on the foreign forces, he said: "The Islamic Emirate has always lauded those among the security forces who killed the foreigners in their attacks. There are some brave persons among the security forces whom the history of Afghanistan will be proud of."
"The Taliban have no enmity with the Afghan security forces. They are also considering them as the offspring of the nation. It also hurt us when Afghans are dying. The Taliban are, however, fighting against them because they are standing by the foreign forces and are fighting against the nation. If they stop standing by the foreign forces, return to their ordinary life or joint the Mujahideen, then we will have no problem with them. Our real problem is with the foreign forces who have attacked and occupied Afghanistan," he concluded.
The defence ministry spokesman said the armed opponents have increased attacks on the Afghan forces as compared to that on the foreign forces. However, the Taliban clearly said their real problem is with the foreign forces, and that conducting attacks on them was among their priorities.
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