Kabul: The Taliban today levelled a
stinging verbal attack on the United Nations, which is
relocating 600 foreign staff in Afghanistan after the militia
attacked one of its guesthouses in Kabul.
In a statement on its website, the Taliban accused the
United Nations of "suppressing and oppressing" Muslims while
supporting "arrogant invaders".
The UN decision to temporarily withdraw 600 foreign
staff -- more than 50 per cent of the current total -- comes
in response to a Taliban attack on a hostel nine days ago in
which five UN employees and two Afghans were killed.
Referring to a pledge by UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon to bring the perpetrators to justice, the Taliban
accused the world body of "horrendous" crimes in the eight
years since the Islamist regime was pushed from power.
"They have their share in the mass murders of the
Afghan people and are the cause of the tragedies and
sufferings of the Afghans.
During the past eight years, never a day has passed
without the Americans and Western brutal forces not committing
crimes, murder or torture against our people or not
encroaching on our national and religious values," it said.
More than 100,000 foreign troops are in Afghanistan
fighting the Taliban and US President Barack Obama is mulling
a request by his commander on the ground, General Stanley
McChrystal, for tens of thousands of reinforcements.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, November 06, 2009, 16:48