JAKARTA - The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan was over, following the success of its troops in capturing the presidential palace in Kabul. The Taliban is also ready to involve various parties in the new government, while wanting to open up international relations.
President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday when Islamist insurgents entered the city, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed, while hundreds of Afghans were desperate to leave Kabul's flooded airport.
"Today is a big day for the Afghan people and mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their 20 years of efforts and sacrifices. Thank God, the war in this country is over," Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the Taliban's political office, quoted Reuters from Al Jazeera TV, Monday 16 August.
Instead of taking 90 days to seize Kabul as US intelligence estimates next week, it took the Taliban just a week to seize control of Afghanistan after the blitz that ended in Kabul.
Naeem said the shape of the new regime in Afghanistan would soon be clarified, while underlining the Taliban do not want to live in isolation and calling for peaceful international relations.
"We have achieved what we were looking for, namely the freedom of our country and the independence of our people. We will not allow anyone to use our land to target anyone, and we do not want to hurt anyone else," he stressed.
Separately, the new Taliban government will include non-Taliban Afghans, Taliban spokesman Sohail Shaheen told CNN's Nic Robertson in a video interview Sunday.
Asked whether the new Taliban government would include members of the former Afghan government, Shaheen, speaking from Doha, Qatar said it would be "premature" now to name the officials. But he said they were trying to get some high-profile figures to be part of the government.
"When we say Afghanistan's Islamic inclusive government, it means that other Afghans also have participation in the government," he explained, citing CNN.
The ministry, when asked whether the Taliban would call on the Afghan army and police at this time, to join the Taliban security forces. Shaheen said all those who gave up their weapons and joined the Taliban forces would be granted amnesty, their lives and property would be safe. He added that their names were on the list and they would be used as a "backup" force and summoned as needed.
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