News - Afghanistan

The Taliban will not be able to return to Afghanistan unless they accept and recognise the reconciliation process and the Afghan constitution, Isaf Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Adrian Bradshaw told TOLOnews Wednesday.

Bradshaw emphasised that the international community will not abandon the Afghan security forces and will stand with them in order to prevent the Taliban returning to its former power in Afghanistan.

"The Afghan National security forces now understand that they will not be abandoned by the international community and we will stay shoulder to shoulder with them even though we will no longer be involved in combat operations ourselves," he said.

The outgoing three-star British General said that the Taliban leaders sitting in exile for more than a decade should realise that it is not possible for them to return to Afghanistan unless they recognise the Afghan constitution which rejects violence and their affiliation with Al-Qaeda.

"I think the writing is on the wall for Taliban commanders who sit in exile outside this country where they have been for a decade and more. They now understand that they will not come back in the next decade. It's time now to cash in their chips, join the political process and join a political accommodation which recognises the constitution of Afghanistan, which rejects violence, which rejects their affiliation to the Al-Qaeda and join the civilized and democractic and representative government of Afghanistan," Bradshaw said.

He added that the local uprisings against Taliban in villages and districts was good to see, but it was the job of the Afghan government to support such movements.

"Of course, Isaf and Afghan colleagues are delighted when we see the population in certain localities demonstrate their opposition to the Taliban. We know very well from our survey returns that the population of Afghanistan do not wish to see the Taliban governing them, they reject the sort of disgraceful regime that proceeded the arrival of Isaf forces," he said.

"I think it's important that we [Isaf] assist the Afghan government and security forces in any way that is appropriate to support these people and allow, where it occurs, for these popular movements to flourish. I think that to induct them into formal security solutions which work back to central government through the district chief of police, I think that is very appropriate response... But I will leave it to the Afghan government to judge precisely how they handle these issues because this is an issue for the Afghan government, but its thoroughly a positive thing," he added.

Regarding the insider attacks, the Isaf second-in-command said only a small number of them were motivated by the insurgents, with other causes being stress and feeling insulted.

"We have found in our studies a variety of different motivations for these attacks, a very small number of them are motivated directly through links with the insurgency," Bradshaw said. "There are some which are related to arguments, response to behavior which might be deemed to be insulting, very often mistakenly so, stress and strains of working in a hostile and dangerous environment."

The full interview with Lieutenant General Adrian J Bradshaw will be published at 8:00PM tonight on TOLOnews.