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Taliban Threaten to Boycott Talks in Case of More Sanctions
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia Sunday threatens to boycott the UN-sponsored negotiation between Afghan warring factions if more sanctions were slapped on it.
"In the case of imposition of the sanctions, we'll boycott the negotiation being conducted through UN mediation," said an announcement issued by the Taliban Embassy here.
The closure of Taliban offices abroad or their reduction will be responded by "self-same steps" regarding UN offices in Afghanistan except foreign humanitarian offices.
The U.N. Security Council imposed economic and airline embargoes on Taliban late last year. Reports reaching here indicated that presently Washington and Moscow has moved a resolution in the United Nations seeking for more sanctions against the Afghan militia.
Taliban also threatened to launch a popular boycott campaign against "usage of American products and produce and everything that benefits USA" throughout the Islamic world.
In the announcement, Taliban criticized the United Nations for its alleged partiality in the Afghan issue.
"The U.N. stance is not neutral because of its having recognized the so-called Rabbani regime as a legal government of Afghanistan" and isolated the Taliban's regime, the Islamic Emirate,"in violation of the international principles that specify certain conditions for recognition of a country," said the announcement.
The United Nations' slapping of more sanctions on the militia "as sought by the anti-Islamic resolution of America/Russia" "proves that the United Nations is supporting the opposition's illegitimate war and encourage its prolongation," it claimed.
Taliban, ruling over 90 percent of the Afghan territory, have been fighting against the northeastern-based opposition forces loyal to former President Burhanuddin Rabbani and his military commander Ahmed Shah Masood for the control of the remaining areas.
Washington changed its attitude towards Taliban after the latter refused to hand in alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden who was suspected to be involved in the twin bombings of US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998.
Meanwhile, Moscow joined Washington in accusing Taliban of terrorist activities after the Chechen war in 1999.
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