Afghan Leaders Call For Liberation Of Afghanistan From Taliban 'Occupation'

On the anniversary of the killings of two former senior police commanders by the Taliban, various anti-Taliban leaders highlighted the need to free Afghanistan from the group's “occupation”.

The leaders accused the Taliban of transforming Afghanistan into a nexus for fostering terrorism and exporting it internationally.

Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front, was among the Taliban's opponents who spoke at a virtual event to mark the thirteenth anniversary of the deaths of General Dawood Dawood and General Shah Jahan Noori, former commanders of the Afghan police.

Massoud described Afghanistan as engulfed in aggression and terror, stating that overcoming this situation demands active resistance.

He expressed that neither the West nor the East would assist the Afghan people, urging Afghans to unite and believe in their collective strength.

Mohammad Yunus Qanooni, former Vice-President, also addressed the meeting, noting that Afghanistan is under the grip of terrorism and that the Taliban's renewed control was the result of "internal conspiracy and a disgraceful international deal”.

He highlighted the issues of poverty, unemployment, targeted killings, discrimination, extremism, denial of education and employment to women, systematic human rights violations, and, crucially, Afghanistan's role as a terrorism hub. These, he stated, mar the country's history.

Qanooni commended the fortitude of Afghan women and girls, stating that liberation from occupation necessitates a concerted effort from all Afghan men and women.

General Sami Sadat, former commander of the Afghan army, commented that internal sabotage and conspiracy precipitated the fall of the prior government, and a "moral collapse" among the political class led to the breakdown of the republican system.

Sadat declared that the opposition possesses the capability to topple the Taliban regime.

General Dawood Dawood, the former police commander for northern Afghanistan, and Shah Jahan Noori, commander for Takhar, were killed on May 28, 2011, during a suicide bombing in Takhar province.

The Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack.