Taliban Spokesman Pens Letter to Trump Urging Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Image thought to be of Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid
Image thought to be of Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, penned a lengthy letter that he then disbursed to journalists, asking President Trump to withdraw from the 16-year war in Afghanistan was made public this week.

Trump has been considering raising the troop strength in that war-torn, beleagured country from its present level of approximately 8,400 to over 12,000. The Taliban is recommending to Trump that he instead should withdraw the remaining troops from what the Taliban called Trump’s “inherited war.”

The Afghan government has faced difficulties in its campaign to stem the tide of Taliban advancement, over 50% of that country is now under the influence of the Taliban and another group, an affiliate of the Islamic State is gaining a foothold as well.

Playing to Trump’s ego, Taliban spokesman, Mujahid said in the over 1,600-word letter, “We have noticed that you have understood the errors of your predecessors and have resolved to thoroughly rethinking your new strategy in Afghanistan. You must also not hand over the Afghan issue to warmongering generals, but must make a decision where history shall remember you as an advocate of peace.”

The Taliban coaxed Trump to pull out of the the costly war that has cost the United States over $100 billion so far, saying, “A number of warmongering congressmen and generals in Afghanistan are pressing you to protract the war in Afghanistan because they seek to preserve their military privileges, but instead you must act responsibly as the fate of many Americans and Afghans alike is tied to this issue.”[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]

The letter went on to say, “It seems to be a historical mistake on part of the previous administrations to have dispatched American youth for the slaughter of Afghans. However, as a responsible American president, you need to study the mistakes of your predecessors and prevent death and injury to American forces in Afghanistan” The letter went on to say, “American youth are not born to be killed in the deserts and mountains of Afghanistan in order to establish the writ of thieves and corrupt officials and neither would their parents approve of them killing civilians in Afghanistan.”

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Erik Prince, the founder of the private security company, Blackwater, who is also the brother to Trump’s pick for Education Secretary, Betsy Devos, has proposed to Trump that the president employ his private military force of 5,500 contractors to replace the US boots on the ground in Afghanistan. The Taliban warned against that option, saying that employing private troops would be a mistake and that the war could not be won utilizing “professional US and NATO troops … you shall never be able to win it with mercenaries, notorious contractor firms, and immoral stooges.”

According to US Defense Secretary James Mattis, Trump is “very, very close to making a decision as to the possible increase in troop size, and says that all options remain on the table and that total withdrawal is one of those options.