Taliban spokesman to Press TV: US has violated deal on withdrawal of troops

The Taliban say the United States has breached its agreement with the group for the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.

Mohammed Naeem Wardak, spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Doha, told Press TV in an exclusive interview on Thursday that Washington has failed to abide by its commitments and respect pledges under the 2020 peace deal with the group.

“The US shamefully breached‎ the agreement on troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Americans have failed to adhere to their commitments,” he said. 

Wardak said the group’s priority is now to forcibly expel the US forces from Afghanistan.

“Afghans have been engaged in jihad against the occupiers and defending themselves against foreign forces for 20 years,” the spokesman said.

 “We have been fighting to make our country independent. We want to have an independent establishment to protect our people,” he added.

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden refused to set a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan as he said it was “time to end America’s longest war”.

On Tuesday officials said it would come before September 11, 2021, and would be without conditions, in a break with the former US government’s commitments.