| More on this story from a week ago. |
[TheLongWarJournal] The Afghan Taliban issued a “Letter of the Islamic Emirate to the American people” on Feb. 14, which was reported as an appeal for negotiations between the Taliban and the United States. Instead, the Taliban demanded that the US and the West withdraw from Afghanistan so the Taliban can establish its government.The lengthy “letter” is reproduced in full, below. Throughout the letter, the Taliban said the only acceptable outcome is for the US to quit so it can return to power. The following two paragraphs neatly summarized the Taliban’s position. First, the Taliban referred to itself: “we” and the “the Islamic Emirate” were used interchangeably. Then note how the Taliban considered itself, not the Afghan government, as the “representative of its people” [emphasis ours]:
After the Taliban established that only it can represent the Afghan people, it lays out its terms for “peace.” And that is US withdrawal and a return of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: