American newspaper The New York Times is facing backlash for publishing an op-ed on Thursday written by deputy leader of the Afghan Taliban Sirajuddin Haqqani. In the article, the Taliban leader who is on the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s most-wanted terrorist list, expresses his opinion on the ongoing peace talks between the United States and the Taliban.
He claims that his cohorts were not expecting the peace talks would end in anything less than the US military forces leaving Afghanistan because the earlier negotiation did not reach any conclusion.
"Nevertheless, we decided to try once more. The long war has exacted a terrible cost from everyone. We thought it unwise to dismiss any potential opportunity for peace no matter how meager the prospects of its success. For more than four decades, precious Afghan lives have been lost every day. Everyone has lost somebody they loved. Everyone is tired of war. I am convinced that the killing and the maiming must stop," he says in the piece.
He also claims that his group did not choose to fight America.
"We did not choose our war with the foreign coalition led by the United States. We were forced to defend ourselves. The withdrawal of foreign forces has been our first and foremost demand. That we today stand at the threshold of a peace agreement with the United States is no small milestone."
People on social media have strongly criticised the publication for giving a platform to Taliban leader to write what they termed propaganda.
https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1230538048686845952?s=20
https://twitter.com/antoniogm/status/1230638301662466048?s=20
https://twitter.com/ModzeleskiJan/status/1230774532564234240?s=20
https://twitter.com/sunandavashisht/status/1230521241989242882?s=20
https://twitter.com/stephenfhayes/status/1230471308758192138?s=20
https://twitter.com/singhsahana/status/1230714344695975936?s=20
https://twitter.com/nailainayat/status/1230589502051307526?s=20
https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1230583081163161602?s=20
He claims that his cohorts were not expecting the peace talks would end in anything less than the US military forces leaving Afghanistan because the earlier negotiation did not reach any conclusion.
"Nevertheless, we decided to try once more. The long war has exacted a terrible cost from everyone. We thought it unwise to dismiss any potential opportunity for peace no matter how meager the prospects of its success. For more than four decades, precious Afghan lives have been lost every day. Everyone has lost somebody they loved. Everyone is tired of war. I am convinced that the killing and the maiming must stop," he says in the piece.
He also claims that his group did not choose to fight America.
"We did not choose our war with the foreign coalition led by the United States. We were forced to defend ourselves. The withdrawal of foreign forces has been our first and foremost demand. That we today stand at the threshold of a peace agreement with the United States is no small milestone."
People on social media have strongly criticised the publication for giving a platform to Taliban leader to write what they termed propaganda.
https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1230538048686845952?s=20
https://twitter.com/antoniogm/status/1230638301662466048?s=20
https://twitter.com/ModzeleskiJan/status/1230774532564234240?s=20
https://twitter.com/sunandavashisht/status/1230521241989242882?s=20
https://twitter.com/stephenfhayes/status/1230471308758192138?s=20
https://twitter.com/singhsahana/status/1230714344695975936?s=20
https://twitter.com/nailainayat/status/1230589502051307526?s=20
https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1230583081163161602?s=20