Afghan Taliban tells Obama to focus on domestic affairs
Former Taliban fighters display their weapons after they joined Afghan government forces during a ceremony in Herat on November 3, 2012.
The Afghan Taliban said on Wednesday that newly re-elected US President Barack Obama should withdraw from Afghanistan and focus on domestic problems.
"Obama has realized that the Americans are tired of the war and the backbreaking costs of the war," said Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid in a statement, according to Al Jazeera. "Therefore, he should pullout the occupying forces from our country as soon as possible and prevent the deaths of more Americans."
"In order to stop increasing anti-US sentiments in the world, Obama should prevent the US from acting like the world’s police force and focus instead on solving of the problems of the Americans," read the statement, according to Indian newspaper The Hindu.
"Americans are tired of the war and the extravagant military expenses. Obama should listen to the people of the United States and put an end to all the hollow wars, and prevent the US from committing more war crimes in the world," it continued.
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Meanwhile, Afghan President Hamid Karzai congratulated Obama on his re-election, hoping for expanded ties, according to Agence France Presse.
"The president hopes that with President Obama's re-election relations between Afghanistan and the United States, based on bilateral interests, are further expanded," his spokesman Aimal Faizi told AFP.
On the street, however, the sentiment seemed to be ambivalent. "Whether Obama or Romney, it is the same. (Former president George W.) Bush, Obama — none of them could solve the problems of Afghanistan," Nasrullah, a phone retailer, told AFP.
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