Ahmad Massoud: If There Are Peace-Seeking Elements Within the Taliban, They Should Take the Initiative
Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, referring to “rumors” about the existence of two “peace-seeking” and “war-oriented” factions within the Taliban, said that if a peace-seeking faction genuinely exists within the group, it should take the initiative and work to change the Taliban’s current approach.
Massoud said the first messages conveyed by Afghanistan’s leaders, from Ahmad Shah Massoud to Burhanuddin Rabbani, were “not messages of war, but messages of peace.” He added, however, that under the current circumstances, control, initiative, and policymaking within the Taliban’s structure appear to be in the hands of factions that favor a confrontational and war-oriented approach.
The leader of the National Resistance Front said he has so far not observed any clearly identifiable Taliban faction pursuing a peace-oriented approach and remains skeptical about the existence of such a group. Nevertheless, he said that if such a faction does genuinely exist, it should accept the will of the Afghan people and derive its legitimacy from within the country.
Ahmad Massoud emphasized that he does not consider war a solution to Afghanistan’s problems and has repeatedly expressed this position. According to him, resolving the Afghan crisis requires creating an environment for dialogue and establishing a legitimate political system that is accepted by the people of Afghanistan.
He also said that anti-Taliban factions have reached an understanding about Afghanistan’s future and are working to develop a common roadmap for the country’s political future and to create the conditions necessary for the political system to gain legitimacy. Massoud added that the objective of these factions is not the complete destruction of the Taliban, but rather the establishment of a legitimate system based on the will of the Afghan people.
The leader of the National Resistance Front said in an interview with Etilaatroz TV on Saturday, 20 Saratan, that opponents of the Taliban are seeking to establish a common position on Afghanistan’s political future. He stressed that these groups are not seeking to secure power for any particular individual or faction, but rather want to create conditions in which the Afghan people can decide on the type of political system they want in the future.
Massoud added that, until such a system is established, anti-Taliban factions will remain united. According to him, the shared objective of these groups is to create an environment in which the people of Afghanistan can determine the country’s political future and the structure of its government.
He also called on the Taliban to choose between negotiations and continued confrontation with the Afghan people, saying the group must accept the need to come to the negotiating table and engage in dialogue aimed at establishing an inclusive government. According to Massoud, continuing the current approach could place the Taliban increasingly at odds with the will and discontent of the Afghan people.
The leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan said the opposition seeks a “free, prosperous, and independent Afghanistan” a country in which the government enjoys legitimacy derived from the will of the people. He also rejected the existence of fundamental disagreements among the various anti-Taliban factions, saying their shared objective is to create the conditions for the people of Afghanistan to determine the country’s future.
In another part of the interview, Ahmad Massoud stressed that he does not regard the Taliban’s hold on power as permanent, saying: “The Taliban are not the end of Afghanistan’s history.” He added that the country’s political future must be determined according to the wishes and will of the Afghan people.
The leader of the National Resistance Front concluded by saying that the Taliban will ultimately be compelled to accept the will of the Afghan people either by acknowledging their demands or as a result of political, regional, and international pressure. Otherwise, he said, they will be forced to relinquish power.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
