Time to leave Afghanistan, Taliban tell Donald Trump

Nothing achieved in 15 years of war except bloodshed 
and destruction, say the Taliban in an open letter to US president.

The Taliban has called on President Donald Trump to
withdraw US forces from the "quagmire" of Afghanistan,
saying nothing has been achieved in 15 years of war
 except bloodshed and destruction.

In an open letter to the new US president published on 
one of its official web pages, the Taliban said the US 
had lost credibility after spending a trillion dollars on 
a fruitless entanglement.

"So, the responsibility to bring to an end this war also
 rest on your [Trump's] shoulders," it said.

Afghanistan was invaded by the US in 2001 and has
 become Washington's longest military intervention
 since Vietnam.

It has also been the costliest, with above $100bn spent.

The Taliban justify their ongoing insurgency in the
 letter, claiming that the group's "Jihad and struggle
 was legitimate religiously, intellectually, nationally 
and conforming to all other lawful standards".

So far, Trump has had little to say publicly about 
Afghanistan, where around 8,400 US troops remain 
as part of the NATO- led coalition's training mission to
 support local forces as well as a separate U 
counterterrorism mission.

Two of Trump's top security appointments - retired 
Marina Corps General James Mattis as secretary of 
defense and former General Michael Flynn as national
 security adviser - both have extensive experience in Afghanistan.

The Taliban, however, warned Trump against relying on
 the kind of "unrealistic" reports presented to former presidents by their generals, saying: "They would 
emphasise continuation of war and occupation of 
Afghanistan because they can have better positions 
and privileges in war."

Calling the ongoing violence as illegal, ineffective, 
and aimless, the group claimed "the Afghans, as a 
nation revealed by war for 38 long years, sincerely 
want to bring this war to an end".

"However, they know, despite whatever reasons for
 previous wars, the principle cause for the ongoing
 conflict is the presence of foreign occupying forces
 in our independent country," the letter added.

"You have to realise that the Afghan Muslim nation 
has risen up against foreign occupation."

The Taliban have made steady inroads against the 
western- backed government in Kabul since coalition 
forces ended their main combat mission in 2014, with government forces now in control of only two thirds
 of the country.

The group has repeatedly urged the US and its allies to
 leave Afghanistan, ruling out peace talks with the 
Kabul government while foreign forces remain on 
Afghan soil.