Taliban\'s view on its talks with US

The US and Taliban have recently engaged in much publicized negotiations with top US officials boasting the development as efforts to bring the Taliban back into the main fold in Afghan politics, according to US media. The following is a transcribed excerpt from Iran's Pashtu Radio interview with Taliban spokesman Zabihollah Mojahed on the content of such negotiations. Q: According to American media, the US has recently held negotiations with Taliban representative Tayyub Agha, while the talks were on the exchange of prisoners. What's your opinion? A: The US and some linked with the Afghan government have made certain comments about the negotiations but the individual [from Taliban] who negotiated with them (Americans) has no close links with Taliban's leader. Negotiations were only aimed at the exchange of prisoners and were in favor of Taliban. No negotiations have been held with any other individual but the Taliban representative, because Afghanistan is still occupied. Q: /So recent US propaganda about the negotiations with Taliban on the group assuming control of a significant part of Afghanistan as well as the Afghan government are baseless? A: They test the Afghan people by making such a claim. Afghanistan is an inseparable country and major powers had proposed the disintegration of Afghanistan before but they failed because Afghanistan is a single country and its ethnic groups are united. The US must accept that the Afghan nation will not welcome them as long as foreign forces are present in Afghanistan. It would be unacceptable and impractical and fighting will continue if the US negotiates and reaches an agreement with the puppet government. Q: So, Taliban's main condition for negotiations is the withdrawal of foreign forces [from Afghanistan]. Is that true? A: Undoubtedly, Afghanistan's independence is vital to us and we have fought for independence for years and we will never allow foreigners to govern this country. If foreigners continue to insist [on remaining in Afghanistan], they will definitely fail.