In Eid message, Taliban leader says won't cease fighting until goals met

The Taliban leader’s annual message was first in six rounds of peace talks between the group’s representatives and US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.
The sides have cited progress on troop withdrawal and preventing Afghanistan from being used by terrorist groups, but Taliban have yet to announce ceasefire or enter into talks with the Afghan government.
“No one should expect us to pour cold water on the heated battlefronts of Jihad or forget our 40-year sacrifices before reaching our objectives,” Hebatullah said in them message which cited foreign troop withdrawal and establishment of an Islamic system as the group’s objectives.
Apart from holding talks with US, the Taliban have also met senior Afghan politicians and civil representatives with the most recent meeting having been held in Moscow this week.
In the message, the Taliban leader accused Kabul of trying to sabotage dialogue between the Taliban and Afghan political figures.
“The Islamic Emirate shall pay no heed to such futile efforts and diplomatic obstructions being created for the intra-Afghan dialogue,” Hebatullah said.
He said that the Taliban did not seek a monopoly over power and would respect all the rights of male and female Afghans and develop education, commerce, employment and welfare.
“The Islamic Emirate seeks the establishment of a sovereign, Islamic and inclusive government acceptable to all Afghans in our beloved homeland,” the message said.