Hekmatyar: We’ve split with Taliban

“The jihad went into high gear but later it gradually went down as certain elements among the Taliban rejected the idea of a joint struggle against the aggressor,” Hekmatyar said. He said his forces were now mounting only restricted operations, partly because of a lack of resources.

Still, Hekmatyar, who once served as Afghan prime minister, insisted he had a large pool of fighters who could sustain a long struggle and sent a defiant message to President George W Bush that he had no hope of defeating the insurgency.

“You must have realized that attacking Afghanistan and Iraq was a historical mistake. You do not have any other option but to take out your forces from Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said addressing Bush.

The Taliban is vowing to intensify its resistance this spring,. There’s been no indication that Hekmatyar’s Hezb-i Islami, which is more active in eastern Afghanistan, would also ramp up its attacks.

Asked if he would consider opening negotiations with Karzai, Hekmatyar gave his most explicit offer yet to talk, albeit with conditions the US-backed government would be unlikely to accept—apparently a cease-fire followed by negotiations.

“But we say that dialogue can only be fruitful if the aggressors truly allow the Kabul government to halt the fighting, negotiate with the mujahedeen and honour what Kabul and the resistance decide,” said Hekmatyar.