Top militant writes opinion piece in NYT

KABUL: The deputy leader of the Taliban, one of the world’s most wanted militants, has written an opinion piece for the New York Times in which he says the Afghan insurgents are “fully committed” to a deal with Washington.

The article, headlined What the Taliban Want, represents the highest-level statement from the group on months of negotiations with the US, and comes as they are believed to be days away from signing an agreement that would see America begin to withdraw troops from its longest war.

It is also believed to the first time that Sirajuddin Haqqani who doubles as head of the Haqqani network, a Us-designated terror group that is one of the most dangerous factions fighting in Afghanistan - has given such a lengthy statement in English.

In the Times article, Haqqani repeated many Taliban talking points from the negotiations, including how women would have rights “granted by Islam” .

The leader of a group known for the frequent use of suicide bombers targeting civilians also said he is “convinced the killing and the maiming must stop”.

“We are about to sign an agreement with the United States and we are fully committed to carrying out its every single provision, in letter and spirit,” Haqqani wrote.

But he also admitted that the group is “aware of the concerns and questions” over any potential Taliban return to power.

Haqqani wrote that the Taliban were ready to agree on “a new, inclusive political system in which the voice of every Afghan is reflected and where no Afghan feels excluded”. He also stated that concerns about Afghanistan being used by foreign militant groups to threaten regional and world security were “inflated”.