(Dan Tri) – The Taliban did not invade Afghanistan’s capital Kabul but was `invited in`, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai revealed.
Taliban gunmen in a parade in Kabul (Photo: Reuters).
In an interview with AP on December 15, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that he personally invited the Taliban to the capital Kabul in mid-August this year to act as a mediator in peace negotiations between this force and the government.
Mr. Karzai said that is the only way to protect the people and prevent the country and the capital Kabul from falling into chaos and prevent rebels and looters.`
Mr. Karzai, 63 years old, was president of Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014 and still has great influence.
Mr. Karzai has personally participated in power-sharing negotiations between Mr. Ghani’s government and the Taliban.
By August 15, tensions in Kabul tended to escalate, many people feared the Taliban would soon invade.
However, the situation changed very quickly, especially when in the early afternoon it was confirmed that Mr. Ghani and a number of senior government officials had fled Kabul.
`There were no more officials, police chiefs, police commanders or other units left in Kabul at that time. They all left,` Mr. Karzai said.
The Taliban easily occupied Kabul on August 15, encountering almost no resistance from the army or security forces of the Afghan government.
Mr. Karzai said the Taliban asked him to take on the role of interim president, but he refused.
The Taliban currently runs Afghanistan through an interim government whose members are either from the force or from its allies.
Nick John