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In a statement about the May 20-21 NATO Summit in Chicago, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government) has said that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan is the country's "fundamental problem," and that the Taliban will continue to wage jihad until the country is liberated.
The Taliban statement also lauded French President Francois Hollande for saying that all French troops will be removed from Afghanistan by the end of 2012. "We call upon all of the other NATO member countries to avoid working for the political interests of American officials and to answer the call of your own people by immediately removing all of your troops from Afghanistan," it said.
The Islamic Emirate also left an open the possibility for resuming peace talks with the U.S., saying: "The Islamic Emirate has left all military and political doors open. It wants to secure the rights of the Muslim Afghan nation through all possible ways and as a responsible force, [and] is prepared to accept everything it announces..."
Following is the text of the Taliban statement:
"'War On Terror' Was ... Only Carried Out For Political And Economic Gains; Terrorism And Ground Realities Had Nothing In Common"
"According to news reports, NATO is going to hold a diplomatic summit in Chicago from May 20-21, where Afghanistan will be the most important agenda on the table. Therefore, the Islamic Emirate, in order to fulfill its historical obligation, wants to declare the points below to the conference's participants:
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