Taliban Ready To Die In Kandahar

QUETTA, Pakistan, Sunday- The Taliban’s last stand looks set to be the bloodiest yet in the Afghan conflict with the Islamic militia vowing a fight to the death to retain control of its spiritual birthplace Kandahar. After the fall of its encircled northern bastion of Kunduz, the southern province of Kandahar has become the Taliban’s last major pocket of resistance. But while the Taliban have insisted that their withdrawal from vast swathes of Afghanistan in recent weeks has been tactical, they have made clear that surrender in their heartland is not an option. Spiritual leader Mullah Mohammed Omar’s spokesman said last week that the movement felt compelled to stand firm in Kandahar where support for the Taliban has always been strongest. “The people of Kandahar and surrounding provinces are with us and have promised to fight in the favour of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” Syed Tayyab Agha told reporters in Spin Boldak in the south of Kandahar province. “That is why we cannot leave because they have given thousands of sacrifices. This is the base of the Taliban Islamic movement. This is where most of our leaders have returned. There is a request from our people, from the public, who say we should stay and we should defeat our enemies.” The Taliban have claimed up to 50,000 of their troops remain in Kandahar although Agha only talked in terms of thousands. But there seems to be enough of a fighting force to ensure that there will be no swift capitulation. The Taliban have also insisted that the elusive Omar, whose home is in the city, remains in the province. Kandahar was the first slice of Afghanistan to come under control of the Taliban in late 1994. AFP