Taliban urge factions to fight foreign forces

By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's Taliban Islamic movement has urged the war-torn nation's former mujahideen factions to join it in their campaign to drive out foreign forces from the country.

The Taliban appeal follows complaints by some mujahideen leaders about being sidelined from President Hamid Karzai's government they brought to power by helping U.S.-led forces with the overthrew of the Taliban in 2001.

But the factional forces, many of whom fought against the former Soviet invasion of the country, still have military and political positions in Karzai's government.

"There is no doubt that the former leaders and commanders of Jihad have given a lot of sacrifices for Islam and for the path of freeing the country," the Taliban said in a statement on their Web site.

"Now, it is necessary that they stand beside their people and the nation and show their sacrifice once again against this invasion...the Islamic Emirate will adopt a understanding path with them and keep its bosom open for them," the statement said.

The Taliban appeal comes as violence has intensified in Afghanistan in the past two years in which more than 12,000 people have been killed, according to the U.N. and aid groups.

The Taliban said they wanted good ties with the world, adding their fight was only to liberate their country from U.S.-led forces.

"If countries allied to America end the occupation of Afghanistan and pull out their troops, then Afghans will not view them as enemies like America,".

The factions fought against the occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s before seizing power in 1992 after the collapse of the communist regime.

However, they fought among each other for control of the country that led to a civil war and eventually the rise of the Taliban.

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)