The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban's shadow government in the country) on Saturday issued a statement on the growing desertions of soldiers in the Afghan National Army (ANA).
Citing reports in the Western media, it noted that causes of such desertions include mistreatment of soldiers by ANA officers, as well as lack of medical assistance to wounded troops. The statement claimed that if the desertions continue, the security transition process in Afghanistan and the plan by the U.S. to shift U.S. troops from active missions and patrols to barracks in Afghanistan after 2014 may not materialize.
The Taliban statement added: "No remedy and strategy of the Americans is proving to deliver. Even now there are obvious rifts in the national army. If the troop defection tempo continues unabated and the mujahideen momentum keeps on without let-up, the Americans' dream of staying in barracks and leaving the Afghan National Army to fight against mujahideen will get nowhere."
Following is the text of the statement:
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