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Taliban Face Cash Crunch | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Media ID: 55363131
Caption:

Taliban militants hand over their weapons after joining the
Afghan government’s reconciliation and reintegration programme, in
Herat, Jan. 30, 2012. Photo: Reuters/Mohammad Shoib


London- The Afghan Taliban are facing a cash crisis with donors unwilling to bankroll an insurgency whose victims are increasingly civilians rather than foreign troops.

Taliban’s Official Mullah Rahmatullah Kakazada told The Guardian that the war is becoming unpopular because of all the bad publicity on civilian casualties; these people who give money don’t want to spend it on mines that kill children, added the official, who was a senior diplomat under the Taliban regime.

The Taliban have long collected donations from sympathizers around the region, including wealthy Afghan and Arab businessmen in the Gulf. But now the movement’s finances are so weakened that some of its most seriously injured fighters are no longer welcome at Pakistan’s private hospitals because they cannot settle their bills, according to Taliban sources.

Taliban proposed to protect many government projects like copper excavation and the establishment of an international pipeline to transport natural gas to allow these projects to be launched after years of delay.

But, Taliban have been responsible for many terrorist and violence acts that took place over the last 15 years and pushed investors away, which prevented Afghanistan form benefitting from its natural resources and building the required infrastructure that allows it to waive foreign aid.

Extremists known as “Islamic State of Afghanistan” have continued their fighting against the government and foreign forces. In a statement, Taliban said they don’t only support the national projects which serve the peoples’ interests and achieves the prosperity of this nation, but they are also committed to protect them.

Afghanistan intends to implement many projects including mining, power generation, and bridges building, but the government accused Taliban of hindering their launch because of their terrorist activities.

As per their promise to protect fruitful national projects, governmental officials said they are waiting Taliban to move from words to acts.