Taliban commander Sirajuddin Haqqani said on Wednesday that the surge of troops would not save the United States from an eventual defeat in Afghanistan. Haqqani who is believed to be the unannounced top head of the Taliban militants in tribal region told a private TV channel that "the Americans will be defeated despite the additional deployment of the troops."
Haqqani was also cited, bragging about recent gains by the Taliban in Afghanistan as compared to the time after their ouster from rule over the country that was triggered by the 2001 al- Qaeda terrorist attacks in US.
"Taliban were previously hiding in the mountains but now they are living in the towns and villages (of Afghanistan) with the support of the public," the Taliban commander told the news channel. Haqqani claimed that the United States was now sending secret messages to the Taliban for talks. In his late 30s, Haqqani is the son of the former mujahidin commander Jalaluddin Haqqani, who fought against Soviet forces and is now fighting Western troops.