Don't forget Afghanistan

Four years after U.S. forces launched their offensive to overthrow the Taliban, the guerrillas vowed on Friday to continue their holy war to rid Afghanistan of foreign troops.

Taliban military chief Mullah Dadullah told Reuters that Afghanistan had become a "hub of disturbance, killings, looting and drugs" since the Taliban's overthrow in late 2001.

Dadullah, speaking by satellite phone from an undisclosed location, denounced presidential and legislative elections in October 2004, and September 18 this year as U.S.-staged "dramas".

He said the latest polls for a national assembly and provincial councils had brought in "old murderers and warlords".

"Those who were happy over the fall of the Taliban have now realised the American occupation of their country was just for the sake of American interests," he said.

"It's proven the Americans occupied our country by raising the bogey of terrorism and have no sympathy with Afghans."

Dadullah called Afghanistan a "drug-manufacturing factory" with government ministers involved in the narcotics trade.

"We will continue our jihad until we drive out foreign troops from our country," he said.