Kabul (BNA) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani chaired the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces meeting here yesterday, a statement said.
During the meeting the president congratulated the new security team and introduced Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahman as senior deputy minister of interior for security affairs to the meeting participants. Afterwards, the country’s defense and security officials delivered their reports regarding of the country’s overall security situation, the presidential palace statement added.
After hearing security reports, the country’s President and Supreme Commander of Armed Forces instructed the defense and security officials to adopt resolute and overall measures for repulsing enemy’s attacks and vicious plans.
While introducing the new ministerial nominees for the Ministries of Defense and Interior, President Ghani said on Saturday the Taliban should decide in what way they want to proceed: by seeking a political solution or continuing “enmity.”
“The Taliban must choose: do you want to be in the future based on a lasting and just peace based on a political solution with dignity or do you want enmity, to which this nation will give a strong response? No one should doubt this,” he said.
President Ghani criticized the recent Taliban attacks on various parts of the country–and the targeting of civilians.
Addressing the Taliban, he said: “Why are you targeting public facilities, bridges and small bridges? Why are you placing roadside mines that kill women and children?”
“Why are you burning schools and the district governor office? Isn’t the answer as clear as the sun? Do you work for others?” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, he said that the new changes in the Ministries of National Defense and Interior are intended to strengthen the security institutions. “We all know that martyrdom on the way to the homeland is an honor, but we want life, not death for a country that is deprived of it’s most basic right, which is peace.
“There is a clear need for a national, regional and international dialogue to be implemented across the country, the region and the world to say: “Is 43 years (of war) not enough?” he said.
“Here we must conclude that we will not surrender to the terrorists, we will not surrender to the grim plans, we are the future-makers, we are shaping the future,” he added.
