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Published 09 Nov, 2016 08:21pm

Taliban urge Trump to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, as war has 'failed'

The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday called on US president-elect Donald Trump to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, saying the war had “failed” and had harmed the US “both militarily and economically”.

“Our message is that the Americans should draft a policy not to take away the independence and sovereignty of other nations,” the Taliban said in a statement in reaction to Trump's election win.

“Most importantly they should withdraw all their troops from Afghanistan,” they asserted.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called for Trump to pull all US troops out of Afghanistan, saying the war had “failed” and had harmed the US “both militarily and economically”.

Donald Trump on Wednesday stunned America and the world, riding a wave of populist resentment to defeat Hillary Clinton in the race to become the 45th president of the United States.

The Republican mogul defeated his Democratic rival, plunging global markets into turmoil and casting the long-standing global political order, which hinges on Washington's leadership, into doubt.

Trump secured at least 290 electoral votes, securing more than the 270 he needed to succeed Barack Obama.

President Barack Obama had announced in July this year that 8,400 US troops will remain in Afghanistan into 2017 in light of the still “precarious” security situation in the war-ravaged country.

“Instead of going down to 5,500 troops by the end of this year, the United States will maintain approximately 8,400 troops in Afghanistan into next year through the end of my administration,” Obama had said.

Obama's announcement was further acknowledgement that Afghan security forces, who took charge of the country's security in 2015, are still not ready to go it alone.

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