Taliban announce start of spring fighting season, vow to build social and political institutions

[clearvision]

Chicago Tribune

Afghanistan's Taliban announced the start of their spring offensive Friday, promising to build their political base in the country while focusing military assaults on coalition and Afghan security forces.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced the launch of the offensive in an email statement that boasted Taliban control over more than half of the country, referencing a February report issued by Washington's special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction.

That report said that the Afghan government had control or influence over only 52 percent of Afghanistan's 407 districts last year, down from 63.4 percent previously.

The Taliban dubbed this year's offensive "Operation Mansouri," named for the Taliban leader killed last year in a U.S. drone strike.

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Sounds like they are working twitter and facebook to get full media exposure...

[Geee]

PJMedia

The Taliban announced the commencement of their spring offensive with a vow that their main focus this year would be on targeting "foreign forces" in Afghanistan.
Their strategic goals come as Russia has been arming the Taliban over the winter, according to Defense Department officials and Afghan officials. "We continue to get reports of this assistance, and, of course, we had the overt legitimacy lent to the Taliban by the Russians," Gen. John Nicholson, commander of the Resolute Support mission, told reporters in Kabul this week. "That really occurred starting late last year, beginning through this process they've been undertaking."

In February testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Nicholson told lawmakers that Russian support for the Taliban was increasing.