Taliban vow to fight on regardless of NATO commander switch

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Updated at: 1114 PST, Thursday, June 24, 2010
KANDAHAR: The Taliban will continue their insurgency in Afghanistan regardless of a switch in NATO command after the White House sacked General Stanley McChrystal, a spokesman said Thursday.

"We don't care whether it's McChrystal or Petraeus," Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told foreign news agency by telephone from an undisclosed location, referring to newly appointed General David Petraeus.

"Our position is clear. We'll be fighting the invading forces until they leave," Ahmadi said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government had publicly urged the White House not to remove McChrystal over disparaging remarks he made about officials in US President Barack Obama's administration in a magazine profile.

"Shame on Karzai, the puppet president who was shamelessly asking President Obama to keep McChrystal in the job," Ahmadi added.