The Taliban do not want to monopolise power in Afghanistan but will not stop fighting until there is a new negotiated government in Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani is removed, a spokesman for the group said.
"I want to make it clear that we do not believe in the monopoly of power because any governments who [sought] to monopolise power in Afghanistan in the past, were not successful governments," Suhail Shaheen said.
"So we do not want to repeat that same formula."
In an interview with the Associated Press, Mr Shaheen, who is also a member of the Taliban team involved in peace talks with Afghan officials, laid out the insurgents' stance on what should come next in a country on the precipice as US and Nato soldiers leave.
The Taliban have made swift gains in recent weeks, seizing strategic border crossings, and are threatening a number of provincial capitals. The government on Saturday imposed night curfews in 31 provinces "to curb violence and limit the Taliban movement", the interior ministry said.
The top US military officer, Gen Mark Milley, said this week that the Taliban had "strategic momentum" and that he did not rule out a complete takeover by the insurgents.
The US-Nato withdrawal is more than 95 per cent complete and expected to be finished by August 31, nearly two decades after the 2001 invasion that toppled the Taliban regime.
Mr Shaheen said the Taliban would lay down their weapons once there was an agreement on a new government "acceptable to us and to other Afghans" and Mr Ghani's government was gone.
Then "there will be no war", he said
He said the government's repeated demands for a ceasefire while Mr Ghani stayed in power were tantamount to demanding a Taliban surrender.
"They don't want reconciliation, but they want surrendering," he said.
Memories of the Taliban's rule from 1996 to 2001, when they enforced a harsh brand of Islam that denied girls an education and barred women from work, have stoked fears among many Afghans of the group's return. Those who can afford it are applying by the thousands for visas to leave the country, fearing a violent descent into chaos.
Mr Shaheen said that under the new government, women would be allowed to work, go to school and participate in politics, but will have to wear the hijab, or headscarf.
He said women would not be required to have a male relative with them to leave their home, and that Taliban commanders in newly occupied districts have orders that universities, schools and markets operate as before, including with the participation of women and girls.
But there have been repeated reports from captured districts of the Taliban imposing harsh restrictions on women, even setting fire to schools.
Mr Shaheen said there were no plans to make a military push on Kabul and that the Taliban had so far restrained themselves from taking provincial capitals.
But he said that they could, given the weapons and equipment they have acquired in newly captured districts.
He claimed that the majority of the Taliban's territorial successes came through negotiations, not fighting.
"Those districts which have fallen to us and the military forces who have joined us ... were through mediation with the people, through talks," he said. "They [did not fall] through fighting ... it would have been very hard for us to take 194 districts in just eight weeks."
The Taliban control about half of Afghanistan's 419 district centres, and while they have yet to capture any of the 34 provincial capitals, they are pressuring about half of them, Gen Milley said.
In recent days, the US has carried out air strikes in support of beleaguered Afghan government troops in the southern city of Kandahar, around which the Taliban are massing, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said on Thursday.
The rapid fall of districts and the seemingly disheartened response by Afghan government forces is prompting US-allied warlords to resurrect militias with a violent history.
For many Afghans weary of more than four decades of war, that raises fears of a repeat of the civil war in the early 1990s in which those same warlords battled for power.
"No one wants a civil war, including me," Mr Shaheen said.
Government demands renewed US commitment
Mr Shaheen's comments were made as the Afghan government requested ongoing US logistical and maintenance support for its air force, which has become critical for supporting outposts of government control, including Kandahar in the south. The city is almost cut off by Taliban ground forces.
In virtual talks this week with the US Congress, an Afghan delegation said it appealed for quick action on aircraft maintenance and munitions supplies as President Joe Biden prepares to end America's longest-ever war by the end of next month.
Mr Biden raised the issue during a phone conversation with his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani on Friday, the White House said in a statement.
The US president affirmed his country's continued military support of Kabul, with spending for Afghanistan prioritised in the 2022 defense budget, currently under negotiation in Congress.
"The security situation is really getting terrible," said senior Afghan MP Haji Ajmal Rahmani, referring to a Taliban offensive during the virtual talks.
Mr Rahmani said one-third of the 150-strong fleet was already grounded due to maintenance issues.
He said the Afghans had also run out of laser-guided munitions, as the United States and Nato allies had handled 80 to 90 per cent of the armaments and did not leave a supply during hasty pullouts of air assets.
Laser-guided munitions are critical to pinpointing targets and minimising civilian casualties, he said.
"The feedback was that it will take some more time because they have to make the orders and it will take time to produce and ship to Afghanistan," he told a roundtable of the State Department Correspondents' Association.
"They are talking of around one year, more or less, until it will reach Afghanistan. This is something very much needed at this critical time."
A statement from the White House said the 2022 defense request to Congress included $3.3 billion in military aid for Afghanistan.
Of this, $1 billion is intended for supporting Afghanistan's air force and other missions, and included three newly refurbished Blackhawk helicopters that the White House said have already been delivered to Kabul.
Another $1 billion is intended for the purchase and delivery of key supplies, such as fuel, ammunition and spare parts, while $700 million will go towards Afghan soldiers' salaries.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Normal People
Sally Rooney, Faber & Faber
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
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