KABUL: A former Afghan army commander claims that he, along with many other soldiers and politicians from the previous administration, are preparing to begin a new war against the country's current Taliban leadership.

Lt Gen Sami Sadat, speaking to the BBC for the first time about the plans, said that eight months of Taliban control had convinced many Afghans that military action is the only way forward. After Eid, when he hopes to travel to Afghanistan, he indicated operations could begin next month.

As the final US-led NATO forces left after a 20-year military effort, hard-line Islamists swept throughout the country in just ten days.  Lt Gen Sadat stated that he and the others will  do all in our ability to ensure that Afghanistan was free of the Taliban and that a democratic government was restored.  "We will continue to struggle until we win our independence until we obtain our free will," he told the BBC, refusing to give a specific date.

The general emphasised how the Taliban had reintroduced more harsh control, including significant limits on women's and girls' rights, and that it was time to end their dictatorial rule and begin a new chapter.  "We've seen nothing but greater religious limitations, misquotation, misinterpretation, and exploitation of scripts from the Holy Quran for political objectives in Afghanistan in the eight months of Taliban control," he said.

He had intended to offer the Taliban a 12-month grace period to see if they would change, he claimed.

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