Hekmatyar predicts defeat for foreign troops, blames UK

The former prime minister and leader of the Hizb-e-Islami faction Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has predicted the defeat of foreign troops in Afghanistan. In a statement issued to mark the 17th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, Hekmatyar said Britain has been trying to take revenge for its defeat at the hands of Afghans in the 19th century. He also blamed Britain for the United States military invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. Hekmatyar also praised those Afghans who have staged anti-Danish protests and denounced the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammad.