"We want to make it clear to the aggressors and their puppet government that as long as one occupation soldier is on Afghan holy soil, Taliban leadership wil| not be willing to hold talks with them. We do need such talks," the one-eyed Taliban leader said in a message on the eve of Eid released in Afghanistan and Pakistan Thursday.

"It is strange that the American forces are not only continuing their occupation of our homeland but they have come up with a claim of having talks with the Taliban for peace," he said in a one-page handwritten message in Pashto faxed to media offices in Pakistan by Taleban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi.

Mullah Omar alive: Newsweek

He said the Taliban are aware of what Americans want to achieve under the pretext of peace and dialogue.

"The Americans claim that they have opened talks with several moderate Taliban. If they are true in such a claim, they should disclose the name of at least one among those moderate Taliban so we know who they are and who they represent.We believe that all this is a white lie and the claim is baseless," Omar said.

"We are still pursuing our old policy. We believe jihad is the only way for the salvation of Muslims."

Earlier this week, the Governor of the southeastern Afghan province of Paktia said hundreds of Taliban fighters might surrender under an amnesty deal after talks between local commanders, the government and tribal intermediaries.

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