MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov believes that the defeat of the Taliban in Afghanistan will not lead to the destruction of international terrorism.
"The Taliban has not been defeated, but even if the Taliban does suffer defeat in Afghanistan the terrorism problem will not be liquidated," Ivanov told reporters after meeting with NATO Secretary-General George Robertson in Moscow on Thursday.
"The Taliban regime was supported from the outside," Ivanov said, "It received support in the form of funding, human resources and arms. These threats have not even begun to be combated yet," Ivanov said.
"The Taliban now controls 20% of the territory of Afghanistan," he said.
Robertson told reporters that he shares the Russian defense minister's opinion on the matter.
The Taliban has not been defeated yet, Robertson said. The Taliban leaders are sure to be defeated, and bin Laden and the leaders of al-Qaeda will face trial, he said.
However, afterwards the destruction of international terrorism will be continued, Robertson said.