Taliban to Canada: leave Afghanistan or else

Taliban militants have threatened more attacks like the one last week in Afghanistan that killed two Canadian humanitarian workers, unless Canada pulls its troops out of Afghanistan, Canadian media said.

Taliban militants have threatened more attacks like the one last week in Afghanistan that killed two Canadian humanitarian workers, unless Canada pulls its troops out of Afghanistan, Canadian media said.

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In an online letter, the Taliban also called on Canadians to pressure their government into withdrawing its soldiers from the NATO-led contingent in Afghanistan, "and follow a neutral policy regarding Afghanistan," CBC public television said.

Otherwise, the militants warned, "the Afghans will be obliged to killed your nationals."

CBC said it had confirmed the letter's authenticity after talking to Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid in Kandahar province.

"Events such as Logar will happen again," the letter warned, referring to the August 13 ambush in Afghanistan that killed Canadian aid workers Jacqueline Kirk and Shirley Case, Trinidadian-American aid worker Nicole Dial and the group's Afghan driver.

Kirk was a dual British-Canadian citizen.

"The Afghans did not go to Canada to kill Canadians. Rather it is the Canadians who came to Afghanistan to kill and torture the Afghans to please the fascist regime of America," the Taliban said in their message.

After Wednesday's murders, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada "remains steadfast in our commitment to the people of Afghanistan and will continue to work with the Afghan government and the international community to improve the lives of Afghans.