US negotiations with Taliban for the future of Afghanistan

[Lonewarrior]

KABUL/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Afghan Taliban officials were due in Pakistan on Wednesday, the insurgent group said, as the top U.S. diplomat involved in talks with the militants also met government officials there, although it was not known if the Taliban and U.S. official would meet.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban-pakistan/taliban-us-negotiator-both-in-islamabad-for-talks-with-pakistan-idUSKBN1WH09A

 

[KingKhanWC]

There is no other way.

Trump really needs this now so I have a feeling some sort of deal will be made in the near future. As long as the yanks adhere to their part this immoral war can finally come to an end. Pakistan will reap a lot of benefits inc Indians in Afghanistan sent back to Dehli with their terrorist plans.

 

[sweep_shot]

Time to end needless and endless war. Dialogue is the way to go.

This war has been going on for far too long.

 

[Lonewarrior]

Afghan Taliban delegation meets Qureshi at foreign ministry

The high-level Afghan Taliban delegation currently in Islamabad to meet the Pakistani leadership was received by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday morning, according to a press release issued by the Foreign Office (FO).

https://www.dawn.com/news/1508746

 

[Lonewarrior]

Taliban meeting with russia,us,china,iran is halal but meeting with pakistan is haram...lol

 

[AdamM97]

Taliban meeting with russia,us,china,iran is halal but meeting with pakistan is haram...lol

Why are we even surprised? Their entire media works extra hours to build an anti-Pakistani narrative.

 

[PakLFC]

Pak needs peace. I am no fan of the Taliban yet support their right to fight for their country. As long as they don't force their brand of Islam on Pak and stop all the terrorism coming from Afghanistan I have no problems with them.

 

[IAJ]

How things change; the persons who were sent to Guantanamo are now leading the negotiations.

 

[globalcitizen]

This is disgusting to the core..
The way foreign minister qureshi welcomed taliban leaders by hugging was appalling.

These taliban were responsible for Peshawar school shooting, Afghanistan violence and also had ties to organisation attacking srilankan cricketers.

This will put more doubts in people minds about where Pakistan stands in world of terrorism.

But hopefully atleast a solution is reached and Afghanistan finds its peace from these monsters

 

[Lonewarrior]

This is disgusting to the core..
The way foreign minister qureshi welcomed taliban leaders by hugging was appalling.

These taliban were responsible for Peshawar school shooting, Afghanistan violence and also had ties to organisation attacking srilankan cricketers.

This will put more doubts in people minds about where Pakistan stands in world of terrorism.

But hopefully atleast a solution is reached and Afghanistan finds its peace from these monsters

afghan taliban wasnt involved in APS attack.
by your logic, Russia, China,Iran , and US all stands with these terrorist becoz they all are involved in the talks.

 

[globalcitizen]

afghan taliban wasnt involved in APS attack.
by your logic, Russia, China,Iran , and US all stands with these terrorist becoz they all are involved in the talks.

Who is acting the mediator, it’s mainly Pakistan who the taliban listens to. China Russia whatever you say are not mediators, just participants in talks.

Pakistan isi and army have close links to taliban hence they are mediating. Don’t defend just for sake of it. TTP is controlled by Afghan taliban, all intelligence sources confirm it.

Our heart bleeds just thinking about what happened in Peshawar to innocent kids and Pakistan has to do more in this. Now they are shaking hands ridiculous

 

[Lonewarrior]

Who is acting the mediator, it’s mainly Pakistan who the taliban listens to. China Russia whatever you say are not mediators, just participants in talks.

why they want to participate in the talks with terrorist org in first place on official level ?

Pakistan isi and army have close links to taliban hence they are mediating. Don’t defend just for sake of it. TTP is controlled by Afghan taliban, all intelligence sources confirm it.

Pakistan have close links with taliban just like CIA had with them in 80s.
tell me the source of TTP claim.

Our heart bleeds just thinking about what happened in Peshawar to innocent kids and Pakistan has to do more in this. Now they are shaking hands ridiculous.

India was involved in APS attack, Kalbhushan yadv met TTP leaders in Afghanistan on different locations. you can show your crocodiles tears to someone else. or save it for your own ilk.

read the Bold parts.

 

[globalcitizen]

read the Bold parts.

Now who talks about such a incident as crocodile tears? Anyway get well since you have developed a mindset of whole world is going against you

 

[Lonewarrior]

Now who talks about such a incident as crocodile tears? Anyway get well since you have developed a mindset of whole world is going against you

saying a person whos whole nation in denial mode about kashmir lockdown since 60 days, becoz every neutral media is against thre country for whatever reason, only God knows. so i am good and well ,thanks.
but i would say a bunch of bjp bhukts needs a proper mental checkup for selecting the Hitler of the East.

 

[globalcitizen]

saying a person whos whole nation in denial mode about kashmir lockdown since 60 days, becoz every neutral media is against thre country for whatever reason, only God knows. so i am good and well ,thanks.
but i would say a bunch of bjp bhukts needs a proper mental checkup for selecting the Hitler of the East.

Ok I get it. If someone supports india and does not support your opinion they become ****** or so called bhukts in your dictionary.. lol

 

[Lonewarrior]

Ok I get it. If someone supports india and does not support your opinion they become ****** or so called bhukts in your dictionary.. lol

whats my opinion ? your Hitler PM lockdown kashmir since 60 days, is this my opinion ? wake up and read some neutral sources for a change. you will know better.
and whoever support Hitler of the East modi is a bhukt ... thats true.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has reassured the United States of its "steadfast" support to the peace and reconciliation process in war-shattered Afghanistan, stressing the importance for all parties to the conflict to take "practical" steps to reduce hostilities.

Prime Minister Imran Khan's office said in a statement issued late Monday that he made the remarks in a meeting with visiting U.S. chief negotiator for Afghan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad.

The U.S. envoy visited Islamabad a day after briefing leaders in Kabul on his renewed Afghan peace-building efforts. Khalilzad traveled to Afghanistan for the first time since President Donald Trump abruptly ended talks with Taliban insurgents last month.

"As a sincere facilitator and a friend, Pakistan remains ready to do everything possible in its capacity, as part of a shared responsibility, for (an) early conclusion of a peace deal," Khan said.

The yearlong U.S.-Taliban dialogue, hosted by Qatar, had brought the two adversaries close to concluding a peace agreement to end America's longest war before Trump abruptly ended the process. He cited a series of insurgent attacks in Kabul that killed, among others, a U.S. soldier.

Pakistan takes credit for arranging the U.S.-Taliban talks by persuading the insurgent group to come to the negotiating table.

"Achieving sustainable peace and security and ensuring long-term development, progress and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region was in Pakistan's best national interest," Monday's statement quoted Khan as saying.

Khalilzad's visit comes amid a new international diplomatic push by key regional players, including Russia, China and Pakistan, to help restart the stalled U.S.-Taliban talks and conclude the peace deal to end the Afghan war, which completed 18 years this month.

On Friday, Khalilzad visited Moscow for a four-party meeting with counterparts from Russia, China and Pakistan to review efforts the countries are jointly making to promote a negotiated settlement to the war.

A post-meeting statement said participants stressed the need for all parties to the Afghan conflict to immediately reduce violence to "create an environment conducive" for peace negotiations.

It noted Russia, China and Pakistan expressed their support for "the earliest resumption of (the) negotiation process and reaching an agreement" between the U.S. and the Taliban, saying it will pave the way for launching intra-Afghan talks.

In early October, Islamabad hosted informal talks between Khalilzad and Taliban negotiators. While the negotiating sides did not publicly discuss or even confirm the interaction, Pakistani officials said they had facilitated the meetings to help resurrect the U.S.-Taliban dialogue.

Afghan leaders allege Pakistan shelters Taliban leaders and fighters, enabling them to sustain and expand insurgent activities in Afghanistan.

Islamabad rejects the charges and does not rule out the possibility of insurgents using areas in Pakistan hosting nearly 3 million Afghan refugees as hiding place.

The two countries share a nearly 2,600-kilometer porous border, though Pakistan says its border management plan has secured most of the boundary over the past two years through fencing and establishing new outposts.

https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/us-top-negotiator-discusses-afghan-peace-pakistan-pm

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pak welcomes release of Profs Kevin King & Timothy Weeks in Afghanistan. We appreciate steps taken by all involved to make it possible. As part of the int community working to bring peace & end the suffering of the Afghan people, Pak has fully supported & facilitated this release</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1196733253761327105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">as part of its policy of supporting initiatives for a negotiated political settlement of the Afghan conflict. We hope this step gives a boost of confidence to all parties involved to re-engage in the peace process. Pakistan remains committed to facilitating this peace process.</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1196733256084930560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[WebGuru]

The Afghanistan Papers: U.S. officials systematically misled the public about the war in Afghanistan

Full report at https://www.washingtonpost.com/grap...apers/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents/

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">As part of an ongoing, three-year legal battle, The Post has obtained notes, transcripts and audio recordings from more than 400 government interviews and compiled them into a comprehensive database.<br><br>You can view them here: <a href="https://t.co/r16ZqEpixG">https://t.co/r16ZqEpixG</a> <a href="https://t.co/XXVOAYkX0o">pic.twitter.com/XXVOAYkX0o</a></p>— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1204003249738670081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Lonewarrior]

)

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">lol <a href="https://t.co/LDrs6VkB0K">pic.twitter.com/LDrs6VkB0K</a></p>— Arif Rafiq (@ArifCRafiq) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArifCRafiq/status/1219844630218493953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[troodon]

So the Stone age baboons are using smart phones invented by Kafir Western society.

 

[Greenstorm]

)

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">lol <a href="https://t.co/LDrs6VkB0K">pic.twitter.com/LDrs6VkB0K</a></p>— Arif Rafiq (@ArifCRafiq) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArifCRafiq/status/1219844630218493953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

India's game in Afghanistan is over. From now on, we should vigilantly deter India from gaining any foothold there.

 

[troodon]

India's game in Afghanistan is over. From now on, we should vigilantly deter India from gaining any foothold there.

This mindset shows Pak still wants to play politics in Afghanistan. India does what it wants to with Afghanistan. Pak can also extend friendly relations with Afghans. But deterring some other country to gain a foot hold in a 3rd country means politics.

 

[WebGuru]

This mindset shows Pak still wants to play politics in Afghanistan. India does what it wants to with Afghanistan. Pak can also extend friendly relations with Afghans. But deterring some other country to gain a foot hold in a 3rd country means politics.

If current Afghanistan govt can allow India to use it's land for terror attacks in Pakistan thn Pakistan can do the same without asking for any permission.

The reason Pakistan also want a peace deal between Taliban and US is because once Afghan Talibans are in Govt they will make sure these militant camps in Afghanistan working against Pakistan are closed and also ISIS is destroyed with full force while Pakistan will also be able to access central asia if there is peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan will also be able to move most of the army from western border to east.

US war was always against Al Qaeda and Osama not Taliban. Taliban only got involved when they refused to hand over Osama because he was their guest and it was against their tradition.

 

[cric_man]

If current Afghanistan govt can allow India to use it's land for terror attacks in Pakistan thn Pakistan can do the same without asking for any permission.

The reason Pakistan also want a peace deal between Taliban and US is because once Afghan Talibans are in Govt they will make sure these militant camps in Afghanistan working against Pakistan are closed and also ISIS is destroyed with full force while Pakistan will also be able to access central asia if there is peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan will also be able to move most of the army from western border to east.

US war was always against Al Qaeda and Osama not Taliban. Taliban only got involved when they refused to hand over Osama because he was their guest and it was against their tradition.

Actually Taliban had agreed to hand over Osama, if the US provided evidence of his involvement and the condition that they would hand himover to Saudi Arabia. Bush rejected that offer and started bombing them.
Read this from 2001: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/14/afghanistan.terrorism5

They were ready to hand him over in 1998, but then rescinded the offer after US struck Taliban camps with cruise missiles. Pak & Saudi had worked the whole deal out, Clinton messed it up by launching cruise missiles to take Osama out in order to take heat off of him due to Monica affair/impeachment hearings.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/nov/05/afghanistan.terrorism3

 

[King-Misbah]

This mindset shows Pak still wants to play politics in Afghanistan. India does what it wants to with Afghanistan. Pak can also extend friendly relations with Afghans. But deterring some other country to gain a foot hold in a 3rd country means politics.

Because India uses Afghan soil to harm Pakistan and its citizens.

 

[kk1992]

This mindset shows Pak still wants to play politics in Afghanistan. India does what it wants to with Afghanistan. Pak can also extend friendly relations with Afghans. But deterring some other country to gain a foot hold in a 3rd country means politics.

Are you pretending to be naive or you are ignorant to the ground realities?

 

[Greenstorm]

This mindset shows Pak still wants to play politics in Afghanistan. India does what it wants to with Afghanistan. Pak can also extend friendly relations with Afghans. But deterring some other country to gain a foot hold in a 3rd country means politics.

India has killed 50000+ Pakistanis while sitting in Afghanistan, operating Kulbhushans from there. Pakistan should make sure that Afghan soil will never be used against Pakistan. It is actually Pakistan that will benefit the most from peace in Afghanistan, not India.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

This mindset shows Pak still wants to play politics in Afghanistan. India does what it wants to with Afghanistan. Pak can also extend friendly relations with Afghans. But deterring some other country to gain a foot hold in a 3rd country means politics.

If you think Pakistan will bend down and submit to Indian hegemony then you are sorely mistaken. India has only got a foothold and that too with the Kabul regime that barely controls anything outside Kabul.

If India wants to turn Afghanistan into a battleground for proxies in the future, then it can do so at it's own peril.

 

[Abdullah719]

Qatar invites Pakistan to attend signing of US-Taliban peace deal

Qatar has invited Pakistan to the signing of the US-Taliban peace deal set to take place on February 29, Radio Pakistan reported on Tuesday.

Last week, the US and the Taliban announced they were set to sign a historic agreement in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, that would pave the way to ending America’s longest war.

During a meeting today, Qatar's ambassador to Pakistan Saqr bin Mubarak Al-Mansouri, on behalf of the Qatari government, extended an invitation to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Radio Pakistan reported.

Qureshi said Pakistan and Qatar had both played a "pivotal role" in the Afghan reconciliation process.

He welcomed the peace deal and said Pakistan had always held the view that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict, adding that now the world was accepting this stance.

According to Radio Pakistan, Qureshi expressed confidence that the peace deal would lead to intra-Afghan dialogue.

The foreign minister had on Saturday said Pakistan played its role and "fulfilled all promises" with America after reports of the US-Taliban deal emerged.

Qureshi went on to say now it was the responsibility of the Afghan government to take the peace process forward.

He said Pakistan wanted to see the formation of an inclusive delegation for advancing towards intra-Afghan dialogue.

"My experience shows that the people of Afghanistan want peace. It is now up to their elite whether they take forward the peace efforts or waste it by indulging in power games. All responsibility will be on them [the Afghan government] and not on Pakistan," the foreign minister had said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1536589/qatar-invites-pakistan-to-attend-signing-of-us-taliban-peace-deal

 

[DRsohail]

n

India has killed 50000+ Pakistanis while sitting in Afghanistan, operating Kulbhushans from there. Pakistan should make sure that Afghan soil will never be used against Pakistan. It is actually Pakistan that will benefit the most from peace in Afghanistan, not India.

Honestly speaking India has no business in Afghanistan.

 

[Lonewarrior]

Qatar invites Pakistan to attend signing of US-Taliban peace deal

Qatar has invited Pakistan to the signing of the US-Taliban peace deal set to take place on February 29, Radio Pakistan reported on Tuesday.

Last week, the US and the Taliban announced they were set to sign a historic agreement in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday, that would pave the way to ending America’s longest war.

During a meeting today, Qatar's ambassador to Pakistan Saqr bin Mubarak Al-Mansouri, on behalf of the Qatari government, extended an invitation to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Radio Pakistan reported.

Qureshi said Pakistan and Qatar had both played a "pivotal role" in the Afghan reconciliation process.

He welcomed the peace deal and said Pakistan had always held the view that there was no military solution to the Afghan conflict, adding that now the world was accepting this stance.

According to Radio Pakistan, Qureshi expressed confidence that the peace deal would lead to intra-Afghan dialogue.

The foreign minister had on Saturday said Pakistan played its role and "fulfilled all promises" with America after reports of the US-Taliban deal emerged.

Qureshi went on to say now it was the responsibility of the Afghan government to take the peace process forward.

He said Pakistan wanted to see the formation of an inclusive delegation for advancing towards intra-Afghan dialogue.

"My experience shows that the people of Afghanistan want peace. It is now up to their elite whether they take forward the peace efforts or waste it by indulging in power games. All responsibility will be on them [the Afghan government] and not on Pakistan," the foreign minister had said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1536589/qatar-invites-pakistan-to-attend-signing-of-us-taliban-peace-deal

Its Haram, according to Indians ....

 

[Lonewarrior]

but its Halal now ....

 

[moghul]

Why are we even surprised? Their entire media works extra hours to build an anti-Pakistani narrative.

No one enjoys losing, at any front, India is no exception. They have been marginalized in Afghan peace talks.

 

[ReverseHit]

Most Americans I talk to have no clue what's going on in Afghanistan. Most still fail to appreciate the irony of sitting on the table and signing a "peace" deal, after fighting the same set of people for 2 decades and losing thousands of American soldiers.

 

[Haroon786]

Most Americans I talk to have no clue what's going on in Afghanistan. Most still fail to appreciate the irony of sitting on the table and signing a "peace" deal, after fighting the same set of people for 2 decades and losing thousands of American soldiers.

Most likely, that they've just simply become dehumanised to their state's meddling in so many countries for so many years, that it's actually the norm for them to hear about American involvement militarily in other countries rather than the polar opposite. Besides, most countries are suffering from more pressing domestic issues and the US is included in this, to worry about the Afghan problem.

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Most Americans I talk to have no clue what's going on in Afghanistan. Most still fail to appreciate the irony of sitting on the table and signing a "peace" deal, after fighting the same set of people for 2 decades and losing thousands of American soldiers.

If it wasn't for zalmay khalilzad. They would still be fighting a guerilla warfare

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi receives Afghan Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar at Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to discuss way forward in intra-Afghan talks and US-Taliban deal development and facilitate peace process <a href="https://t.co/O4tewSprc7">pic.twitter.com/O4tewSprc7</a></p>— Sana Jamal (@Sana_Jamal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sana_Jamal/status/1298237931019214848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan FM <a href="https://twitter.com/SMQureshiPTI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SMQureshiPTI</a> meets Afghan Taliban delegation led by Mullah Baradar in Islamabad.Peace process & early renewal of intra-Afghan talks discussed. Pak informed abt US-Taliban deal progress.Pakistan to continue its constructive role for regional peace, warned abt spoilers <a href="https://t.co/fzei3pGvFN">pic.twitter.com/fzei3pGvFN</a></p>— Sana Jamal (@Sana_Jamal) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sana_Jamal/status/1298241698175344643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-peaceplan-russia/unlikely-allies-russia-and-u-s-push-afghan-enemies-to-accept-interim-government-idUSKBN2B92UE

Russia hosts a summit on Thursday to revive the Afghan peace process, the first in a series of meetings that make unlikely allies of Washington and Moscow as they try to pave the way for an interim government in Kabul and end the bloodshed.The United States is shifting the focus from largely stalled negotiations in Qatar’s capital to meetings among key regional countries aimed at pushing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Taliban insurgents and other Afghan political leaders to form a transitory government as soon as possible.

The Moscow meeting will include U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and representatives from Pakistan and China, according to officials. A team of Afghan political leaders and government representatives and a Taliban delegation will also attend.

Khalilzad has been trying to drum up support for a written proposal that includes an interim government and ceasefire, as U.S. President Joe Biden reviews plans for Afghanistan ahead of a May 1 troop withdrawal deadline agreed with the Taliban by the Trump administration.

The Moscow gathering will be followed by a meeting of regional players in the first week of April in Turkey and a summit that Khalilzad has asked the United Nations to organise, styled on a 2001 conference in the German city of Bonn.

It was there that Afghan leaders met to set up a provisional administration after the Islamist Taliban was ousted by local forces backed by the U.S. military.

Some diplomats and experts said that for the renewed peace push to succeed, Washington must align itself with countries including Russia, China and Iran, with which it has strained relations.

Both Russia and the United States support the idea of an interim government, said a diplomatic source whose country will be present in Moscow, which could pressure Afghan leaders to give ground while Pakistan leans on the Taliban to do the same.

“If they are working together it is very possible to bring this war to an end,” the source said, adding the main hurdle was any lingering mistrust between Moscow and Washington.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said the meeting in Russia complemented the Doha process and that Washington was engaging with regional countries, though believed the peace process should be “Afghan-led, Afghan-owned at its core”.

“We have never sought to be prescriptive. Rather we are encouraging the sides to accelerate the peace process and make progress toward a political settlement and permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” the spokesperson said.

The warring Afghan sides have yet to reach a peace deal amid mutual suspicion and ongoing violence in Afghanistan which the government largely blames on the Taliban.

The Islamist militant movement sees Ghani as a lackey of the West and insists remaining foreign troops leave the country.

Iran, which borders Afghanistan, is not attending the Moscow meeting. The source said Tehran had communicated it would accept an interim government so long as it had representation from minority ethnic groups that have historic ties with Iran.

Iranian officials and Russia’s foreign ministry could not be immediately reached for comment.

Three diplomatic sources and one international official said that traditional U.S. partners including European and NATO nations felt sidelined by Washington’s regional push.

Some experts said that, although talks in Doha had struggled to make headway since starting in September, peace negotiations tend to take time.

“They’re scrambling as if they need to fix a broken process, but it’s barely even started,” said Andrew Watkins, senior Afghanistan analyst at International Crisis Group.

There are also concerns among some officials over whether an interim government – which Ghani has vehemently opposed and the Taliban have said they would not join – is feasible.

A Taliban leader said they would avoid joining an interim government, although they would support replacing Ghani’s administration. He added that they had refused a request to allow U.S. forces to stay in Afghanistan after April.

A Taliban spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Three more diplomatic sources familiar with the discussions said Ghani was under intense pressure from the United States to accept an interim government.

Key to the Taliban, a separate source familiar with negotiations said, was an Islamic jurisprudence council that would oversee the president. They also wanted half of government positions and the chance to nominate a president.

A spokesman for Ghani’s office denied any pressure, saying the leader had a respectful working relationship with the United States and that no amount of pressure would lead him to accept an unelected interim government.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-peaceplan-russia-tali/taliban-insist-on-islamic-system-for-afghanistan-and-sticking-to-troop-withdrawal-deadline-idUSKBN2BB0QQ

The Afghan government and the Taliban agreed on Friday to try to accelerate peace talks, at a meeting in Moscow that followed an international conference there on the peace process, a senior Afghan official was quoted as saying.

The United States, Russia, China and Pakistan called on Afghanistan’s warring sides to reach an immediate ceasefire at the conference, held in Russia just six weeks before a deadline agreed last year to withdraw U.S. troops.

“We expressed our readiness to accelerate the (peace) process,” Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, told Russia’s RIA news agency. “They (the Taliban) did as well.”

Abdullah said the sides had not discussed any specific issues when they met in Moscow on Friday.

Moscow hosted the international conference on Afghanistan on Thursday, at which Russia, the United States, China and Pakistan released a joint statement calling on the Afghan sides to reach a peace deal and curb violence, and on the Taliban not to launch any offensives in the spring and summer.

The conference aimed to reinvigorate negotiations which have been taking place between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Qatar’s capital Doha, largely stalled over government accusations that the insurgents have failed to halt violence.

The United States sent a senior representative to Moscow for the talks on Afghanistan. Washington agreed last year with the Taliban to withdraw its troops by May 1 after nearly two decades, and is looking for support among regional powers for its plans for the peace process.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Just end the damn war already.

After 'Muricans leave it will be a new start for the people of Afghanistan. Hopefully without further violence.

The country needs any kind of stability for its people to have a decent life...

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-austin/u-s-defense-secretary-meets-afghan-president-amid-peace-process-review-idUSKBN2BD0IL?il=0

United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in an unnanounced visit to Kabul on Sunday, as Washington reviews the peace process there and its planned troop withdrawal.

Austin said on Twitter he had come to “listen and learn”, on his first trip to Afghanistan since his appointment.

“This visit been very helpful for me, and it will inform my participation in the review we are undergoing here with (U.S. President Joe Biden),” he added.

The meeting comes at a crucial time for the Afghan peace process ahead of a May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops agreed by the insurgent Taliban and the administration of previous U.S. President Donald Trump.

Biden told ABC News on Wednesday that the deadline would be tough to meet and that his administratiin was consulting with allies and in the process of making a decision.

The United States special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has also been travelling in the region in recent weeks with proposals including an interim Afghan government and a summit in Turkey to jumpstart the peace process.

Negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Qatar’s capital Doha have struggled to gain momentum and violence has risen.

The Taliban said on Friday they would like to see the process sped up but warned Washington against keeping troops in Afghanistan beyond their agreed withdrawal date.

Afghanistan’s presidential palace said on Sunday Austin and Ghani discussed the peace process and concerns over rising violence.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-peace-exclusive/exclusive-rejecting-u-s-peace-plan-afghan-president-to-offer-election-in-six-months-idUSKBN2BF1C7

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will propose a new presidential election within six months, under a peace plan he will put forward as a counter-offer to a U.S. proposal that he rejects, two senior government officials told Reuters. Ghani will unveil his proposal at an international gathering in Turkey next month, signalling his refusal to accept Washington’s plan for his elected government to be replaced by an interim administration, the officials said.

Washington, which agreed last year to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by May 1 after nearly two decades, is pressing for a peace deal to end war between the government and the Taliban. Talks between the Afghan sides in Qatar have stalled.

U.S. Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been circulating a proposal which would replace the Kabul government with an interim administration. But Ghani has voiced vehement opposition to any solution that requires his government to step aside for unelected successors.

“The counterproposal which we are going to present at the Istanbul meeting would be to call for early presidential elections if the Taliban agree on a ceasefire,” one senior government official said on condition of anonymity.

Another Afghan government official said: “The president would never agree to step aside and any future government should be formed through democratic process, not a political deal.”

A third senior official also said Ghani’s proposal would include possible early elections, although he did not specify the exact time frame for the vote. The third official said Ghani had already shared his road map with Khalilzad. With just weeks left before a deadline it agreed with Taliban last year to end the longest war in U.S. history, Washington is seeking regional backing for its approach to push the Kabul government and insurgents to share power.

But diplomats and foreign officials have said it will be difficult to move forward with the U.S. plans without Ghani’s support.

During a visit to the region, which included stops in Doha and Islamabad, Khalilzad pushed for a conference to be hosted by Turkey with involvement from the United Nations next month.

The Afghan officials said that as part of Ghani’s counter-proposal, his government would ask the U.N. to closely observe the new election to ensure it is accepted by all sides.

A presidential palace spokesman declined to comment.

Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and insurgent Taliban in Qatar’s capital Doha have made little progress, while violence has increased.

The Taliban -- fighting the foreign-backed government since being ousted from power by Afghan opponents and U.S. air strikes in late 2001 -- have so far rejected a ceasefire and said they would not directly join an interim government.

Ghani was sworn in as president for a second five-year term in March last year after a disputed presidential election.

The new U.S. administration led by President Joe Biden is reviewing its plans before May 1, the deadline agreed last year under the Donald Trump administration for the last 2,500 U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan. Biden told broadcaster ABC last week that it would be “tough” to meet the deadline.

The Taliban say there will be consequences if the United States does not meet the deadline to pull out.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-security-report/u-s-spy-agencies-warn-biden-of-possible-taliban-takeover-of-afghanistan-ny-times-idUSKBN2BI35Q?il=0

U.S. intelligence agencies have told the Biden administration that the Taliban could overrun most of Afghanistan within two to three years if U.S. troops leave before a power-sharing deal is reached between the warring sides, a news report said on Friday.

Such a takeover potentially would allow al Qaeda to rebuild in Afghanistan, the New York Times reported, quoting anonymous U.S. officials.

President Joe Biden is deciding whether to meet a May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of the last 3,500 American troops that was set in a February 2020 accord struck with the Taliban under his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Some U.S. officials who favor keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan are using the intelligence report to argue that the soldiers should remain beyond the deadline, the Times said.

The White House declined to comment.

The classified intelligence assessment was prepared last year for the Trump administration, the Times said.

Biden on Thursday told his first White House news conference that it would be hard to comply with the deadline, which also requires the departure of some 7,000 allied forces.

At the same time, Biden said he “could not picture” U.S. troops being in the country next year.

The Taliban on Friday said it would resume hostilities against foreign forces - which ended under the U.S.-Taliban deal - if they remain beyond the deadline.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-tajikistan-heartofasia/afghan-president-promises-to-step-aside-if-election-is-held-idUSKBN2BM2OH

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani outlined his plans for peace at a regional summit in Tajikistan on Tuesday, saying that he would step aside if an election was held.

The ninth Heart of Asia summit, aimed at promoting peace and security in Afghanistan, this year comes at a sensitive time as the United States and other powers attempt to jumpstart the peace process with a proposal for a new transitional government.

Ghani has resisted the proposal, saying elections must take place before he will step aside.

“I ... strongly support holding elections at the earliest possible time,” Ghani said at the conference in Dushanbe. “My greatest honour will be to hand over authority to my elected successor.”

Reuters reported last week that Ghani would propose new presidential elections within six months under a plan he intended to put forward as a counter-offer to the U.S. proposal that he rejects, according to two government officials.

Ghani, who took office in 2014 and was sworn in for a second five-year term last year, added details on Tuesday, saying that once a political settlement was reached, it should be endorsed by an Afghan assembly known as a loya jirga and followed by a ceasefire with international monitoring.

The Taliban have so far rejected a ceasefire and said they would not directly join an interim government.

Tuesday’s conference was one in a series of high-profile meetings on Afghanistan as Washington reviews its plans for the peace process. Violence has risen while progress stalls at peace negotiations in Doha.

Earlier in the month, major regional players met with Afghan political and government leaders as well as Taliban negotiators in Moscow. Washington is preparing for a conference it has asked the United Nations to hold soon in Turkey, though the date has not been announced.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-peace/afghan-leader-proposes-peace-road-map-in-three-phases-document-idUSKBN2BR0E1?il=0

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will put forward a three-phase peace roadmap for Afghanistan during a proposed meeting in Turkey, seeking an agreement with the Taliban and a ceasefire before elections, a document seen by Reuters shows.

Washington is pushing for a conference to be hosted by Turkey, with U.N. involvement, this month to finalise a peace deal between the government and the Taliban as a May 1 deadline looms for the withdrawal of all foreign troops.

Ghani’s plan will be presented as a counter to proposals put forward by Washington, rejected by the Afghan government, that envisage immediately drawing up a new legal system for an interim administration to include Taliban representatives.

The document shows Ghani’s “Reaching an Endstate” proposal will include, in the first phase, a consensus on a political settlement and an internationally monitored ceasefire.

The second phase will be holding a presidential election and the establishment of a “government of peace” and implementation arrangements for moving towards the new political system.

The third phase will involve building a “constitutional framework, reintegration of refugees and development” for Afghanistan moving forward.

A senior government official said Ghani has already shared his road map with foreign capitals.

A date for the Turkey meeting is yet to be decided, but multiple sources told Reuters it could take place in two weeks’ time.

The Afghan government and a number of politicians said they would have to agree on an agenda with the Taliban before the meeting.

In a statement last month, the Taliban threatened to resume hostilities against foreign troops in Afghanistan if they did not meet the May 1 deadline envisaged in an agreement between the insurgents and the Trump administration last year.

U.S. President Joe Biden said this month it would be “hard” to withdraw the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1 “just in terms of tactical reasons”, but he said he did not think they still would be there next year.

A senior government official said the Taliban was willing to extend the May 1 dateline and would not resume attacks against foreign forces in exchange for the release of thousands of their prisoners held by the Kabul authorities.

Mohammad Naeem, a Taliban spokesman in Qatar, said no such offer had been made.

 

[Last Monetarist]

CIA chief says intelligence will diminish once U.S. troops leave Afghanistan

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-withdrawal-burns/cia-chief-says-intelligence-will-diminish-once-u-s-troops-leave-afghanistan-idUSKBN2C1287?il=0

Washington’s ability to collect intelligence and act on threats will diminish when U.S. troops leave Afghanistan, CIA Director William Burns said on Wednesday ahead of an expected announcement of a pullout by President Joe Biden.

Burns’ testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee underscored a key risk inherent in Biden’s decision to pull remaining U.S. forces out, given the enduring presence of al Qaeda and Islamic State militants in the country.

“When the time comes for the U.S. military to withdraw, the U.S. government’s ability to collect and act on threats will diminish. That’s simply a fact,” he told the committee, adding that the United States would however retain “a suite of capabilities”.

U.S. officials on Tuesday said that Biden on Wednesday would announce that all remaining U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan before Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the al Qaeda attacks on the United States that triggered the U.S.-led invasion.

The Biden administration will keep “intelligence and military capabilities” in the region to deal with any emerging threats, though al Qaeda “does not currently possess” the capability for attacks on the U.S. homeland, a senior adminstration official said.

But Burns’ warning reflected some experts’ concerns that the departure of U.S. forces will leave U.S. intelligence officers with significantly less security, constraining their ability to to collect timely information on the ground.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/exclusive-us-prepared-exit-taliban-protected-foreign-bases-killed-afghans-2021-04-30/

Taliban fighters have protected western military bases in Afghanistan from attacks by rival, or rogue Islamist groups for over a year under a secret annex to a pact for the withdrawal of all U.S. forces by May 1, three Western officials with knowledge of the agreement told Reuters.

The U.S. State Department gave no immediate response to Reuters over the existence of any such document. Nor did it have any immediate comment on what the three officials described as a "Taliban ring of protection".

Since United States struck a deal with the Taliban in February 2020, paving the way for America to end its longest war, there have been no U.S. combat deaths, and there have been only isolated attacks on U.S. bases.

Instead, the Taliban intensified attacks on Afghan government forces, and civilian casualties have spiralled.

Peace talks between the militants and the government, begun in September, have made no significant progress, and a U.N. report said civilian casualties were up 45% in the last three months of 2020 from a year earlier.

Testing Taliban patience, U.S. President Joe Biden served notice that the U.S. withdrawal would overshoot the May 1 deadline agreed by the previous U.S. administration, while giving an assurance that it would be completed by Sept. 11 - the 20th anniversary of the al Qaeda attacks on the United States.

When the deadline passes on Saturday, around 2,000 U.S. troops will still be in Afghanistan, according to a western security official in Kabul. The commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, U.S. Army General Scott Miller earlier this week said an orderly withdrawal and the handing over of military bases and equipment to Afghan forces had begun.

Afghan soldiers left manning those bases could need plenty of firepower to resist any offensive by Taliban fighters who have been occupying strategic positions in surrounding areas.

In the past two weeks alone, the militants have killed more than 100 Afghan security personnel in a surge of attacks that followed Biden's announcement that a U.S. withdrawal would take a few months more.

Two of the Western officials said Washington had accepted the Taliban's offer to shield the western military bases from attacks by the likes of Islamic State.

The officials said the Taliban had wanted to demonstrate good faith by meeting a commitment to ensure Afghan soil was not used for attacks on U.S. interests - a key U.S. demand in the February agreement.

"They provided a layer of cover, almost like a buffer and ordered their fighters to not injure or kill any foreign soldier in this period," said one western diplomat involved in the process.

The western officials said it was also important for the Taliban to show its ability to control the more recalcitrant factions in its movement, like the Haqqani network, which has often followed its own agenda, though its leader Sirajuddin Haqqani is the second-highest ranking commander in the Taliban.

A Kabul-based western security official said that militants had kept their side of the bargain.

"The Taliban swiftly responded to even minor attacks conducted by the Haqqani network and Islamic State fighters around the bases," he said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid declined to comment on the so-called "ring of protection" agreement.

More broadly, he said no security guarantee has been given to the United States beyond Saturday's deadline, but talks were underway among the group's leadership and with the U.S. side.

"So far our commitment of not attacking the foreign forces is until May 1, after that whether we will attack or not is an issue under discussion," said Mujahid.

Mullah Baradar, the Taliban's deputy political chief, held talks with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to discuss the peace process on Thursday, another militant spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, said in a Twitter post.

Clearly having the militants holding positions around Western bases presents a danger if no understanding is reached.

"They've definitely moved ever closer to a lot of Afghan and foreign bases," said Ashley Jackson, co-director of the Centre for the Study of Armed Groups at Overseas Development Institute, a London-based think-tank.

"Encircling U.S., NATO, and Afghan bases seems like the Taliban strategy to poise themselves to take over when foreign forces leave."

Afghan defence ministry spokesman Fawad Aman said the Taliban had ramped up violence against the Afghan people and their government, while holding fire against foreign forces.

More than 3,000 Afghan civilians were killed and almost 5,800 were wounded in 2020, according to a United Nation report.

"By not attacking the foreign forces but continuously targeting the Afghan security forces and civilians, the Taliban have shown that they are fighting against the people of Afghanistan," Aman said.

Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Programme at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, sympathised with that view, saying: "they have every right to lambaste a U.S.-Taliban agreement for failing to bring a semblance of relief to Afghans themselves."

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/kabul-high-alert-amid-deadline-us-troop-withdrawal-afghanistan-2021-05-01/

The commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan warned on Saturday it would be a mistake for insurgents to attack foreign troops still present in the country after the passing of a May 1 deadline for withdrawal agreed last year with Taliban militants.

U.S. Army General Scott Miller's comments followed what a U.S. forces spokesman described as "ineffective indirect fire" at an airfield in Kandahar that had caused no injuries or damage. The Taliban did not immediately respond to request for comment on whether it was involved in the incident.

Under a February 2020 deal between former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and the Taliban, foreign forces were to withdraw from the country by May 1 while the hardline Islamist group held off on attacking foreign troops and bases. But U.S. President Joe Biden announced last month after reviewing the situation that forces would stay in the country for months beyond May, withdrawing by Sept. 11. Kabul was braced on Saturday for a reaction from the Taliban, with a visibly increased military presence and security at checkpoints. A security source said the Afghan capital was on "high alert", while military patrols and security were being increased in main cities around the country.

In a video posted to Twitter by a spokesman for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan following Saturday's incident in Kandahar, General Miller said it would be a mistake to move towards attacking foreign troops.

"Make no mistake, we have the military means to respond forcefully to any type of attacks against the coalition and the military means to support the (Afghan) security forces," he said.

Violence against Afghans has escalated in recent weeks, with more than a hundred Afghan security forces personnel killed. On Friday, a huge blast in eastern Logar killed dozens as they broke their fast during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.

It was not clear who was behind the attack, but the government blamed the Taliban who said they were looking into the matter. The Taliban responded to the Biden administration's move with fiery rhetoric and threatened consequences, boycotting a crucial conference in Turkey planned for last month to help jump-start stalling Afghan peace talks.

Official and Taliban sources say contacts have been maintained to try to get the Taliban back to the negotiating table and agree to the extended foreign troop presence but no announcement on an extension had been made by Saturday. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted on Saturday that the passing deadline meant "this violation in principle has opened the way for (Taliban fighters) to take every counter-action it deems appropriate against the occupying forces."

But he added that fighters were waiting on the decision of Taliban leadership.

Earlier in the week Mujahid told Reuters conversations were continuing, saying: "Discussions between the U.S. and Taliban and ... within the Taliban's leadership are under way whether to extend that or not."

Washington has also warned that if foreign forces were attacked while carrying out the withdrawal they would defend themselves "with all the tools at our disposal".

Experts said the Taliban threats should be taken seriously, but a number of factors meant that full-scale attacks against foreign targets could be averted, as the Taliban continued negotiations.

"We can't rule out attacks," said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Programme at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. "That said, the Taliban is less likely to attack foreign forces now that it knows there is a specific date when they will be leaving." In the lead up to May 1, sources said there was a flurry of meetings as negotiations with the Taliban over the deadline extension continued.

The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, had met with the Taliban's head of political office, Mullah Baradar, in Doha, a Taliban spokesman said on Friday.

Also on Friday, the eve of the agreed deadline, envoys from Russia, China, Pakistan and the United States held meetings with Taliban officials and Afghan government negotiators in the Qatari capital. The Taliban said they discussed the peace process and their request that Taliban leaders be removed from sanctions lists.

Sources also said a delegation of Taliban political leaders had been in Pakistan's capital Islamabad this week.

Two Taliban sources and one official source said negotiations had revolved around the proposed deadline extension in exchange for the United States not getting involved in Afghan military operations against the Taliban; getting the Taliban to commit to re-joining the Turkey conference if they were provided with an agenda on what would be discussed there; and possibly declaring a ceasefire over the upcoming Eid holiday.

Pakistan's foreign office did not immediately respond to request for comment.

 

[Poseidon]

wheres india in all of these talks ?

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

wheres india in all of these talks ?

I don't think peace in Afghanistan is in India's interest.

Of course, my opinion can be wrong but then actions do speak louder than words.

 

[OMB]

Taliban seize district on outskirts of Afghan capital: Officials

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said the insurgents had captured the area on Tuesday.

The Taliban have seized a district from Afghan government forces around 40 kilometres from the capital Kabul, officials said.

"Security and defence forces made a tactical retreat from the police headquarters of Nerkh district," Interior Ministry spokesman Tareq Arian told AFP.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said the insurgents had captured the area on Tuesday.


https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/taliban-seize-district-on-outskirts-of-afghan-capital-officials-101620803028683.html