Afghan Taliban and the American peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad have been involved in hectic parleys in Qatar over the past three days to reach an understanding over thorny issues, the most complicated is the question of the withdrawal of foreign troops.
Taliban officials say their top priority is to ask the Americans “if and when” they intend to quit Afghanistan.
Reports say the US has spent nearly one trillion dollars and lost over 2000 soldiers since the American forces invaded Afghanistan in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington. The US spends about 50 billion dollars annually on Afghan war, according to experts. Section of the US media reports Taliban now control about 50 percent of the areas.
“There had been no noteworthy progress in talks on the second day on Tuesday and the talks focused on our demand for the withdrawal of the foreign forces. The US side insisted that we should sit with the Kabul administration,” a Taliban source, privy to the negotiations told Daily Times on Wednesday.
Taliban have so far rejected calls for talks with the Afghan government at this stage and say they want to deal first with issues which are related to foreigners.
“We will talk to the Kabul administration and all Afghan groups after the US ends invasion,” a Taliban leader said.
The talks continued on third day on Wednesday and the Taliban officials did not offer any comments.
The American side wants the Taliban to ensure they will “prevent Afghanistan from being used against other countries in the future.”
The US and its allies launched war on the Taliban in 2001 on the plea that they were sheltering Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda, blamed for the 9/11 attacks.
Taliban sources say Zalmay Khalilzad is leading an 11-member team while Sher Abbas Stanekzai, head of the Taliban office in Qatar, is leading an 8-member delegation. Qatari officials also took part in the talks, according to sources familiar with the current talks. “Currently we are not talking about other issue. The only agenda for now is – we are telling the Americans foreign forces will have to leave,” a Taliban leader said.
He said the US side also called for a ceasefire in the on-going talks but “we have not accepted it”
In previous meetings Taliban also called for release of prisoners, recognition of their office in Qatar and lifting of international travel ban on the Taliban leaders.
Former Taliban ambassador Mullah Zaeef is among several Taliban, who served during the Taliban regime, have opposed participation of other countries in the Taliban-US meetings.
“It was a mistake by the US and the Taliban to allow other countries sit in the Abu Dhabi round of talks,” Zaeef wrote on his Facebook page.
Officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE had taken part in the Abu Dhabi meeting on Dec. 17-18. Pakistan says it had facilitated the UAE talks. Taliban had refused to meet Afghan government’s officials who were at the Abu Dhabi. Afghan officials said the US had told Kabul Afghan officials will hold talks but it did not happen.
“Mistake of others’ participation should not be repeated and they (US and Taliban) should resist pressure on them. Involving other countries in decisions about the future of Afghanistan is a failed practice,” Zaeef wrote. He argued that if some people were allowed space in the negotiations, it will lead to apprehensions of other regional countries, which will push for their participation.
“If some neighbours join the process, then all neighbours should be made part of the negotiations,” said the former Taliban envoy, who now lives in Kabul.
Published in Daily Times, January 24th 2019.
