TASHKENT: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday demanded“demonstrable evidence” from the Taliban that they can and will reduceviolence before signing a deal that would lead to Afghanistan peace talksand a withdrawal of American troops from the country.
Speaking at a news conference in neighboring Uzbekistan, Pompeo said a dealis close but that they have been close before and failed because theTaliban was unable to demonstrate seriousness. He said more work remains tobe done so that peace talks can get started.
“We’re working on a peace and reconciliation plan, putting the commas inthe right place, getting the sentences right,” he said. “We got close oncebefore to having an agreement: a piece of paper that we mutually executedand the Taliban were unable to demonstrate either their will or capacity orboth to deliver on a reduction in violence.”
“So, what we are demanding now is demonstrable evidence of their will andcapacity to reduce violence, to take down the threat, so the inter-Afghantalks … will have a less violent context,” he said. “We’re hopeful we canachieve that but we’re not there yet, and work certainly remains.”
Pompeo’s comments came just two days after US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzadarrived in Kabul and told Afghan President Ashraf Ghani there has been “nonotable progress” in talks with the Taliban. However, Khalilzad said he washopeful of reaching an understanding with them on a reduction ofhostilities, without offering any time frame.
Khalilzad had been in Pakistan last week to rally support for getting anagreement with the Taliban to reduce their attacks, as a first step towarda peace agreement to end 18 years of war in neighboring Afghanistan.
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Earlier, the Taliban said they offered Khalilzad a 10-day cease-fire windowin which to sign a peace agreement that would be followed by intra-Afghannegotiations.
Khalilzad was appointed by the White House in 2018 to find a negotiated endto Afghanistan’s war that would allow the United States to bring home itsestimated 13,000 soldiers and end its longest military engagement.
He has held multiple rounds of talks with the Taliban in the Mideasternstate of Qatar where the militant group maintains a political office.
