DOHA – Talks between the Taliban and the US have become bogged down overthe key issue of when foreign forces might leave Afghanistan, a Talibanspokesman told AFP on Sunday.
The Taliban and US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad have met repeatedly in theQatari capital Doha in recent months in a bid to finally end Afghanistan’sgruelling war.
Central to negotiations is the fundamental question of a timetable for whenUS and foreign forces might leave Afghanistan, after more than 17 years ofconflict.
While Khalilzad in February sounded an optimistic tone, suggesting a dealwas within reach by July, the two foes have hit a sticking point.
Before the US announces a withdrawal timeline, it is demanding the Talibanput in place security guarantees, a ceasefire and other commitments.
But the insurgents insist they won’t do a thing until the US announces thattimeline.
In an interview with AFP, Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s politicalspokesman in Doha, said the two sides are grappling with “one point, and tonarrow the differences and have an agreement on a timetable which isacceptable to both sides”.
“That has not been achieved so far,” Shaheen said.
Asked if that meant nothing would move forward until America announced awithdrawal timetable, Shaheen said: “In principal, yes”, adding that theissue might not be resolved in this round of talks.
“If we are not able to finalise it in this round, then … peace would befar away rather than being closer,” Shaheen said.
It was not clear if the talks were to continue Monday, the first day ofthe holy month of Ramadan.
– Peace mega-summit –
Many Afghans are aghast at the prospect of the US making a deal with theTaliban, and see the United States as desperate to leave a country that hascost it more than $1 trillion and the lives of some 2,400 troops.
They fear an emboldened Taliban would try to seize power and reintroduceits extreme version of Islam, wiping out years of gains by women, the mediaand others.
Khalilzad has tried to reassure Afghans by meeting with representativesfrom across the diverse country, and stressing America will not quit untila permanent ceasefire is in place.
Thousands of tribal elders and other figures met in Kabul last week toexpress their red lines for a deal with the Taliban.
Women in Kabul scoff at the idea that the insurgents, who once stonedwomen to death on flimsy allegations of adultery, have adapted to moremodern times.
But Shaheen insisted the Taliban do “not have any problem with women’srights,” though he said they would be based on “Islamic values.”
“We have a different culture and different values. Our values, Afghanvalues are different from that of Western values”, he said.
At the end of last week’s mega-summit, President Ashraf Ghani offered theTaliban a ceasefire.
The insurgents rebuffed the move, and on Sunday launched a suicide andgunman attack at a police station in northern Afghanistan, killing at leastthirteen people.
Despite the ongoing peace talks, violence in Afghanistan continues.
US forces train Afghan partners on the ground and strike the Taliban fromthe air, sometimes killing hundreds of the insurgents in a week, in a bidto push the war to a political settlement.
The insurgents have steadfastly refused to talk to Ghani, who they view asa US puppet, and talks thus far have cut out his government.
The negotiations between the Taliban and the US are incredibly complex.
Taliban chief negotiator Abbas Stanakzai is leading a 13-member team, whileKhalilzad has about two dozen officials with him. The Qatari government isalso participating.
Negotiations move slowly, with interactions translated back and forth intoPashto and English, while negotiators often pause to confer with higherups.
The central guarantee the US want from the Taliban is that they never againallow Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven for terror groups.
Shaheen said the Taliban was ready to provide the US with the securityguarantees it seeks.
Khalilzad has repeatedly stressed that nothing would be finalised until allissues have been addressed. – APP/AFP