KABUL – United States makes new demands from Afghan Taliban over peacedeal.
US and Taliban delegates in Qatar are working out the terms for a reductionin violence as part of ongoing peace talks, and sources familiar with thetalks say the United States has recently made several new demands with thereduction in violence plan, TOLO News reported.
One of the demands, according to these sources, is that the reduction inviolence should be long-term.
Previously, sources had said that the two sides had agreed on a plan toreduce the violence from seven to ten days.
Mujib Rahimi, Chief Executive Abdullah’s spokesman, said that the USspecial envoy for Afghan peace, Zalmay Khalilzad, during his recent trip toKabul said he had submitted proposals to the Taliban to extend the durationof the reduction in violence.
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“Mr. Khalilzad was hopeful during his trip and thought the Taliban wereready for more serious discussions, and that the Taliban’s plans were at anunacceptable level to (the US side) in terms of reducing violence.(Khalilzad said) we have put forward more conditions and are waiting forthe Taliban to respond,” said Rahimi.
Although progress in Qatar’s peace process is going slow, the Pakistaniambassador to Kabul Zahid Nasrullah Khan said on Wednesday that “failure isnot an option.”
