*ISLAMABAD – Taliban and US negotiators have wrapped up their latest roundof talks for a deal that would see America shrink its troop presence inAfghanistan, both sides said Monday.*
The foes have been negotiating in Doha over the past year for a pact thatwould see the Pentagon begin to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Afghanistan.
Speculation has reached fever pitch in Kabul in recent days that anannouncement about a deal may be imminent, but tweets from the Taliban andZalmay Khalilzad — the US special envoy leading the talks — suggest workremains to be done.
“We’ve concluded this round of talks that started Aug 3 between the US andthe Taliban. Over the last few days, the two sides focused on technicaldetails. They were productive. I am on my way back to DC to consult on nextsteps,” Khalilzad wrote.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the talks had stretched pastmidnight.
“Work was tedious & effective. Both sides agreed to consult theirrespective leaderships for next steps,” he wrote on Twitter.
On Sunday, Khalilzad tweeted: “I hope this is the last Eid whereAfghanistan is at war,” referring to the holiday currently being observedacross the Muslim world.
Washington is keen to end its 18-year involvement in Afghanistan, where ithas spent more than $1 trillion, and President Donald Trump has said hewants troops out.
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In return, the Taliban would commit to various security guarantees,including that the elements who long harboured Al-Qaeda would not allowAfghanistan to become a safe haven again.
A US-Taliban agreement would not in itself bring Afghanistan’s war to anend, as the Taliban would still need to make a deal with the Kabulgovernment.
Many Afghans had been hoping for a ceasefire to be announced over Eid. Thishas not happened, but recent days have been relatively calm.
On Monday, Afghanistan’s intelligence service announced 35 Talibanprisoners would be released “as a gesture of goodwill”.
“The release of these prisoners is a clear sign of the strong will of thegovernment for peace and end to war,” the agency said in a statement.
The Taliban and Afghan security forces periodically release enemyprisoners. -APP/AFP
