ISLAMABAD – US and the Taliban appeared closer on Wednesday to abreakthrough in talks over the withdrawal of American troops fromAfghanistan, after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said there had been”notable progress” in negotiations.
Washington and the insurgents have been locked in gruelling discussionsthat have stretched over more than a year for a deal that would see the USpull thousands of troops out of Afghanistan.
In return, the Taliban would provide various security guarantees and launcheventual talks with the Kabul government.
In a series of tweets late Tuesday, Ghani said US Secretary of State MikePompeo had called him to inform him of developments in the talks, which aretaking place in Doha.
“Today, I was pleased to receive a call from @SecPompeo, informing me ofthe notable progress made in the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban,”Ghani said on his official Twitter account.
“The Secretary informed me about the Taliban´s proposal with regards tobringing a significant and enduring reduction in violence.”
A Taliban source in Pakistan told AFP that insurgent and US negotiatorswould meet again on Wednesday in Doha.
Citing Afghan and US officials, the New York Times reported that USPresident Donald Trump had given conditional approval to a deal with theTaliban.
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The two foes have been on the brink of a breakthrough before, with a dealall but complete in September before Trump nixed it at the last moment amidcontinued Taliban violence.
The Times said Trump would only give final approval to the deal if theTaliban stick to a reduction in violence of “about seven days later thismonth”. The Taliban source in Pakistan said the group has agreed to theproposal.
He said to all intents and purposes, this would be a ceasefire, but itcould not be named that because of various “complications”.
Despite ongoing talks between the US and the Taliban, Afghanistan’s war hasraged on, with the number of clashes jumping to record levels in the lastquarter of 2019, according to a recent US government watchdog report.
In his annual State of the Union address on February 4, Trump renewed hisvow to negotiate a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“We are working to finally end America’s longest war and bring our troopsback home,” he said, offering his blessing for the negotiations with theTaliban. -APP/AFP
