*WASHINGTON: *The White House signaled progress on Friday in preparationsfor a peace deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying that discussionsbetween President Donald Trump and top advisers went “very well.”
Trump met at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course with national securityadvisors including Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Secretary of State MikePompeo, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General JosephDunford, the White House said.
Also present were national security point man John Bolton and the USspecial envoy for the talks with the Taliban, Zalmay Khalilzad.
“Discussions centered around our ongoing negotiations and eventual peaceand reconciliation agreement with the Taliban and the government ofAfghanistan. The meeting went very well, and negotiations are proceeding,”deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement.
Trump added on Twitter: “Just completed a very good meeting on Afghanistan.Many on the opposite side of this 19 year war, and us, are looking to makea deal – if possible!”
Expectations are rising for a deal in which the United States would startwithdrawing its 14,000 soldiers from Afghanistan after a two-decade warthat has turned into a stalemate.
Washington is keen to end its involvement in Afghanistan, where it hasspent more than $1 trillion and Trump has said since the start of hispresidency that he wants troops out.
In return, the Taliban would commit to various security guarantees,including that the religious hardliners who long harbored Al-Qaeda wouldnot allow Afghanistan to become a militant safe haven.
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A US-Taliban agreement would not in itself bring Afghanistan’s war to anend, as the insurgents would still need to make a deal with the US-backedKabul government.
“In continued close cooperation with the government of Afghanistan, weremain committed to achieving a comprehensive peace agreement,” Pompeo saidin a statement.
This would include “a reduction in violence and a ceasefire, ensuring thatAfghan soil is never again used to threaten the United States or herallies, and bringing Afghans together to work towards peace.”
Even as the United States and Taliban claim progress in talks, little haschanged for Afghans on the ground.
A UN tally found last year was the deadliest on record, with at least 3,804civilian deaths caused by the war – including 927 children.
And according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of HumanitarianAffairs (OCHA), more than 217,000 people had to flee their homes because offighting during the first seven months of 2019, prompting a huge need forhumanitarian aid across the war-torn nation. -APP/AFP
