KABUL: Negotiations between the Taliban and US officials in Qatar entered afourth straight day Thursday, the militants said, with the “unprecedented”discussions raising expectations as both sides seek a way out of the17-year Afghan conflict.
The extended talks come more than a month after President Donald Trumpordered the withdrawal of half the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan, in apush to extricate Washington from its longest-ever war, launched in 2001after the September 11 attacks.
For months the US has been stepping up efforts for a peace deal that couldpave the way for the Taliban’s participation in the next government.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed to AFP Thursday that“discussions are still ongoing”. A senior Taliban commander based inPakistan said they were discussing various aspects of a US withdrawal, andthat a statement could be released later Thursday or Friday.
The Pakistan foreign ministry also confirmed that talks were ongoingbetween the two sides.
There was no confirmation from US officials or NATO in Kabul. The US lastconfirmed talks on Tuesday, when it said special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad wasmeeting Taliban representatives in Doha.
Discussions could continue for a fifth day Friday, reported Afghantelevision channel Tolo News.
However President Ashraf Ghani was reserved when asked at the WorldEconomic Forum in Davos if there had been any breakthrough in Doha. “Not inthat sense,” he replied, without elaborating.
“There’s discussion. But this discussion needs to be shared back (with theAfghan government)”, he continued, adding that if not it “will not last”.
Afghan officials in Kabul, who have complained previously about being cutout of the process, said they would have to wait and see if any statementwas made before reacting to the talks.
Afghanistan’s de facto prime minister Abdullah Abdullah voiced frustrationat Davos on Wednesday that the Taliban are persisting in excluding hisgovernment from negotiations. The insurgents have long branded Kabulauthorities “puppets” of Washington.
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“(A) peace process cannot take place by proxy,” he said.
– ‘Unprecedented’ –
The continuation of the talks in Doha this week represented “unprecedented”progress, Rahimullah Yousufzai, an expert on the Taliban, said earlierThursday.
“I have never seen anything like this before,” he said.
“This is the first serious effort. And it has continued since July… theyhave agreed to disagree and continued to meet. That’s why it’sunprecedented.”
Talks have primarily focused on three major points: the withdrawal of UStroops, a vow to prevent Afghan soil from being a base for attacks on othercountries, and a potential ceasefire, according to Yusufzai.
Initial progress could come in the form of prisoners’ release and theremoval of Taliban officials from the UN blacklist, he said.
On Thursday the Wall Street Journal cited an anonymous source as saying theTaliban had agreed to oppose Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group inAfghanistan.
There was no immediate confirmation from the militants or US officials. TheUS invasion of 2001 was driven by the Taliban’s harbouring of Al Qaeda, butmore than 17 years later the group appears diminished in the region. -APP/AFP
