KABUL – President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday said that those forcing peopleto hold peace talks must avoid discussing the issue of dissolving thecountry’s army.
He said: “Those who are forcefully bringing others to negotiate must nottalk about dissolving our “lions” (army); if they are so brave, then theymust come and fight on the battlefield instead of carrying out suicide(attacks) and explosions,” Ghani said, TOLO News has reported.
Ghani had been referring to a video issued by a senior Taliban member, andformer head of the Qatar office, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai.
Stanikzai had been discussing the Doha talks between the Taliban and theUnited States.
In the video, Stanikzai said once the US forces have withdrawn fromAfghanistan, there would be no need for an army in Afghanistan.
In response, Ghani said at an event to honor commandos, after they werefreed last week from a Taliban prison, that the country’s security forcesare improving and getting stronger and will eventually be able to workwithout foreign assistance.
He said however they would never accept a peace agreement that’s notsustainable.
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“A peace that our security and defense forces do not guarantee is notacceptable to us,” Ghani added.
“Our security and defense forces are not one-day forces, one year and onedecade and a generation, but forces that fight for hundreds ofgenerations,” Ghani added.
Last week Stanikzai released a video in which he discussed Doha talks andhinted that the current army was illegitimate as it had been establishedwith the help of the US.
He also said once the US forces have withdrawn there would be no need foran army.
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