MOSCOW – The Taliban claimed on Wednesday that the United States agreed inDoha to withdraw half its ground troops by the end of April — and theprocess had begun.

“The Americans agreed to withdraw half of their troops immediately. Thewithdrawal will start from February 1 and continue until end of April,”Abdul Salam Hanefi, deputy head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha,told reporters in Moscow.

But US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad has repeatedly stressed that nothing isagreed until everything is agreed. ‘Everything’ must include anintra-Afghan dialogue and comprehensive ceasefire”.

The US has issued no details on any potential withdrawal plan.

The Taliban routinely exaggerate their attacks and details of otherengagements, and NATO and Afghan officials deny the claims.

The Taliban entered a second day of unprecedented talks on Wednesday withpowerful Afghan politicians in Moscow, sidestepping the Kabul government asit pursues a leading stake in the war-torn country.

The rare public appearance that kicked off a day before saw Talibanofficials spell out their vision for Afghanistan in front of rollingcameras and a host of political heavyweights, including former presidentHamid Karzai.

The insurgents went around President Ashraf Ghani and sat down with hischief rivals for an extraordinary meeting that saw Karzai and other swornenemies of the Taliban praying with the militants.

No government official was invited, despite Ghani’s offers to talk peace,underscoring the Taliban’s hostility toward the increasingly marginalisedKabul administration.

The Moscow meet comes a week after the Taliban held separate talks towardending 17 years of fighting with American negotiators in Doha, where Ghaniwas again not invited to the table.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday described those talks as “constructive”and voiced cautious hope for a negotiated end to America’s longest war. -APP/AFP