Thu. Mar 28th, 2024
Afghan Taliban

Kabul, August 27: A Taliban commander on Tuesday said the insurgent group will continue their fight against the America-backed Afghanistan government and make efforts to seize power by its forces.

As the Taliban and the United States‘ special negotiators push discussions to wrap-up talks which aimed at finalizing the foreign troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, disagreements remain in place over a pact that would mean an end to the insurgents’ group’s fight with the Afghan forces backed by America.

US special representative for Afghan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, have been stressing on the Taliban to agree to hold direct talks with the Kabul government and to maintain a ceasefire in the region, but a top-level Taliban official has said this could never happen.

“We will continue our fight against the Afghan government and seize power by force,” said the Taliban commander, according to Dawn.

Another Taliban commander stated a ceasefire deal was likely to be inked this week under which the American armed forces, which continue to provide all vital aerial machine support to the Afghan troops, will cease targeting the Taliban and that the insurgents would end their battle against the US forces.

Under the agreement, the US would also cease backing the Kabul government, according to the Taliban officials.

“The Americans will not come to the assistance of the Afghan government and its forces in their fight against us,” a Taliban official said.

Khalilzad, however, dismissed the resolution that American forces would no longer back the Afghan government, stating “no one should be intimidated or fooled by propaganda”.

“A Reuters report quoted two unnamed Taliban commanders as saying that we would cease supporting Afghan forces as part of an agreement. it is not true!” Khalilzad clarified.

“Let me be clear: We will defend Afghan forces now and after any agreement with the Talibs,” he said on Twitter reacting to a report. He added, “All sides agree Afghanistan’s future will be determined in intra-Afghan negotiations.”

The disagreements suggest one of the highly sensitive issues between US-Taliban peace talks – displeasure among many in the Kabul government that they have been “sidelined” from dialogues that will directly result in a better future of their nation.

A US official said the US hadn’t yet ceased attacking the militants or supporting the Afghan forces to demolish all camps under the Taliban and the militants of the Islamic State (IS).

 

 

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