Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
Afghan Taliban

Washington, Sep 9: The Taliban has on Sunday condemned United States President Donald Trump’s announcement of the suspension of ongoing peace negotiations with the insurgent group to put an end to 18-year-long civil war and crisis in Afghanistan and termed Trump’s decision as an “anti-peace” move.

According to Al-Jazeera, the Taliban, in a statement on Sunday, said: “Now that US President Trump has announced the suspension of negotiations … this would not harm anyone else but the Americans themselves.”

On Saturday, Trump, in a series of tweets, confirmed he was calling off the secret negotiations, scheduled for Sunday with the group’s representatives and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani at Maryland’s Camp David in the United States.

Trump, via tweets, has said he “called off” scheduled peace talks and “cancelled” a scheduled secret meeting with the group’s “major leaders”. He took this decision post Taliban declaration it was behind a terror attack in Afghan capital Kabul that claimed the life of an American troop and other 11 people.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170469618177236992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1170469618177236992&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2019%2F09%2Flosses-taliban-trump-cancels-afghan-talks-190908133847765.html

“If they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks, and would even kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don’t have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway,” Trump tweeted, adding the Taliban sought to “build false leverage”.

“I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations. What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position?” Trump said.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170469621348098049

On Sunday, Taliban said Trump’s move would lead to a further loss of US assets and lives. “The Americans will suffer more than anyone else for cancelling the talks,” a statement said.

“Our struggle for the past 18 years … will continue until the foreign occupation is finished and the Afghans are given a chance to live by their own choice,” said the statement.

“We had fruitful discussions with the US negotiating team and the agreement was finalised,” said the statement.

The Taliban also said American negotiating council was “happy with the progress made so far” in Doha, the Qatari capital, and the dialogues were held “in a good atmosphere”.

 

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