ISLAMABAD – The Taliban put the son of the dreaded founder of the movement in charge of his military wing and added several powerful figures to his negotiating team, Taliban officials said. The shakeup, one of the most significant in years, anticipates talks expected with Kabul to end decades of war in Afghanistan.
As head of a newly united military wing, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, 30, brings his father’s fierce reputation to the battlefield.
Equally important is the addition of four members of the insurgent group’s leadership council to the 20-member negotiating team, Taliban officials told The Associated Press.
The confusion, overseen by Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhunzada, is intended to reinforce his control over the movement’s military and political weapons, officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the Taliban’s inner workings.
Analysts say the shakeup could be good news for negotiations with the Afghan political leadership, and a sign of how seriously the Taliban is taking this second, and perhaps most critical, step in a deal Washington signed with insurgents. in February.
“I would say it seems like a positive development because the Taliban are creating a delegation that seems more important and broader than they have used to date, or that may be strictly necessary for the initial stages of the talks.” said Andrew Wilder, vice president of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Institute for Peace in the United States.
“If you want to see the glass half full, this strengthened Taliban delegation could be interpreted as a sign that the group plans to engage in serious debate,” he said.
When the United States signed the agreement with the Taliban on February 29, after more than a year and a half of negotiations, it was touted as Afghanistan’s best chance for peace in four decades of war. It was also seen as a road map for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, ending the longest war in the United States.
On Monday, four and a half months after the signing, the top US negotiator and peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted that “a key milestone in the implementation of the agreement between the United States and the Taliban had been reached, as the number of US troops dropped to 8,600 from around 12,000 and five bases were closed in Afghanistan
Even when Khalilzad punished the increase in insurgent attacks against Afghan security forces, he said the Taliban had kept their word not to attack US and NATO troops.
“No American has lost his life in Afghanistan due to Taliban violence. Regional relations have improved, “he tweeted.
The Taliban have stepped up their military activity against Afghan government forces since Yaqoob’s appointment in May, a sign that militants under his leadership may view victories on the battlefield as increasing their influence at the negotiating table. .
“I can see many reasons why the Taliban are pushing the envelope, perhaps as a negotiating tactic, but equally likely as a means of testing the limits of the United States,” said Daniel Markey, research professor at the School of Advanced from Johns Hopkins University. International Studies. “So far, it appears that the Trump administration is headed for the exit, no matter what. Why not increase the violence to see what greater victories can be gained? “
Surprisingly, the confusion also sidelined high-ranking Taliban leader Amir Khan Muttaqi, withdrawing him from the negotiating committee. Seen as close to neighboring Pakistan, his expulsion could limit Pakistan’s influence and reinforce his position with Kabul, which is deeply suspicious of Islamabad.
Already as deputy director of the movement, the sudden appointment of Mullah Mohammed Omar’s son as Taliban military chief reportedly stirred the feathers among members of the leadership council, who had not been consulted. However, Yaqoob met with the council and won over the dissidents, Taliban officials said.
“Yaqoob’s appointment appears to be, at least in part, an effort by Mullah Akhundzada to shore up oversight of operations on the battlefield at a key moment … as insurgents escalate the violence to strengthen their negotiating position in preparation. for possible peace talks with the Afghan governments, “said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center.
In recent weeks, hopes have been raised for a start of negotiations in July, but the Taliban and the Kabul government have stalled on the final release of the prisoners, a prerequisite for the start of negotiations. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the AP on Friday that the Taliban reject government efforts to replace prisoners on the list originally negotiated for the exchange.
Countries have lined up to organize the talks, with Germany being the last to submit a bid and Turkey, Iran, Indonesia, Japan and Norway reportedly among the nations volunteering. However, Taliban and Afghan government officials say the first round is likely to take place in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office.
The recently strengthened negotiating team includes Abdul Hakeem, the Taliban justice chief and Akhunzada confidant, as well as Maulvi Saqib, who was justice chief during the Taliban government.
According to the agreement between the United States and the Taliban, the Taliban, who during their government in Afghanistan received the head of Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, while planning the attacks of September 11, have promised not to host any more terrorist groups. They also guarantee that Afghanistan will not be used as a launch field for future attacks on the United States.
In a tweet this week, Khalilzad said “more progress is needed in the fight against terrorism,” without giving further details.
This week, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also spoke about the controversy surrounding the White House over reports that Russian money is being paid to Afghan militias, allegedly with ties to the Taliban, to kill to American troops.
“There is a lot of Russian footprint; There are Russian weapons systems there. We have made it clear to our Russian counterparts that we must work together to achieve a more sovereign, more independent and peaceful Afghanistan, “he said.
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Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington and Tameem Akghar in Kabul, Afghanistan contributed to this report.
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