The U.S. envoy to Afghanistan said Saturday that Washington intends to continue pursuing a peace deal with the Taliban despite recent reports of its involvement in carrying out Russian rewards on members of the U.S. services and the coalition in the country.
Zalmay Khalilzad, who has been conducting negotiations with the militant group and has lobbied for the implementation of a peace agreement signed in February, was completing a week-long trip to Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Qatar, where the Taliban negotiating team has its headquarters. Khalilzad sent out a series of tweets on Saturday promoting the economic benefits of the February deal, saying that implementation of the deal would benefit all parties.
“In following up on mtg with the Taliban, we underline the economic development options that will follow a sustainable peace. We agree that developing plans in support of peace can never start too early, assuming the two sides can overcome the final obstacles on the way to intra-Afghan negotiations, ”Khalilzad tweeted.
“Mullah Baradar and his team were committed and the Taliban recognize that all Afghans will have to make commitments to attract the required investment in the future of Afghanistan,” he added, referring to the Taliban negotiating team.
3/3 Mullah Baradar and his team got engaged, and the Taliban recognize that all Afghans will have to make commitments to attract the required investment in Afghanistan’s future.
– US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@ US4AfghanPeace) July 3, 2020
The negotiations took place in the context of a series of explosive reports detailing the rewards Moscow offered to the Taliban for carrying out attacks against US and coalition troops in Afghanistan, which reportedly led to the deaths of several American troops.
President Trump
Donald John Trump Trump responds to calls to tear down monuments with creation of Trump Statues’ National Garden ‘: Children are taught at school to’ hate their own country ‘Trump accuses those who knock down statues of wanting to’ overthrow the American Revolution ‘ He has called the reports a “hoax,” and Republicans in Congress have claimed there was no consensus on the intelligence that reported the reports, although Democrats have raised the alarm over the administration’s inaction on the alleged rewards.
The Pentagon also sounded alarm bells this week when it released a report questioning the Taliban’s intention to cut ties with Al-Qaida. The peace deal negotiated in February directs the group to fight terrorist organizations and ensure that they do not use Afghanistan as a base for operations against US interests or their allies in the future.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied contacts with Al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent to The Associated Press.
While the United States and the Taliban have said they are committed to carrying out the peace deal, uncertainty still hangs over crucial intra-Afghan negotiations between the Taliban and the government in Kabul, with the two sides hanging on the amount. of prisoners trying to liberate.
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