The US-Taliban-Afghanistan '3-way' agreement is complicated
(Baonghean) - The Taliban will not participate in any negotiations with the Afghan government until 5,000 of its prisoners are released. This is the latest statement by the Taliban spokesman after signing a peace agreement with the US, and is also a bad signal showing the difficulties in implementing this agreement.
According to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, the force is ready to participate in negotiations with the Afghan Government.
However, the Taliban insists that they will only participate in the talks after 5,000 Taliban prisoners are released. This is one of the terms previously agreed by the US and the Taliban, according to which the Afghan government will release 5,000 Taliban prisoners and the Taliban will also release 1,000 government prisoners before starting the talks on March 10.
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| Taliban resumes violent attacks against government forces. Photo: Stars and Stripes |
The Taliban's statement came shortly after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also confirmed that he would not release Taliban prisoners. According to Mr. Ashraf Ghani, whether or not to release Taliban prisoners is the right of the Afghan government and that will be negotiated between the government and the Taliban, not between the Taliban and the US. Mr. Ashraf Ghani also said that US President Donald Trump did not mention to him the conditions for releasing prisoners before signing a peace agreement with the Taliban.
In another bad sign for the US-Taliban peace deal, the Taliban resumed violent attacks with a bomb attack in Khost province that killed three people and injured 11. A Taliban spokesman announced that the week-long reduction in violence had ended and the Taliban would resume normal operations. However, as promised to the US, the Taliban would not attack foreign forces but only Afghan government forces.
US defense officials have been informed of unfavorable developments in Afghanistan. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US is continuing to clarify the attack in Khost, while affirming that the implementation of the US-Taliban agreement will be a long and bumpy road, possibly witnessing many interruptions and then resumptions - a familiar thing during the past year of negotiations between the US and the Taliban. Meanwhile, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley was cautious, saying that, despite the remarkable results in the past week of reduced violence, it is difficult to hope that the Taliban will completely stop violent attacks.
