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 negotiations 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 negotiations on March 10.
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| The Taliban resumed 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 has 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 has ended and the Taliban will continue to carry out operations as usual. However, as promised to the US, the Taliban will not attack foreign forces but only Afghan government forces.
US defense officials have received information about unfavorable developments in Afghanistan. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the US is continuing to clarify the attack in Khost, and affirmed that implementing the US-Taliban agreement will be a long and bumpy road, possibly witnessing many interruptions and then resumptions - something familiar during the past year of negotiations between the US and the Taliban. Meanwhile, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley was cautious when saying that, despite the remarkable results in the previous week of reduced violence, it is difficult to hope that the Taliban will completely end violent attacks.
