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‘Taliban must decide whether to stand with own people or foreign forces’

By APP
January 29, 2019

KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Monday the Taliban should “enter serious talks” with his government and called upon Taliban to decide whether to stand with their own people or with foreign forces.

The Taliban have long refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, branding them “puppets”. But a month-long diplomatic push by the United States to broker talks culminated in six days of meetings between Washington and the Taliban in Doha, igniting hopes of a breakthrough more than 17 years after the US invasion.

Both the Taliban and the US touted “progress” over the weekend, and the New York Times cited Washington’s special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad on Monday as saying they have formed “a draft of a framework”, though he warned details need to be fleshed out and major sticking points remain.

The points of contention include a ceasefire, a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops, and the Taliban's ongoing refusal to speak to Kabul. Afghan authorities have previously complained of being excluded from the talks, and warned that any deal between the US and the Taliban would require Kabul’s endorsement. “I call on the Taliban to show their Afghan will, and accept Afghans’ demand for peace, and enter serious talks with the Afghan government,” Ghani said in a nationally televised address from the presidential palace in Kabul.

US President Donald Trump’s clear eagerness to end America's longest war has also weighed heavy on the discussions, and Ghani warned against rushing into a deal, citing violence in the aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.

“We want peace, we want it fast but we want it with a plan,” he continued. “We should not forget that the victims of this war are Afghans. No Afghan wants foreign troops to remain in their country indefinitely. No Afghan wants to face suicide attacks in hospitals, schools, the mosques, and parks.”

Khalilzad -- who has been leading the negotiations -- arrived in Afghanistan late Sunday to update officials including Ghani on the progress made. He reassured the Afghans the talks in Qatar remain geared towards bringing the insurgents to the table with Kabul, according to a statement released by Ghani’s office. “My role is to facilitate,” Khalilzad was quoted as saying in the statement.

The palace said Khalilzad also confirmed that no agreement had been made on a withdrawal, adding that any such decision would be coordinated with Kabul. The Taliban have insisted foreign troops must pull out.