Ayaz Gul VOA News September 19, 2020 ISLAMABAD – Delegates of Afghanistan’s government and the Taliban continue finalizing “rules of negotiations” for a power-sharing deal a week after the two foes launched their historic U.S.-brokered direct peace dialogue. Meanwhile, battlefield hostilities between Afghan forces and Taliban insurgents continued to inflict heavy casualties on both sides
CBS News: “He, in effect, is partnering with the Taliban against, in many ways, the Afghan government,” McMaster said of the president’s plan in Afghanistan. See the full interview with the former national security adviser, Sunday on 60 Minutes. Withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and partnering with the Taliban has made the United States less safe,
Brookings: As the United States reduces its military presence in Afghanistan while the Taliban remain strong on the battlefield, and while peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have commenced, a massive question mark hangs over the fate of Afghan women and their rights. Click here to read more (external link).
By Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 16, 2020 The Taliban’s burgeoning financial might could make the militant group immune to pressure from the international community as it negotiates a role in postwar Afghanistan, according to a confidential report commissioned by NATO and obtained by RFE/RL. The Taliban “has achieved, or is close to achieving,
Michael Hughes: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a speech at a virtual think tank event in Washington suggested that the U.S. accomplished its chief objective in Afghanistan because it has decimated al-Qaeda. Pompeo, who certainly has a clear motive for painting a rosy picture, misleads by suggesting al-Qaeda’s strength is reducible to the number of
By Ayaz Gul VOA News September 14, 2020 ISLAMABAD – America’s peace envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, visited Pakistan on Monday and conveyed Washington’s gratitude for the “important role” Islamabad has played in easing the start of reconciliation talks between warring Afghan parties, officials said. The historic, intra-Afghan negotiations began last Saturday in Doha, Qatar, where
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 13, 2020 Qatar’s ruler helped launch the second day of long-awaited Afghan peace talks in Doha on September 13 between representatives of the Afghan government and Taliban militants, but reports of ongoing clashes back in Afghanistan were a reminder of obstacles ahead. The first day included a formal ceremony and
Ayaz Gul VOA News September 12, 2020 ISLAMABAD – The United States pressed Afghanistan’s warring factions Saturday to approach their first-ever direct peace talks with an intent to strike a power-sharing deal that would accommodate “competing views” and permanently end decades of bloodshed in the country. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the remarks
Tolo News: Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum on Friday said that he strongly supports the peace talks with the Taliban, but said that the Taliban are not as strong as some might think. “The Taliban are not as powerful as some think they are…the Taliban have hundreds of problems internally,” said Dostum. Click here to read