Ayaz Gul VOA News April 12, 2019 ISLAMABAD — The Taliban announced Friday its annual spring offensive in Afghanistan amid a U.S.-led push for a negotiated settlement to the 18-year-old war with the Islamist insurgency. The offensive dubbed “Al-Fath,” which means “victory” in Arabic, commenced throughout the country early Friday morning with an objective to establish
1TV: Pompeo said this while testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the State Department budget request. Asked by a Senator Jeanne Shaheen why do the US believe the Taliban will be honest, Pompeo said that it will be about actions on the ground. “Trust but verify. It will be about actions on the
1TV: Afghan government will be at the center of any peace deal with the Taliban, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday. Pompeo said this after being asked by US Senator Linsey Graham if the Afghan government will be a meaningful participant in any peace deal. “More than that, they will be at the
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan April 8, 2019 Afghanistan will send a government delegation for talks with the Taliban in Qatar, in a potential breakthrough in efforts to end the nearly 18-year war, even as the militants said participants will attend the meeting only in a “personal capacity.” U.S. and Taliban negotiators have held several
Ayaz Gul VOA News April 7, 2019 ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has established a new leadership council comprising government officials, opposition politicians and civil society representatives that will manage national peace efforts and put together an “effective” team of negotiators for possible talks with the Taliban insurgency. Addressing the inaugural meeting of what is
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 5, 2019 The U.S. envoy seeking a peace deal with the Taliban to end nearly 18 years of war in Afghanistan has arrived for talks in neighboring Pakistan. Zalmay Khalilzad met on April 5 with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who “reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the peace process,” a
By Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 3, 2019 When the United States’ special representative for Afghan reconciliation arrived in Kabul this week amid ongoing peace talks with the Taliban, the country’s national-unity government was in disarray. Zalmay Khalilzad met with the leaders of the government, President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah,
1TV: US President Donald Trump said that the war in Afghanistan was “unfortunate” and “ridiculous” as he met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on Tuesday. Trump, however, said that a lot of positive things are happening in Afghanistan recently. Click here to read more (external link). Related Afghan Politicians Share Views
NPR: Snow leopards and Marco Polo sheep have not been on the agenda for peace talks involving the Taliban, U.S. officials and Afghan opposition figures. But going forward, should they be? “If you’re not managing the natural resources well in Afghanistan, you are undermining the very national security and human security of the people,” says
Michael Hughes: The peace-in-name-only agreement U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been negotiating with Pakistan’s foot soldiers if implemented could accomplish the miraculous by potentially making Afghanistan even more unstable – a notion supported by risks highlighted in a newly-released U.S. inspector general’s report. The risks, however, might be understated given Khalilzad wants to play the