By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan February 22, 2020 KABUL — A “reduction in violence” agreement with the Taliban appeared to be largely holding on February 22, a hopeful initial indication that a peace deal between the United States and the militant group will be signed as expected in a week. The quiet start to the day
Ayesha Tanzeem VOA News February 21,2020 ISLAMABAD – In simultaneously issued statements, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and the Taliban announced Friday that a deal between the U.S. and the Taliban will be signed February 29, paving the way toward ending the longest American war in history. The deal calls for a phased withdrawal
Ariana: In accordance with the plan of ‘violence reduction’, the Taliban’s daily attacks will decrease from 75 to 15. They will not attack highways, cities, US bases and key Afghan military spots. Sources have shared parts of the ‘violence reduction’ plan with Ariana News. Based on the plan, Afghan forces will be on standby. Moreover,
Michael Hughes: A crackdown of Pashtun activists in Pakistan has drawn international opprobrium at an inconvenient time for Islamabad and Washington as they try to shape a public narrative to make a peace pact with the Taliban as palatable as possible. The Trump administration wants the U.S.-Taliban exit deal to be seen as a victory
Tolo News: US President Donald Trump has told reporters on Tuesday that there is a chance of making a deal with the Taliban, AP reported. “So, we are negotiating with the Taliban. We’ve been negotiating with them for a while. We will see what happens. It’s a chance of making a deal. It is a
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan February 17, 2020 Afghan officials say at least five Afghan soldiers were killed when Taliban militants stormed a base in northern Afghanistan, despite expectations for a “reduction in violence” before a U.S.-Taliban deal. The attack occurred in the Shora Khak district of Kunduz Province on February 16, days after U.S. Defense
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 17, 2020 Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has again rejected accusations that his country is harboring militants, and insisted that his government has done “everything” to facilitate the peace process in neighboring Afghanistan. “Normally there was an idea that the security forces in Pakistan had their own policy, and the
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 15, 2020 U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said a deal between the United States and the Taliban on a weeklong reduction of violence in Afghanistan “looks very promising,” but warned it was not without risk. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, Esper said it was time “to
Tolo News: Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani is meeting with top US and NATO officials on Friday in Germany at the Munich Security Conference, according to tweets from the Presidential Palace. This comes as events in the US-Taliban peace negotiation talks in Doha appear to accelerate, following an announcement earlier this week of US President Trump’s
Tolo News: US Defense Secretary Mark Esper at a press conference on Thursday, the second and final day of the NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels, announced that the Trump administration and the Taliban had negotiated a seven-day reduction in violence proposal. “The United States and the Taliban have negotiated a proposal for a seven-day