Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 20, 2019 An Afghan official said six civilians were killed after their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in the eastern province of Laghman. Asadullah Dawlatzai, the provincial governor’s spokesman, said the victims were travelling in Qarghayi district when the bomb went off on February 19. No group has
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 19, 2019 U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has called on Afghans to put aside their differences and unite as attempts to end Afghanistan’s 17-year war gain momentum. Khalilzad has held a series of direct talks with Taliban negotiators in the Middle East in recent months, although those discussions have not
By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal February 17, 2019 The Taliban has called off a planned round of peace talks in Pakistan, saying that most of the members of its negotiating team are unable to travel because they are subject to U.S. and UN sanctions. The statement was issued on February 17 — a day before the
Michael Hughes: The Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) attack on Indian troops in Kashmir could waste some of the goodwill Pakistan had built up with the Trump administration vis-à-vis the Taliban peace talks. Islamabad was on the verge of a major diplomatic coup in Kabul but now may have “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory,” as they say.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 16, 2019 German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that a hasty U.S. pullout from Syria runs the risk of strengthening the roles of Russia and Iran in the Middle East. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on February 16, Merkel questioned whether the planned U.S. withdrawal was “a good idea.”
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 15, 2019 The U.S. military is expected to trim troop levels in Afghanistan by more than 1,000 soldiers, a U.S. general told Reuters on February 15. U.S. President Donald Trump told Congress this month he intended to reduce U.S. forces in Afghanistan as negotiators make progress in talks with Taliban
Press TV February 14, 2019 The Afghan Taliban militant group says it is to meet with American representatives in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad next week for a new round of direct negotiations, which have so far excluded the Afghan government itself. The militant group said on Wednesday that separate meetings would be held in
Ariana: In a statement released on Tuesday, the Taliban said that their negotiating team is headed by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, a leading negotiator of the armed group. The list also includes Anas Haqqani, – the brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network – who is being held in Kabul. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 11, 2019 U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan has arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit to meet with military commanders and Afghan officials amid a heightened push by Washington for a peace deal with the Taliban. Shanahan, who arrived early on February 11, told reporters traveling with him that
Tolo News: President Ashraf Ghani, who visited Nangarhar province on Sunday, said the Afghan government is ready to allow the Taliban to open an office in Kabul, Kandahar or Nangarhar. Ghani said “a sustainable peace and a peace with dignity” will come to the country and for this, he is ready to even sacrifice his life.