5 Killed, 15 Wounded At Afghan Wedding
VOA News
April 15, 2019
Officials in eastern Afghanistan say a gunman opened fire at a wedding, killing five people and wounding 15, before he fled the scene.
Authorities say they are not aware of a motive for the attack Sunday in Khost province.
The Taliban and other militant groups are active in the area that borders Pakistan, but shooting attacks on weddings are rare.
The area, however, is rife with tribal rivalries, officials say.
Also Sunday, at least seven children were killed and 10 others wounded when an unexploded mortar shell detonated in the eastern province of Laghman.
Officials said the victims were playing with the explosive near the provincial capital of Mehtarlam.
A provincial government spokesman, Assadullah Dawlatzai, said an investigation was underway to determine how the children found the mortar and why it exploded. He said all the victims were under 15.
More Security News
US, Taliban Signal Afghan Peace Talks Intact Despite Offensive’
Ayaz Gul
VOA News
April 15, 2019
ISLAMABAD — American and Taliban officials have indicated their months-long peace dialogue remains on track, despite the intensification of hostilities in Afghanistan that came with the start of the insurgent group’s spring offensive.
U.S.-backed Afghan security forces and insurgents have both claimed they have inflicted heavy casualties on each other since Friday when the Taliban announced its annual spring offensive, which marks an increase in fighting, now in its 18th year.
The insurgent offensive promptly drew strong condemnation from Zalmay Khalilzad, who is leading the American team of negotiators discussing a possible peace deal with the Taliban. He denounced the offensive as “reckless.”
In turn, the Taliban slammed Khalilzad’s remarks and justified the offensive, citing the continued U.S. “occupation” of Afghanistan. The war of words raised questions about the fate of the ongoing U.S.-Taliban talks.
But on Monday, both sides signaled they plan to move the process forward and expected to resume discussions in Qatar before the end of April.
Khalilzad noted in a series of tweets that in discussions with Taliban interlocutors he had proposed ways to reduce the violence, and lamented that years of hostilities have killed tens of thousands of innocent civilians and Afghans.
“The quickest way to prevent casualties is to agree to a ceasefire. Taliban senior leadership should allow their representatives to come to the table and discuss. I will continue to press the case,” said Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation.
The Afghan-born American diplomat said the Afghan people deserve and want a comprehensive ceasefire and negotiations leading to a lasting peace in the country.
Taliban committed to talks
A senior Taliban official told VOA his group is committed to the ongoing dialogue process with Washington, saying Khalilzad’s latest remarks indicate the other side is also willing to remain engaged.
“So the dialogue possibly will take place after the intra-Afghan dialogue. But the date is not fixed yet,” said the insurgent official. He spoke on condition of anonymity.
The intra-Afghan dialogue the Taliban official referred to is a two-day informal meeting scheduled for Friday (April 19 ) in the Qatari capital of Doha, where politicians, tribal elders along with representatives of civil society, women and youth from the war-ravaged country will interact in their “personal capacity” with Taliban delegates on the current crisis facing Afghanistan. Envoys of the Kabul government are also expected to be part of the discussions but not in their official capacity.
Qatar talks
The U.S.-Taliban talks in Qatar have primarily focused on two issues: Washington agreement to a timetable for withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban preventing Transnational terrorist groups from again using Afghan soil as a sanctuary. Both sides announced after their last round of talks in early March they have drafted a preliminary agreement covering the two points.
Washington-based analyst, Michael Kugelman, says he is unsure whether U.S. determination to push for a ceasefire will produce desired results.
“The problem is that the Taliban, which enjoys ample leverage, is unlikely to take any interest in one until the two sides reach an understanding on a troop withdrawal plan,” tweeted Kugelman, who is the deputy director of the Asia program and South Asia senior associate at the Wilson Center.
Last week, the U.N. Security Council removed travel and financial restrictions on the 15 Qatar-based Taliban leaders holding peace talks with the U.S. team to allow the insurgent team to be able to travel to other countries to participate in Afghan peace-related consultations. Taliban officials acknowledge the U.S had played a role in seeking a nine-month suspension of the sanctions.
Khalilzad, however, has made it clear that a final agreement will be linked to a comprehensive Taliban ceasefire and a sustainable intra-Afghan peace process to bring an end to years of bloodshed.
Withdrawal first
The Taliban is opposed to entering into formal Afghan negotiations until after the U.S. agrees and announces a troop withdrawal plan.
Khalilzad has also indirectly criticized Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for taking months to appoint a negotiating team inclusive of all segments of the Afghan society for an eventual Afghan-only peace negotiations.
Ghani has reportedly attempted to remain in charge of any peace deal with the Taliban. But internal political rivalries as well as divisions have apparently prevented his government from coming up with an authoritative Afghan team of negotiators.
In the past few days, the Afghan leader has tried to assemble an inclusive negotiation team but the effort quickly has suffered setbacks. Afghan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah withdrew from the process, saying he was not consulted beforehand while key opposition leaders also have rejected it.
President Donald Trump has said he wants to pull out American troops in Afghanistan but linked the move to progress in talks with the Taliban.
A visiting Democratic lawmaker Monday reassured Afghans the United States does not want to pursue a “precipitous” troop withdrawal from the country.
“What we’ve heard here [is] that whatever negotiated settlement ends the conflict, that it be done in a way that’s very deliberate, that ensures a transition that all sides can participate in, and that there should not be a precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen told reporters at the U.S. embassy in Kabul.
Shaheen also stressed that women must have a place at the table as the U.S. tries to negotiate with the Taliban.
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- Atmar boycotts peace Loya Jirga, calls it election campaign
- Taliban going for the win in Afghanistan
- Lessons From Vietnam on Leaving Afghanistan
- Critics Should Stop Declaring Defeat in Afghanistan
Interview: Ex-Afghan Warlord Says ‘No Doubt’ Pakistan ‘Supports’ Taliban
Hekmatyar
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
April 15, 2019
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, one of Afghanistan’s most notorious former warlords, said there is “no doubt” neighboring Pakistan supports the Afghan Taliban.
In an interview with RFE/RL in the Afghan capital on April 14, Hekmatyar also expressed hope that talks scheduled this week between the Western-backed Kabul government and the Taliban could prove a significant step towards ending the war.
U.S. and Afghan officials have long accused Pakistan of providing safe havens for the militants, a claim rejected by Islamabad.
Hekmatyar forged close ties with Pakistan’s shadowy military establishment and its notorious spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a relationship that was built during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, when the mujahedin commander was one of the main beneficiaries of Pakistani and CIA money and weapons.
“Pakistan has an interest in Afghanistan’s political affairs,” said Hekmatyar, whose Hezb-e Islami militant group signed a controversial peace accord with the Kabul government in 2016. “Pakistan is supporting the Taliban. There is no doubt about it.”
Hekmatyar said Pakistan now sees the war in Afghanistan as “more harmful” than beneficial to its interests, especially because of a crippling financial crisis and growing international pressure on Islamabad to clamp down on the Taliban.
Washington has said Pakistan is playing a positive role in the ongoing U.S.-Taliban peace talks in Qatar that are aimed at ending the nearly 18-year war.
U.S. and Taliban negotiators have held several rounds of talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, culminating in the basic framework of a potential peace deal in which the militants would prevent international terrorist groups from basing themselves in Afghanistan in exchange of a withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.
That framework deal is dependent on a political settlement among Afghans, including the Kabul government, the Taliban, and opposition figures.
The Taliban long refused to talk with Kabul, calling it a U.S. “puppet,” although Kabul has said a government delegation will meet the Taliban for introductory talks in Doha on April 19.
Hekmatyar is a member of the Reconciliation Leadership Council, a new council led by President Ashraf Ghani, that will appoint negotiators for the April 19-21 talks with the Taliban, create their mandate for talks, and oversee their work.
The council is composed of both current and former senior government officials and leaders of political parties and opposition groups.
The 69-year-old said he hopes the council will bridge chronic divisions among the political elite over peace talks with the Taliban, but warned that Kabul should not sideline powerful opposition figures from the process.
“Peace should not be monopolized,” said Hekmatyar, a candidate in the presidential election scheduled for September. “Peace is a national issue. An agreement requires us all to engage honestly and unconditionally.”
Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Afghan Hindus, Sikhs Celebrate Vesak Festival
Tolo News: Known also as Buddha Day, the festival is celebrated by music and dance in Nangarhar, Kabul and other provinces where the Hindu and Sikh residents are living. The Hindu and Sikh residents said threats continue against them and that this has affected their festivals and rituals. Those who participated in the festival called on warring parties to agree on a ceasefire and roll up their sleeves for bringing peace to the country. “They should come forward to the peace table. Afghans are ready for peace,” said Gorbachchan Singh, a Nangarhar resident. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Militants Looted 100 Sheep of Villagers in Sar-e Pol
Ariana: Ghulam Sakhi Veera, the governor of Gosfandi district in Sar-e Pol province told Ariana News that Taliban militants launched a widespread attack on Gosfandi district last night but faced resistance from the Afghan security forces and were forced to retreat after hours of clashes. He added that Taliban militants looted around 100 sheep of the villagers after facing defeat by government forces. Click here to read more (external link).
Seven Children Killed, Eight Wounded in Laghman Explosion
Ariana: At least seven children were killed and eight others wounded when an unexploded ordnance detonated in the eastern Laghman province late on Sunday, a local official said. Provincial governor’s spokesman Assadullah Dawlatzai told Ariana News that the incident took place while the children were playing outside their houses in Basram area in Mihtarlam city, the capital of Laghman province. Click here to read more (external link).
1TV Afghanistan Dari News – April 14, 2019
Afghanistan asks Pakistan to re-open airspace to flights to India
1TV: Pakistan closed its airspace in February after India carried out airstrike, following a suicide bombing in India-controlled Kashmir that was claimed Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad. The closure has doubled flying time to India, which is currently happening through Iran, increasing fuel costs for airlines and fares for passengers. Click here to read more (external link).
Abdullah Says Won’t Attend Afghanistan’s Planned Peace Loya Jirga
A. Abdullah
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan
April 14, 2019
KABUL — Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah says he will boycott a planned meeting of nearly 2,500 Afghan politicians and tribal, ethnic, and religious leaders aimed at discussing negotiations with the Taliban.
Abdullah made the announcement on April 14, about two weeks before the gathering, known as a consultative Loya Jirga, is set to be held in Kabul on April 29.
The United States has pushed for a peace settlement with the Taliban, with a new round of talks scheduled later this month in Qatar.
However, the Taliban has long refused to speak officially with Kabul, calling the government a “puppet” of the West.
Washington’s push for a peace settlement comes ahead of Afghanistan’s presidential poll scheduled for September.
In his statement, Abdullah said that the Stability and Partnership electoral ticket he is leading had “not been involved in any consultation neither at political parties and individual levels nor at the government level.”
He also said that he did not see the gathering “helpful to overcome the current challenges in the country.”
With reporting by Tolo News
Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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