Ayaz Gul VOA News June 1, 2019 ISLAMABAD — The chief of the Taliban is calling on the United States to accept his insurgent group’s “logical proposals” for advancing peace negotiations between the two adversaries on ending the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan. Hibatullah Akhundzada made the remarks in his annual message ahead of next week’s Muslim
1TV: There is deep conflict between the US intelligence community’s views on the prospects for Afghan peace and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad’s optimism, a senior US senator has said on Wednesday. Khalilzad has held six rounds of peace talks with the Taliban and on Wednesday he briefed US lawmakers over the issue. Click here to read more
Tolo News: US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is appearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday for a closed hearing on the Afghan reconciliation process, said US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It is expected that Khalilzad will brief the committee on his talks with Abdul Ghani Baradar Taliban’s political deputy and his team as
Ayaz Gul VOA News May 13, 2019 ISLAMABAD — The Taliban’s chief negotiator says in newly released remarks that the United States is on the verge of defeat and will quit Afghanistan soon “either of their own accord, or they will be forced out.” Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai made the assertions in an April 28 speech
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty May 10, 2019 The U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan said on May 10 that “faster progress” is needed in peace talks with the Taliban as another round of discussions between the two sides came to an end. Zalmay Khalilzad said “steady but slow progress” was made in the round of discussions
Ayaz Gul VOA News May 4, 2019 ISLAMABAD — Authorities in Afghanistan said Saturday coalition airstrikes in an eastern province have killed up to 50 Islamic State militants, while Taliban insurgents have killed at least seven government forces in a western district. The Defense Ministry said the overnight airstrikes were carried out in coordination with Afghan
Ayaz Gul VOA News May 3, 2019 ISLAMABAD — An Afghan grand assembly, or loya jirga, ended Friday with the delegates in Kabul demanding peace with the Taliban, as President Ashraf Ghani promised to free 175 Taliban prisoners ahead of Ramadan, which begins in a few days. The Afghan Taliban, for their part, responded harshly to
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 29, 2019 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has opened a four-day Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, with more than 3,200 delegates seeking to agree on a common approach to peace talks with the Taliban. The Loya Jirga bringing together politicians, tribal elders, and other prominent figures was overshadowed by no-shows by
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 28, 2019 Afghanistan is scheduled on April 29 to convene a rare Loya Jirga — a traditional gathering of elders, religious scholars, and prominent Afghans — with more than 2,000 people from across the country having been invited to discuss U.S.-led peace efforts. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s Special Envoy Omar
Jeff Seldin VOA News April 24, 2019 Ayaz Gul in Islamabad contributed to this report. WASHINGTON — A peace treaty to end more than 17 years of war in Afghanistan could usher in a new era of instability and erase many of the gains made by international reconstruction efforts, a key U.S. official cautioned Wednesday.