Next steps in Peace process; Khalilzad meets President Ghani
US Special Envoy on Afghan peace process Zalmay Khalilzad met with president Ghani Friday night and discussed peace issues.
US Special Envoy on Afghan peace process Zalmay Khalilzad met with president Ghani Friday night and discussed peace issues.
“Both sides talked about the future steps in the peace process and start of the negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban,” twitted Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the presidential palace.
American officials, meanwhile, said intelligence shows that the Taliban does not intend to follow the strictures of the recently signed peace deal.
Officials who had seen the persuasive intelligence spoke with NBC News and acknowledged that it is likely the terrorist group will use the deal to get American forces to pull out with the end goal of retaking the country from the Afghan government, which is backed by the United States.
“They have no intention of abiding by their agreement,” one official said.
“We will ask the Afghan leadership and other political factions that since the U.S. has accepted us and recognized our position, it is time for you to accept us and give us the country peacefully,” a Taliban member said.
Another U.S. official said that there was “hope” that the Taliban would follow through with its end of the bargain, “but we believe we know their true intentions.”
US President Donald Trump also said that the Taliban may retake Afghanistan’s power after US forces withdrawal.
“Countries have to take care of themselves,” Trump said at the White House. “You can only hold someone’s hand for so long.” The president was asked if there is a chance the Taliban could retake control, and he responded that it is “not supposed to happen that way, but it possibly will.”
