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KABUL: In a meeting on the sideline of Munich Summit, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Minister Mark Esper have informed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani about the Taliban’ readiness in reduction of violence—a move that has been made after a dozen rounds of negotiations between US diplomats and Taliban Qatar Based Political Office.
The visit was made on Friday evening in Germany, where the US special envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad and top US and NATO led mission commander in Afghanistan General Scott Miller has also participated.
The Presidential Palace in a statement has quoted Esper and Pompeo as saying that none of the peace deal’s principals sans condition.
“The truth is that they (Taliban) are ready to take hands off violence and pluralist in the society,” added the statement, citing the American officials.
Washington has been demanding the Taliban to give up on terrorism and cut off their links with other terrorist groups such as Al- Qaeda- an extremists, terrorist group who has been the main supporter of Taliban regime back in 1995. “Let the Taliban say, what they say. And from wherever they say, but the truth is, they should give up on terrorism,” Pompeo suggested.
He has once again announced Pentagon’s support to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
ARG’s statement has appreciated US efforts towards ending the unstoppable Afghan war and said that this process would empower the civilian and military institutions in Afghanistan.
This comes as the US media outlets have reported from an American official who said that US-Taliban are closed to a deal that would soon pave the ground for a practical process of troops’ draw down in Afghanistan.
The official said the US and Taliban have agreed on a seven-day reduction in violence that would be followed by a ten-day intra-Afghan-talks. The reduction in violence would be containing all-over Afghanistan, including Afghan Security Forces.
The ups and down peace talks have been once expected to reach an agreement last September but US President Donald Trump has called off the negotiations following a Taliban attack in Kabul that killed one American and 11 civilians. Trump has then said that he was supposed to meet the group’s leadership in camp David alongside with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
But Trump has announced the resumption of these talks in his surprised visit to Afghanistan last November, where he has celebrated an American Holiday-Thanksgiving Day- with US Forces in a major Pentagon’s Air Force Base “Bagram”, located in central Parwan province.
