KIlling of 16 people in recent Kabul blast has lead to the withdrawal of peace talks with the Taliban, from the US side
The President of United States (U.S.) – Donald Trump has cancelled the secret meeting which was scheduled to be held with the leaders of Taliban and has also called off the entire peace talks with the militant group.
He was also supposed to meet the President of Afghanistan – Ashraf Ghani along with the Chief Negotiator of Taliban – Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar at his Camp David retreat. If things would have gone well, the next step would have involved Ashrah Ghani and Mulla Baradar meeting face-to-face. This would have been a major development as Taliban negotiator is not authorized to talk to the Afghan Government.
There have been 9 rounds of talks between Taliban and U.S. representatives in Doha, Qatar. But with Taliban claiming the responsibility of the recent blast in capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul, which killed 16 people including a U.S. soldier, the U.S. has scrapped the peace talks.
Trump has slammed the Taliban leaders for thinking that claiming the responsibility of the attack would improve their negotiating position.
On Saturday night, i.e., September 7, 2019, Trump tweeted, “Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday. Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to…”
Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday. They were coming to the United States tonight. Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2019
The message continued in 2nd tweet which read, “…an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers, and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations. What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position? They didn’t, they….”
….an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers, and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations. What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position? They didn’t, they….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2019
“…only made it worse! If they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks, and would even kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don’t have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway. How many more decades are they willing to fight? concluded the 3rd tweet.
….only made it worse! If they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks, and would even kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don’t have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway. How many more decades are they willing to fight?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2019
It is to be noted that there has been an increase in the number of terror attacks in Kabul ever since the U.S. envoy – Zalmay Khalilzad arrived there a week ago.
The Afghanistan Government have been trying hard to visit Washington for the past 2 ½ years. They had planned to visit Washington last year as well, right after the U.N. General Assembly meeting, but the trip fell apart because the timing did not work out.
As per the draft proposals of the peace talks, if implemented, U.S. would withdraw 5,400 troops from 5 bases across Afghanistan within 135 days provided Taliban commits to restoring peace in the region. For the records, the U.S. has 14,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, alongside NATO troops.
