on Friday described as “positive” the US President Donald Trump’s reported decision to withdraw a large number of US troops from Afghanistan.
Taliban are reportedly mulling a formal response to the US media reports; however, a Taliban official termed the reported decision of troops’ withdrawal a “positive step”.
“Presence of the foreign troops is the major hurdle in the way of peace. This decision can help in peace process and lead to trust building,” said a Taliban official, who did not want to be identified.
Meanwhile the Presidential Palace in Kabul criticised the Taliban leaders for refusing talks with the Afghan government’s negotiators in Abu Dhabi.
A statement on the president’s website said representatives of Saudi Arabia, UAE and US regretted the Taliban’s decision to decline direct talks with the Afghan government’s team and emphasised that friendly countries would play their role for direct talks between the Taliban and the government.
Taliban defended their stance not to meet the Kabul administration and said the Taliban negotiators did not allow Afghan officials to enter the meeting room as they are “powerless” and the Taliban were not willing to meet them.
“As the Kabul administration is the product of the invasion as it has neither capability to end nor want to end the invasion,” a Taliban commentary on their official website said.
“If the Kabul administration wants to reach an understanding with the Islamic Emirate, it should first immediately scrap the bilateral security agreement with the US, and tell the Americans to leave Afghanistan, tender apology for the crimes for committed by foreigners and their local allies since their invasion and signing the BSA and hand over the cases to the Islamic court of national traitors for their crimes against humanity,” the commentary said.
Published in Daily Times, December 22nd 2018.