Daily Times

The United States on Sunday issued a stern warning to the feuding Afghan leaders to resolve their difference or face further cut in international assistance.

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on March 23 a cut of one billion dollars to Afghanistan this year and another one billion next year to push the beleaguered President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Dr Abdullah Abdullah to resolve their political differences.

The waning comes as the political dispute in Afghanistan has raised concern about the fate of the Taliban-US agreement and efforts to counter coronavirus.

In another development Taliban on Sunday accused the United States and the Afghan government of violating the Taliban-US agreement signed on Feb. 29 in Qatar that paves the way for withdrawal of foreign forces and end to the longest American war.

The US military rejected the Taliban statement and made it clear they will defend the Afghan security forces if attacked.

“It can’t be business as usual for international donors in #Afghanistan. International aid requires partnership with an inclusive government and we all must hold Afghan leaders accountable to agree on a governing arrangement,” American Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Alice wells said in a Twitter post on Sunday.

Ambassador Wells warning came as Ghani and Abdullah have not yet agreed on an inclusive government despite efforts by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Pompeo himself last month, whi had stated that the Afghan leaders’ inability to agree on an inclusive government “has harmed US-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonors those Afghan, Americans, and Coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country.”

Afghan officials said on Sunday President Ghani has stopped appointment of ministers for five days after political leaders had suggested to the president to stop minister’s nomination.

Reports said Dr Abdullah had also warned to form his own cabinet if Ghani did not stop appointment of ministers.

As the US is putting pressure on Ghani and Abdullah to agree on an inclusive government, the Taliban claimed the US is violating agreement and is carrying out strikes on their bases.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the process of releasing 5,000 prisoners has also been delayed due to “indefensible arguments” besides repeated attacks on the Taliban centers and raids by US and Afghan forces.

Mujahid said in a statement Taliban have been “attacked” even though there were no fighting in that area.

“The agreement has been violated in Helmand, Kandahar, Farah, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Paktia, Badakhshan, Balkh and other parts of the country the details of which have been communicated with the American side from time to time,” the Taliban spokesman said.

“As we have witnessed repeated irresponsibility in this regard, we strongly urge the American side to respect content of the agreement and to dispose its other supporters to follow the agreement in its full sprit,” he said.

The Taliban spokesman warned that if such a “breach continued” it would create an atmosphere of mistrust that will not only damage the agreements; but also force the Taliban to similar response and will increase the level of fighting.

The US military in Afghanistan rejected the Taliban claim.

US forces spokesman Col Sonny Leggett said the US has upheld, and continues to uphold the military terms of the US-Taliban agreement. He described the Taliban assertion as baseless.

He said in a series of tweets that the US forces will defend the Afghan defence and security forces if attacked in compliance with the agreement.

“The TB must reduce violence. A reduction in violence is the will of the Afghan people & necessary to allow the political process to work toward a settlement suitable for all Afghans. We once again call on all parties to focus their efforts on the global pandemic of COVID-19,” Col Leggett said.

No progress on talks on prisoners’ release

There has been no progress in talks on the release of Taliban prisoners as the government urged the Taliban to reduce violence.

Javid Faisal, spokesman for the office of the Afghan National Security Adviser, said talks on the release of the prisoners continued but the Taliban must “cease its violent provocation and demonstrate directly to the Afghan nation,” adding the government has an inclusive team and is ready to give the group the historic opportunity to negotiate sustainable peace.

Taliban want release of their 5000 prisoners before the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations as was committed in the US-Taliban agreement.

The Afghan government had announced to release 100 Taliban prisoners in the first phase, however, the process has not yet been started despite face-to-face talks between the Taliban and Kabul’s technical teams in Kabul over the past one week.