- Afghan leaders including President Ashraf Ghani have been increasingly critical of the apparent draft deal reached in Doha this week
- On Friday US envoy Khalilzad was back in Doha to continue talks with the Taliban
ISLAMABAD/PARIS: The US raised new doubts on Saturday over military withdrawal from Afghanistan and a peace deal with the Taliban after the militants attacked several provincial capitals and targeted Kabul with suicide bombers.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that while it was seeking a political agreement with the Taliban, Washington would not accept just any deal.
Esper tried to allay fears though that Washington was looking for a quick exit. “My view, the US view, is that the best way forward is a political agreement and that’s what we’re working diligently on right now,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean we’ll take any deal, but we want to make sure we have a good deal, a good enough deal that guarantees at least the security of our countries going forward and a brighter future for the Afghan people,” Esper said during a press conference in Paris with his French counterpart.
Esper’s remarks were welcomed by the government of President Ashraf Ghani, which has been excluded from the talks with the Taliban.
“We echo the need for sustainable peace, the end of violence and a meaningful peace that would guarantee the security of Afghanistan and its allies,” presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.
According to parts of the deal made public so far, the Pentagon would pull about 5,000 of its 13,000 or so troops from five bases across Afghanistan by early next year. The Taliban would renounce Al-Qaeda, promise to fight Daesh and stop militants using Afghanistan as a haven.
However, according to the agreement, a full peace agreement to end more than 18 years of war would depend on subsequent “intra Afghan” talks. The Taliban have rejected calls for a cease-fire and instead stepped up operations across the country.
On Friday US envoy Khalilzad was back in the Qatari capital Doha, along with General Scott Miller, the top US commander in Afghanistan, to continue talks with the Taliban, who said the meeting had gone well.
Afghanistan’s Tolo TV reported that the Afghan president had been due to visit Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump on Monday only for his trip to be canceled at the last minute.
The United States ended its combat role in 2014, although 20,000 US and NATO forces remain. They still train and support Afghan troops fighting the Taliban who fear being left vulnerable if the United States leaves. Many Afghans fear the deal will lead to a return of the Islamist group to power. The government in Kabul has also repeatedly expressed doubts. It says it needs more information about the risks the deal poses, and has warned that a hasty US exit could lead to a wider civil war.
(With Reuters)