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Militants fire rockets at US military base in Bagram

2020-03-22 | 14 hour ago

Representative image.
Militants fired rockets at US military base in Bagram district of Parwan province in Afghanistan last night, local officials told 1TV on Sunday.

All the rockets were intercepted by forces at the base, officials said.

Foreign forces sources also confirmed firing of the rockets.

Local officials blamed the Taliban for firing of the rockets, but Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility.

http://www.1tvnews.af/en/news/afghanistan/41585

Offcourse when Fake "ISIS-K"(US or/and NATO proxy imo) attacks US base in Afghanistan "none of the rockets landed in the base" will happen. smfh. its just a cooked up lie or a false flag operation.

 

[Haris Ali2140]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1242861500081070081

 

[Haris Ali2140]

Govt-Taliban VTC Held Over Prisoner Release, Date Set

“To carry out these further discussions, a Taliban team will meet with the government face-to-face in Afghanistan in the coming days,” the ONSC tweeted.

The Taliban’s spokesman Suhail Shaheen tweeted on Wednesday that teams from the Taliban, the Red Cross, the US, Qatar and the Kabul government today held a five-way video conference for 4 hours and discussed "the peace process and the release of prisoners.”

"It was decided to start the process of releasing the prisoners on March 31, and (the Taliban) will dispatch its technical team to Bagram prison to determine the identities of its prisoners-- to verify the list of the prisoners that was previously endorsed,” said Shaheen.

“The Peace Initial Contact Group (PICG) met virtually with the Taliban and discussed initial technical steps for prisoner release,” said the Afghan office of the National Security Council (ONSC).

“To carry out these further discussions, a Taliban team will meet with the government face-to-face in Afghanistan in the coming days,” the ONSC tweeted.

US envoy Khalilzad tweeted: “The second technical meeting on prisoner exchanges between the Afghan government and Taliban took place today, again by video conference. The two sides agreed prisoner releases by both sides will start March 31.”

"This is a positive development. Technical meetings will continue to make sure the process goes smoothly," said Khalilzad.

The Office of National Security Council said that the US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, Qatari Special Envoy for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr. Mutlaq al-Qahtani, and ICRC head of delegation Mr. Juan Pedro Schaerer also attended the five-way video conference with the Taliban.

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/govt-taliban-vtc-held-over-prisoner-release-date-set

 

[Haris Ali2140]

Taliban team to visit Kabul next week, meet with Afghan officials

A 37-member Taliban team will visit Kabul next week and will meet with Afghan officials to discuss the issue of prisoner releases, a source told 1TV on Thursday.

The sides are expected to discuss mechanism for release of their prisoners.

The sides have talked with each other for two times through video conference.

In the latest conference on Wednesday, the sides agreed prisoner releases by both sides will start on March 31, according to US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad who also attended the conference.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said that they will send a technical verification team to Bagram prison in Afghanistan's Parwan province for identification, confirmation and release of prisoners according to the list already provided.

Afghanistan's National Security Council has also said that a Taliban team will meet with the government face-to-face in Afghanistan in the coming days. It said that subject to further discussions, and pursuant to president's decree, 100 prisoners will be freed on humanitarian grounds – including health, age and vulnerability to COVID-19 – by March 31 after guarantees by Taliban and the prisoners that they will not re-enter the fight.

Based on the US-Taliban deal, 6,000 prisoners including 5,000 held by the Afghan government and 1,000 held by the Taliban are expected to be released before intra-Afghan talks.

http://www.1tvnews.af/en/news/afghanistan/41639

 

[Haris Ali2140]

This is the personal account of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah
the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
@DrabdullahCE

Briefing the media and addressing all Afghans, I made the following points & expressed our position, summarized here, about the events of the past few days since @SecPompeo's urgent & friendly visit to Kabul- 1/8

I strongly condemn the terrorist attack on our Sikh compatriots as a crime against humanity. Meanwhile, the threat of Coronavirus is real. All precautionary measures need to be taken to prevent its spreading & provide health care. It should not politicized. 2/8

Peace is our priority. We consider the exchange of prisoners as beneficial as it would facilitate the start of talks. One person cannot monopolize the whole process. A negotiating team will need to be representative of the whole nation. 3/8

Before the visit, other esteemed figures tried to resolve the political stalemate but the other side was unwilling to seek a compromise. @secpompeo came not as a mediator with a formula but to stress that we are responsible to seek a political solution to avoid deterioration. 4/8

In my talks with Dr. Ghani, despite my readiness to compromise, I did not see any flexibility. I did not request for constitutional changes even though there're many past examples of constitutional violations, such as forming parallel institutions & electoral fraud. 5/8

The U.S. decision to cut aid by $1B in 2020 if we fail to work together is serious, has far-reaching repercussions & cannot be irresponsibly dismissed. We commend the ANDSF & stress that our security institutions not meddle in political affairs. 6/8

We propose that 3 or 5 trusted national figures mediate & through talks help us find a solution in the next 10 days. our stance is not about personal interest. It's a duty to defend democracy, rule of law & our clean votes. 7/8

We are open to constructive dialogue, & resolving the political crisis through talks. We fought the Taliban for more than 20 years, but now we are ready to talk to them. We have to talk, & find a solution for the current deadlock. 8/8

 

[Haris Ali2140]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1243224003680051202

 

[Haris Ali2140]

Graham Backs Reduction in US Aid to Afghanistan

Graham says if there is no political reconciliation soon, Afghanistan will be "moving toward hopelessness."

US Senator Lindsey Graham has announced his support for a recent decision by the United States government to reduce its assistance to Afghanistan by $1 billion.

The decision by the US Department of State was made over the Afghan leaders “failure” to overcome a political impasse in the country.

“I totally support Secretary of State Pompeo’s decision to reduce $1 billion in US aid to Afghanistan,” Graham said in a statement on March 24. “If the two major candidates for president are not able to work together to form a functioning government, all future aid should be reevaluated because you’re throwing good money after bad.”

He said that “without a functioning government, Afghanistan is becoming a hopeless cause. This is a terrible outcome for the people of Afghanistan, the United States, and the region. The only way to avoid this is for the two candidates to reconcile their differences quickly.

“I have been the strongest supporter of our continued presence in Afghanistan because I believe it is vital to US national security,” Graham said. “However, if there is no political reconciliation soon, Afghanistan will be moving toward hopelessness. The day I believe we have reached that point, I will, with great sadness, say so.”

Following the US announcement about the reduction in aid, President Ashraf Ghani said that the cut will not harm key sectors in the country, but his rival Abdullah Abdullah on Thursday said that Afghan leaders should avoid speaking "irresponsibly."

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/graham-backs-reduction-us-aid-afghanistan

 

[Haris Ali2140]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1243575570044157952

 

[Haris Ali2140]

Who are the Delegates for the Peace Talks?

“The delegation needs to represent the entire people of Afghanistan and it should do so,” said Abdullah Abdullah.

After months of controversy, the Afghan government on Wednesday released a list of 20 delegates intended to hold intra-Afghan peace talks with the Taliban.

According to the Afghan government’s list, the negotiating team will be led by Masoom Stanikzai, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), and will include 14 other men and five women expected to have the necessary credentials to engage in peace negotiations with the Taliban.

This new development comes as the Afghan government is under mounting pressure by the US and the Afghan political parties to accelerate efforts to form an inclusive government, settle the feuding between President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, and thus be prepared to negotiate the peace from a solid, unified position.

But who are the members of the peace negotiating team?

Masoom Stanikzai, the former head of the Afghan intelligence agency –the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Nader Nadery, Chairman of the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC), Matin Bek, the head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), Habiba Sarabi, the deputy head of the High Peace Council (HPC), Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, the former Minister of Economy, Khalid Noor, son of former Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor, Kalimullah Naqibi, the deputy head of Jamiat-e-Islami party, Rasoul Talib, adviser to the president and Enayatullah Baligh, a member of the Ulema Council will represent the Afghan government in the talks with the Taliban.

Other members include Shahla Farid, a university lecturer, Mohammad Natiqi, the former chairman of the Committee of Political Parties and Political Movements, Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a former member of the parliament, Zainab Muahed, member of the youth wing of Jamiat-e-Islami, Batur Dostum, the son of former first vice president Abdul Rashid Dostum and Dr. Amin Ahmadi, a university lecturer, are all those close to Abdullah Abdullah.

Amin Karim will represent Hizb-e-Islami in the delegation.

Zarar Ahmad Moqbel, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zakia Wardak, the President of the Society of Afghan Women in Engineering and Construction and Ayoub Ansari, the former police commander of Herat, are also on the team.

“The political reservations (political compromises) unfortunately once again hindered the way for us to attract a wider social attraction in the first step,” said Aziz Rafaee, a civil society activist in Kabul.

“I have never attended a meeting with them (Taliban) and I do not know them, but as a member of the delegation, along with five other women also there, I can assure you that they (women members of the peace team) will be effective members,” said Shahla Farid, member of the peace negotiating team.

Sources within the government have said that Stanikzai will lead the peace negotiating team.

“The delegation needs to represent the entire people of Afghanistan and it should do so,” said Abdullah Abdullah.

Ordinary Afghans called for a neutral and effective team.

“The list consists of sons of political leaders,” said Shoaib Azimi, a resident in Kabul.

“There should be neutral faces in the list,” said Ghulam Dastagir, a resident in Kabul.

The delegation was expected to be announced two weeks ago, but the political impasse which emerged in the country between Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah apparently delayed the announcement.

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/who-are-delegates-peace-talks

 

[Haris Ali2140]

Taliban: Govt Team 'Violates US-Taliban Deal'

This comes after The Afghan government on Thursday released a list of 21 delegates intended to hold intra-Afghan peace talks with the Taliban.

The Taliban in a statement says that the group has some reservations about the peace negotiating team formed by the Afghan government and that the Afghan government can take part in the intra-Afghan talks only as a side like other Afghan factions.

“The team announced by the (Afghan govt) is...against the peace agreement between the Taliban and the US,” said the statement.

“In order to reach lasting and real peace, this should be formed with the agreement of all sides so that it can represent others too, but it looks that other sides are not satisfied with the team announced, said the statement,” the statement said.

This comes after The Afghan government on Thursday released a list of 21 delegates intended to hold intra-Afghan peace talks with the Taliban.

According to the State Ministry on Peace Affairs, the peace negotiating group is an inclusive team and has prepared the agenda for talks with the Taliban, in order to reach a negotiated settlement to end the ongoing conflict in the country.

But the Taliban said that the team does not represents all Afghan sides.

The group also said that they will talk to a delegation which formed based on the agreement with the US and other necessary standards agreed upon.

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/aliban-govt-team-violates-us-taliban-deal

 

[Haris Ali2140]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1244876962893631489

 

[Haris Ali2140]

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah@DrabdullahCEThis is the personal account
of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

The formation of an inclusive negotiation team is an important step toward facilitating intra-Afghan negotiations. Our lasting position is that a fair, dignified and sustainable peace is the priority of all AFG citizens. 1/5

Although we have reached no satisfactory agreement to resolve the political crisis in the wake of the rigged presidential election, we are committed to making sure that it does not overshadow peace efforts. 1/5

We welcome and we are thankful to national figures, parliament and other organizations that have made efforts to resolve the current crisis. We acknowledge that there are still considerations by some sides on the makeup of the negotiating team, which are understandable. 2/5

We believe that the commencement and continuation of negotiations will provide further opportunity to ensure a more comprehensive representation, given the importance of decisions that are to be made as we go ahead. 3/5

The negotiation team represents the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and our national interests. We still have time to discuss the team’s reporting mechanism and the source of its authorities. 4/5

 

[Haris Ali2140]

Taliban Delegation in Kabul to Discuss Prisoners: Spokesman

The prisoner release is a step outlined in the US-Taliban deal signed in Doha on February 29.

A three-member delegation from the Taliban arrived in Kabul to discuss the issue of the Taliban’s prisoners, the group said on Tuesday.

"They (the Taliban delegation) will pursue the issue of release of the prisoners and will conduct the necessary technical measures,” tweeted Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban.

This follows several video conferences between members of the Afghan government, the Taliban, and other parties, including the US, that outlined the technical procedure for conducting the swap.

The prisoner release is a step outlined in the US-Taliban deal signed in Doha on February 29 that is intended to be a confidence-building measure to pave the way for the intra-Afghan talks.

“Up to 5,000 prisoners of (the Taliban) and up to one thousand (1,000) prisoners of the other side will be released by March 10, 2020, the first day of intra-Afghan negotiations, which corresponds to Rajab 15, 1441 on the Hijri Lunar calendar and Hoot 20, 1398 on the Hijri Solar calendar,” part of the agreement reads.

On March 1 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said his government had not pledged to free Taliban prisoners, as stated in the deal between the US and the militants. The Afghan government had not been included in the deal.

“There is no commitment on the release of the 5,000 prisoners” of the Taliban,” Ghani said at the time.

But on March 11, President Ashraf Ghani signed an order to pardon and release Taliban prisoners in order for the peace talks between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban to start. However, he said the release would be gradual, and would have conditions.

But following repeated international calls from the US and others to keep the peace process on track, meetings were arranged between both groups to allow the swap to begin.

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/taliban-delegation-kabul-discuss-prisoners-spokesman

 

[Haris Ali2140]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1245353827676622848

 

[Haris Ali2140]

UN Security Council urges ceasefire in Afghanistan

The UN Security Council urged Afghanistan's warring parties on Tuesday to heed the UN secretary-general's call for an immediate ceasefire to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and ensure delivery of humanitarian aid throughout the country.

The council issued a press statement after a closed briefing by UN deputy special representative Ingrid Hayden who said the country “appears to be reaching a defining moment” — whether its leaders can join together “to engage in meaningful talks with the Taliban to achieve a sustainable peace.”

“The choice is made stark by the all-encompassing threat of COVID-19, which poses grave dangers to the health of Afghanistan’s population and, potentially, to the stability of its institutions,” she said.

She warned that “with the onslaught of COVID-19, many donors are likely to turn inwards to meet the needs of their own population.”

“Afghanistan needs to demonstrate a compelling case for the continued investment of international resources,” she said. “Now is not the time for divisions. Now is the time for statesmanship, accommodation and inclusivity.”

The dispute between President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah over leadership remains unresolved, which has impeded steps towards intra-Afghan peace talks.

The Security Council called on the political leadership of Afghanistan to "put aside their differences and put the interest of the country first.”

Council members “commended the presentation of a negotiating team for the upcoming intra-Afghan negotiations, including several women,” and expressed hope that those negotiations would start “without delay, bearing in mind the challenge the COVID-19 situation poses.”

http://www.1tvnews.af/en/news/afghanistan/41708