May 5, 2015
Taliban open to talks, but only if US forces leave
Taliban also seek removal of key leaders from terror blacklist
The Taliban declared on Monday that it was open to peace talks with the Afghan government, but only if all US and other international forces withdraw from Afghanistan and key Taliban figures are removed from a UN terrorism blacklist.
The lengthy statement, posted on one of the group’s known websites, came after two days of informal meetings with Afghan government representatives in Qatar, where both sides were swift to clarify that they were not holding peace negotiations. The discussions ended with no agreement except to hold a second meeting in the near future.
The delegates, however, did agree that the Taliban should reopen a political office briefly set up in Qatar in 2013 in a step toward possible peace talks, according to the meeting’s organiser, the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning organisation dedicated to promoting peace. The insurgent group’s statement also reflected that intent.
Bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table, and possibly into the government, has become a cornerstone of Afghan President Ashraf Gani’s efforts to end the conflict in his country. Expectations were raised this weekend by the discussions in Qatar, the latest in a series of efforts over the years to jump-start a peace process.
“First of all, America and its allies should put an end to their occupation, and that will facilitate the way to peace talks,” reads the Taliban statement, written in the Pashto language and posted on the Alemara1.org website. “The countries in the region also don’t want the foreign forces. The ongoing occupation means the ongoing fight will continue.”
The Qatar talks come just days after the Taliban launched its spring offensive. Some observers view the ongoing fighting as a strategic move by the group to gain more influence in possible peace negotiations. But the Taliban’s insistence on a complete withdrawal of foreign troops raises questions about whether peace talks are a realistic possibility in upcoming months. On Gani’s request, President Barack Obama has slowed the drawdown of the roughly 10,000 US troops remaining in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the Taliban shows no signs of stopping its attacks. On Monday, a suicide bomber in Kabul targeted a bus carrying government workers, killing one person. And late Sunday, Taliban fighters killed at least 18 police officers in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, said Shah Waliullah Adeeb, the province’s governor.
On Monday, the Taliban also listed other “obstacles to peace talks,” such as what it described as the “imprisoning and torturing” of innocent Afghans, night raids on suspected militant targets by US and Afghan forces, and the placing of Taliban leaders on the UN blacklist.
“In peace talks, it is important that both sides continue talks in a free environment, without any pressure,” reads the statement. “If one side is on a blacklist and cannot travel freely and the other side is free, then such an unbalanced process can’t go forward. It won’t have a conclusive result.”
The insurgents also declared that the current Afghan constitution “is not acceptable, because it has been copied from the West’s laws under the shadow of [American] B-52 planes.”
Still, the Taliban also suggested that it was willing to soften its stance on some issues to facilitate a peace process. It said it was willing to accept a government system that “gives the right of education for women and men” and allows “freedom of expression.” Women’s rights activists have expressed concern that hard-fought gains for Afghan women since the Taliban regime’s ouster in 2001 could erode if the group were to enter the government.
There have been other meetings between the Taliban and Afghan government representatives over the years, but none as open as the current discussions. The Taliban sent an eight-member delegation, including senior officials. The government’s team included Gani’s uncle and representatives from Afghanistan’s three major ethnic groups.
Taliban open to talks, but only if US forces leave | GulfNews.com