WASHINGTON: A US special envoy will travel to Qatar and Afghanistan on Tuesday (Aug 20) to resume peace talks, as the United States seeks an end to the conflict that will enable it to withdraw American troops from the country after nearly 20 years.The US special representative to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, will resume talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, "as part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that ends the conflict in Afghanistan," the State Department said in a statement. Khalilzad will consult with leaders of the Afghan government in Kabul and encourage negotiations between the two sides, it said.The envoy on Friday briefed President Donald Trump on the status of negotiations with the Taliban on a US troop pullout and the potential for a political settlement between the warring sides.Trump told reporters two days later that the United States was having "very good discussions" with both the Taliban and the Afghan government.Trump, who has … [Read more...] about US resumes Afghan peace talks with Taliban, government
Afghan peace talks
US eyes breakthrough in Taliban peace talks
The US, which invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban in 2001, wants to withdraw thousands of troops but only in return for the insurgent group renouncing Al-Qaeda and curbing attacks DOHA, Qatar: Washington is hoping for a breakthrough as talks between the US and the Taliban resumed in Doha on Saturday in a bid to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan.The US, which invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban in 2001, wants to withdraw thousands of troops but only in return for the insurgent group renouncing Al-Qaeda and curbing attacks. Washington is hoping to strike a peace deal with the Taliban by September 1 -- ahead of Afghan polls due the same month, and US presidential polls due in 2020. US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that "we've made a lot of progress. We're talking". A coalition led by Washington ousted the Taliban accusing it of harbouring Al-Qaeda jihadists who claimed the Septmber 11, 2001 attacks against the US that … [Read more...] about US eyes breakthrough in Taliban peace talks
Trump praises Pakistan’s role in ‘progress’ on Afghan peace
US President Donald Trump praised Pakistan for its help in advancing peace talks in Afghanistan as he hosted Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Oval Office on July 22, 2019 WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Monday hailed Pakistan for its help in advancing peace talks in Afghanistan, in a marked shift in tone as the United States seeks an accord with the Taliban to end more than 18 years of war.Speaking from the Oval Office alongside Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, Trump also repeatedly warned he could end the war in a matter of days in such a way that "Afghanistan would be wiped off the face of the Earth," but preferred dialogue."We've made a lot of progress over the last couple of weeks, and Pakistan has helped us with that progress," said Trump."A lot of things are happening for the United States, and I think a lot of great things are going to be happening for Pakistan under your leadership," he added as he turned to face his counterpart, in an encounter filled … [Read more...] about Trump praises Pakistan’s role in ‘progress’ on Afghan peace
As pressure for Afghan peace grows, drug threat remains
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan: Mohammad Ahmadi, a young opium farmer in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar has the kind of confidence that underlines how meagre the results have been of years of effort and billions of dollars spent fighting narcotics."I'm not afraid of anyone. No one can harm me and the others while we're harvesting poppy," he said as he took a break from working his field.As pressure grows for a political settlement to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan, the drug trade remains a major threat, leaving the country at the risk of becoming a "narco-state", the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), a US Congressional watchdog, said in recent report.Growing opium is theoretically a crime in Afghanistan but it is a way of life for tens of thousands of farmers like Ahmadi, who feeds a family of 14 with the money he makes from selling the sticky, brown sap from the poppies in his fields to be refined into heroin.Efforts to develop alternative … [Read more...] about As pressure for Afghan peace grows, drug threat remains
Taliban detain Afghan peace marchers, supporters say
KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN: Afghan peace protesters marching through Taliban territory have been detained by the insurgents, two supporters of the movement told AFP on Tuesday. The so-called People’s Peace Movement attracted international attention last year when they walked across Afghanistan and into the capital Kabul in an attempt to reduce the record levels of violence across the country. Thousands of civilians have been killed or injured in the past 18 years of fighting between the militant group and US-backed forces. About 30 members of the People’s Peace Movement started a new walk on May 27, when they set out from Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province. According to Abdul Malik Hamdard, a peace march supporter, the Taliban forced four members of the group to accompany them in vehicles Sunday night as they crossed into Taliban territory in the south of the country. Then on Monday, Taliban fighters returned and took the rest of the group, except for a few older members, … [Read more...] about Taliban detain Afghan peace marchers, supporters say