Post talks with Taliban, US to cut troops in Afghanistan

shalender@tribune.com

Kabul, August 12 

Taliban and US negotiators have wrapped up their latest round of talks for a deal that would see America shrink its troop presence in Afghanistan, both sides said Monday.

The foes have been negotiating in Doha over the past year for a pact that would see the Pentagon begin to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Afghanistan.

Speculation has reached fever pitch in Kabul in recent days that an announcement about a deal may be imminent, but tweets from the Taliban and Zalmay Khalilzad — the US special envoy leading the talks— suggest work remains to be done.

“We’ve concluded this round of talks that started August 3 between the US and the Taliban. Over the last few days, the two sides focused on technical details. They were productive. I am on my way back to DC to consult on next steps,” Khalilzad wrote.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the talks had stretched past midnight.

“Work was tedious & effective. Both sides agreed to consult their respective leaderships for next steps,” he wrote on Twitter.

On Sunday, Khalilzad tweeted: “I hope this is the last Eid where Afghanistan is at war,” referring to the holiday currently being observed across the Muslim world. Washington is keen to end its 18-year involvement in Afghanistan, where it has spent more than $1 trillion, and President Donald Trump has said he wants troops out.

In return, the Taliban would commit to various security guarantees, including that the Islamist hardliners who long harboured Al-Qaida would not allow Afghanistan to become a jihadist safe haven.

A US-Taliban agreement would not in itself bring Afghanistan’s war to an end, as the insurgents would still need to make a deal with the Kabul government. — AFP