Trump cancels secret talks with Taliban

Washington, September 8

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US President Donald Trump has called off a “secret” summit with Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani after the insurgent group claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul that killed an American soldier, dealing a significant blow to months-long negotiations that were nearing a peace agreement.

In a series of tweets on Saturday, Trump disclosed that he was to meet the Afghan President and senior Taliban leaders on Sunday at his Camp David retreat.

But he cancelled the meeting after the Taliban admitted it was behind a suicide car bomb attack that had killed an American soldier and 11 others in the capital of Kabul.

“Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the major Taliban leaders and, separately, the President of Afghanistan, were going to secretly meet with me at Camp David on Sunday. They were coming to the United States tonight,” Trump tweeted.

“Unfortunately, in order to build false leverage, they admitted to... an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers, and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called off peace negotiations,” Trump said.

“What kind of people would kill so many in order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position? They didn’t, they only made it worse!” he said.

Trump’s US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad had announced a peace deal “in principle” with the Taliban on Monday.

As part of the proposed deal, the US would withdraw 5,400 troops from Afghanistan within 20 weeks. However, Khalilzad said the final approval still rested with Trump.

The US currently has about 14,000 troops in the country.

“If they cannot agree to a ceasefire during these very important peace talks, and would even kill 12 innocent people, then they probably don’t have the power to negotiate a meaningful agreement anyway,” Trump said.

“How many more decades are they willing to fight?” questioned Trump.

Inviting Taliban leaders onto American soil was an unprecedented move and a significant development in America’s longest running war just days from the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, CNN said.

It’s not clear if Trump’s abrupt announcement will impact the peace process to end America’s longest war in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan President Ghani had been outspoken in his criticism of the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban, who have refused to negotiate with his government.

Khalilzad arrived in Kabul last week, after a final negotiating session with the Taliban, to brief Ghani’s government on the terms of the agreement. Those terms included the withdrawal of more than 5,000 US troops in exchange for the Taliban agreeing to sever ties with al-Qaeda and to continue its fight against the Islamic State.

The deal also included a Taliban commitment to begin inter-Afghan talks with the Ghani government, expected to start within weeks. The talks themselves would include discussion of a ceasefire. — PTI

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Setback to proposed deal on troops’ pullout

Trump’s move comes after nine rounds of talks between the US and Taliban representatives, held in Doha, the capital of the Gulf state of Qatar

As part of the proposed deal, the US would withdraw 5,400 troops from Afghanistan within 20 weeks, though the final approval rested with Trump

The US currently has about 14,000 troops in the country

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Talk directly: Afghan Prez

KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani urged the Taliban on Sunday to end violence and talk directly to his government after US President Donald Trump announced he had cancelled a planned meeting with the insurgent group over a draft peace accord. “Real peace will come when Taliban agree to a ceasefire,” Ghani’s officials said. The Taliban have rejected calls for a ceasefire and stepped up assaults in recent weeks. They have also so far refused to talk to the Afghan government, which they consider an illegitimate “puppet” regime. Reuters