US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad calls for immediate start of intra-Afghan talks
The US-Taliban deal signed in Qatar on February 29 calls for the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners to open the way for intra-Afghan negotiations.
The US-Taliban deal signed in Qatar on February 29 calls for the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners to open the way for intra-Afghan negotiations.
Over the past years, the capital city has been hit by a series of terror attacks by the Taliban insurgents and militants of the Islamic State
Pompeo and Ghani agreed to work on the details of the peace process in the coming days, with the Afghan government in particular emphasizing the undeclared ceasefire mechanism that sets out the rules of the game, he added.
The agreement called for the Taliban to release 1,000 detained Afghan security force members.
"Today it is the time that the enemies of Afghanistan see the power of the special operation forces and commandos of Afghanistan," warned the Afghan president.
The US wants to reduce its military presence in Afghanistan, which currently numbers between 12,000 and 13,000, with President Donald Trump keen to make good on a promise to bring troops home after 18 years of war.
On December 22, 2019, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced the preliminary results of the elections.
The remaining 11 candidates had far fewer votes, with the fourth-place candidate winning less than 2 per cent.
It also comes at a dangerous time, with the Taliban insurgency still raging and most NATO-led forces preparing to leave the country by the end of the year.
"The Taliban wants to make a deal," Trump told troops at the Bagram Air Base, where he also met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
