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KABUL (Reuters) – A three-day meeting between the Taliban and the US special envoy to Afghanistan to pave the way for peace talks ended without agreement, said the militant group a day after the diplomat had declared War of 17 years.
The US special envoy for peace in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, talks with local reporters at the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on November 18, 2018. US Embassy / Document distributed via Reuters
The security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated since NATO officially ended combat operations in 2014, as Taliban insurgents fight to re-enact strict Islamic law following their overthrow in 2001 in Afghanistan. hands of troops under US command.
The leaders of the extremist Islamist group met with US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad at their political headquarters in Qatar last week for the second time last month, spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said.
"It was preliminary talks and no agreement was reached on any issues," he said in a statement on Monday.
Taliban leaders have not accepted any deadline set by the United States for the conclusion of the talks, added three Taliban officials.
The US Embassy in Kabul declined to comment.
Khalilzad, an American diplomat born in Afghanistan and authorized by the US President Donald Trump's government to lead peace talks with the Taliban, said Sunday that he hoped to reach a peace deal with the group here on Thursday. April 20th.
This deadline coincides with the date set for the presidential elections in Afghanistan.
Two senior US officials confirmed that the second round of peace talks ended last week and that the Taliban were expecting Khalilzad to travel to Qatar for a meeting before the end of 2018.
"The second round of discussions lasted three days. This clearly proves that both sides are showing patience and caution in their diplomatic relations, "said a US official under the guise of anonymity.
But Khalilzad's public statement that the Taliban thinks will not "win militarily," angered the group's senior officials, who warned US officials against contradictory messages that could undermine the peace process.
"We were surprised to see Khalilzad's statement in Kabul on Sunday. He wrongly quoted us as saying that the Taliban had admitted that we would not succeed militarily, "said a senior Taliban official in Afghanistan.
Another senior official said Khalilzad's deadline strategy showed how desperate the United States was to withdraw its foreign forces. "Taliban leaders have not accepted any deadline because we win on all fronts," he added.
The Taliban "do not lose" in Afghanistan, said last week General Joseph Dunford, senior US Army official.
"We used the term" dead end "a year ago and, relatively speaking, it has not changed much," he told a security forum.
The NATO-led Resolute Support Mission involves 41 countries and has provided more than 12,000 soldiers, equipment and training to Afghan forces.
The Taliban have tightened their grip over the last three years, with the Kabul government controlling only 56 percent of the country, up from 72 percent in 2015, according to a US government report released this month.
Diplomats and political analysts in Kabul have called Khalilzad "in a hurry," which should include Afghan politicians and officials from neighboring countries like Pakistan and Iran before the third round of talks.
"Khalilzad's hasty approach could lead to an epic disaster," said a senior Western diplomat in Kabul. "The Taliban would trust him only if he did not speak on their behalf."
Additional report and writing of Rupam Jain; Edited by Clarence Fernandez
