A U.S. envoy said Thursday that the Afghan Taliban had promised to reduce attacks and casualties to U.S. forces after questioning ongoing peace talks following a major attack on a city.
Zalmai
Khalilzad, who negotiated an agreement with the Taliban on February 29 to
withdraw US troops, wrote on Twitter: "A lot of Afghans are being killed
right now. I expect a significant reduction. "
Khalilzad said
he and the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General Austin Miller, had
repeatedly discussed "strict adherence" to the terms of the agreement
with the Taliban.
"It means
a small number of operations," Khalilzad said.
"Attacks
have been on the rise in recent weeks - threatening the peace process and
intimidating the Afghan people and their regional and international
supporters."
The Taliban
has confirmed that their chief negotiator, Abdul Hakim, recently met with
Khalilzad and Miller.
The group's
spokesman, Mohammad Naseem Wardak, tweeted that the two sides stressed the
importance of the US-Taliban agreement and discussed ways to ensure its
"full implementation".
Under the
February agreement, the Taliban said they would not attack cities, while the
United States said it would refrain from attacking insurgents in addition to
defending its forces.
Afghan
officials have accused the Taliban of violating the agreement by attacking
Lashkar Gar, from which tens of thousands have fled in recent days.
The bomber
struck shortly afternoon in front of a U.S. military base.
Under the
February agreement, the Taliban agreed not to allow Afghanistan to be used’ by
foreign militants. This was the real reason for the US invasion after the 9/11
attacks.
The Taliban
have not promised an end to violence against the internationally recognized
government in Kabul but have said they will discuss a "permanent and
comprehensive ceasefire" in peace talks.
The talks
began in Doha last month, although little progress has been made’ despite
controversy over the nature of the talks.
The NATO
chief, who is leading operations in Afghanistan, said the alliance was
committed to the nation's security and had spoken to Khalilzad.
Secretary-General
Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter: "The Doha talks offer the best
opportunity for peace, but the Taliban must deliver on its promises and reduce
the unacceptable level of violence."
With less than
a month to go before the US election, President Donald Trump is trying to
deliver on his promise to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and end America's
longest-running war.
He expressed
hope for the withdrawal of all troops by Christmas last week, accelerating the
deadline set in Doha.
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