PESHAWAR: Senior members of the Afghan Taliban said they resumed peace talks with the US in Doha on Thursday, adding they were optimistic about success of the negotiations.

Pleading anonymity, a member of the Taliban negotiating team in Qatar said that all their senior leaders and members of the peace council held lengthy sessions before start of the meeting with the US delegation.

Taliban spokesmen in Doha, Suhail Shaheen and Zabihullah Mujahid in Afghanistan confirmed that the 9th round of the peace talks with the US began on Thursday.

“We resumed peace talks with the US today on August 22 in Doha. Maulvi Mohammad Abbas Stanakzai led the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) while Zalmay Khalilzad represented the US delegation in talks,” Zabihullah Mujahid said.

He said the US military commander in Afghanistan General Scott Miller also participated in the talks.

A senior Taliban leader and member of the negotiations team said they had already resolved major issues with the US and hoped a peace agreement could be signed before conclusion of the current session.

“We are hopeful this time as we have already discussed all issues in detail with them (US) and could sign the peace accord if they proved sincerity in talks. I must say we resolved most of the major issues and hurdles in the talks and there should be no problem in the ongoing session,” said the Taliban leader. Pleading anonymity, he said the Taliban shura, headed by their supreme leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, and their Qatar-based Political Commission, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, spoke in detail and discussed all matters related to the peace talks.

“Our negotiation team is well prepared and they have the authority to make decisions. But the question remains whether the US officials would make unrealistic demands,” he said.

According to Taliban sources, US officials were willing to announce the withdrawal plan of their forces from Afghanistan but in return they wanted Taliban to declare a ceasefire across the country. Taliban rejected this demand.

“We told them we would announce a ceasefire in the areas from where the US troops are withdrawn. Also, we made a commitment to announce ceasefire but they would need to stop all type of military operations against Taliban in Afghanistan,” said the Taliban leader in Qatar.

Also, Taliban said the US wanted Taliban to give them more than a year for withdrawal which they didn’t accept.

Taliban agreed on a six-month period for US to withdraw all its forces from Afghanistan.

“Let’s see what happens this time. We agreed on the intra- Afghan dialogue after signing the peace agreement with the US. However, we made it clear to the US that we would not hold direct peace talks with the Afghan government,” he added. </s> KABUL -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has dismissed the Taliban’s rejection of his offer of peace talks, suggesting that the militant group can still be persuaded to come to the negotiating table.

In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan in Kabul on July 16, Ghani said the Taliban’s opposition to peace talks was not “a full rejection.”

“It’s like when you ask someone’s hand in marriage and the family of the bride says no several times [before relenting],” said Ghani, referring to a culture in which refusal is seen as a sign of humility.

“In reality, it is likely that we will get a positive answer," Ghani said.

Earlier this month, the Taliban said it would not negotiate with the Kabul government after a first-ever cease-fire between the two sides coinciding with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr raised hopes of jump-starting long-stalled talks.

Ghani declared an end to the truce, but he also called on the Taliban to resume peace negotiations. The extremist group Islamic State (IS) was not included in the cessation of hostilities.

The unilateral government truce lasted from June 12-30. The Taliban adhered to its own June 15-17 cease-fire that prompted jubilant scenes of unarmed Taliban fighters congregating in government-held cities and posing for photos with residents and government officials.

Ghani said in his interview that the Taliban has lost any credibility it might have had among Afghans.

“Afghan clerics don’t want an intensification of the conflict, they want peace – they want real peace. Therefore, if a small group of the Taliban think that they still have a shred of religious credibility, [they’re wrong]. It has ended.”

On July 11, a summit of religious scholars organized by the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation called for a new cease-fire in Afghanistan, a request dismissed out of hand by the Taliban.

“The cease-fire demonstrated that they want to be on the same side of their countrymen,” Ghani added.

Ghani also reiterated his calls for Pakistan and other neighboring countries to work together to eliminate terrorism and create regional stability.

Afghanistan and the United States accuse neighboring Pakistan of harboring the Afghan Taliban, a claim Islamabad rejects. Iran and Russia have confirmed they have contacts with the Taliban, but insist that they are aimed at ensuring the safety of its citizens in Afghanistan and encouraging the Taliban to join peace talks.

“Our stance is that if Taliban are independent, they should make decisions independently, but it’s necessary that Pakistan help,” Ghani said.

For years, Kabul and Washington have pressured Islamabad to bring the militants to the negotiating table. 

 The Taliban’s rejection of Ghani’s offer is a blow to hopes for lasting peace in the war-torn country where the United Nations said civilian casualties had reached a record high in the first half of 2018.

The insurgent group has demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country as a precondition for talks and maintained that it wants to talk directly with the United States, which toppled the Taliban regime in 2001. The militants consider the Kabul government a “Western puppet.”

The UN has blamed the Taliban for 40 percent of the civilian deaths in the country, while 52 percent of the attacks were attributed to Islamic State militants.

Afghanistan has been hit by a string of deadly suicide attacks since the end of the cease-fire, including a July 16 Taliban attack on a police checkpoint in the eastern Nangarhar Province that killed seven police officers. </s> KABUL — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has dismissed the Taliban’s rejection of his offer of peace talks, suggesting that the militant group can still be persuaded to come to the negotiating table.

In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan in Kabul on July 16, Ghani said the Taliban’s opposition to peace talks was not “a full rejection.”

“It’s like when you ask someone’s hand in marriage and the family of the bride says no several times [before relenting],” said Ghani, referring to a culture in which refusal is seen as a sign of humility.

“In reality, it is likely that we will get a positive answer,” Ghani said.

Earlier this month, the Taliban said it would not negotiate with the Kabul government after a first-ever cease-fire between the two sides coinciding with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr raised hopes of jump-starting long-stalled talks.

Ghani declared an end to the truce, but he also called on the Taliban to resume peace negotiations. The extremist group Islamic State (IS) was not included in the cessation of hostilities.

The unilateral government truce lasted from June 12-30. The Taliban adhered to its own June 15-17 cease-fire that prompted jubilant scenes of unarmed Taliban fighters congregating in government-held cities and posing for photos with residents and government officials.

Ghani said in his interview that the Taliban has lost any credibility it might have had among Afghans.

“Afghan clerics don’t want an intensification of the conflict, they want peace – they want real peace. Therefore, if a small group of the Taliban think that they still have a shred of religious credibility, [they’re wrong]. It has ended.”

On July 11, a summit of religious scholars organized by the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation called for a new cease-fire in Afghanistan, a request dismissed out of hand by the Taliban.

“The cease-fire demonstrated that they want to be on the same side of their countrymen,” Ghani added.

Ghani also reiterated his calls for Pakistan and other neighboring countries to work together to eliminate terrorism and create regional stability.

Afghanistan and the United States accuse neighboring Pakistan of harboring the Afghan Taliban, a claim Islamabad rejects. Iran and Russia have confirmed they have contacts with the Taliban, but insist that they are aimed at ensuring the safety of its citizens in Afghanistan and encouraging the Taliban to join peace talks.

“Our stance is that if Taliban are independent, they should make decisions independently, but it’s necessary that Pakistan help,” Ghani said.

For years, Kabul and Washington have pressured Islamabad to bring the militants to the negotiating table.

The Taliban’s rejection of Ghani’s offer is a blow to hopes for lasting peace in the war-torn country where the United Nations said civilian casualties had reached a record high in the first half of 2018.

The insurgent group has demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country as a precondition for talks and maintained that it wants to talk directly with the United States, which toppled the Taliban regime in 2001. The militants consider the Kabul government a “Western puppet.”

The UN has blamed the Taliban for 40 percent of the civilian deaths in the country, while 52 percent of the attacks were attributed to Islamic State militants.

Afghanistan has been hit by a string of deadly suicide attacks since the end of the cease-fire, including a July 16 Taliban attack on a police checkpoint in the eastern Nangarhar Province that killed seven police officers.

Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036. </s> PESHAWAR: Senior members of the Afghan Taliban said they resumed peace talks with the US in Doha on Thursday, adding they were optimistic about success of the negotiations.

Pleading anonymity, a member of the Taliban negotiating team in Qatar said that all their senior leaders and members of the peace council held lengthy sessions before start of the meeting with the US delegation.

Taliban spokesmen in Doha, Suhail Shaheen and Zabihullah Mujahid in Afghanistan confirmed that the 9th round of the peace talks with the US began on Thursday.

“We resumed peace talks with the US today on August 22 in Doha. Maulvi Mohammad Abbas Stanakzai led the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) while Zalmay Khalilzad represented the US delegation in talks,” Zabihullah Mujahid said.

He said the US military commander in Afghanistan General Scott Miller also participated in the talks.

A senior Taliban leader and member of the negotiations team said they had already resolved major issues with the US and hoped a peace agreement could be signed before conclusion of the current session.

“We are hopeful this time as we have already discussed all issues in detail with them (US) and could sign the peace accord if they proved sincerity in talks. I must say we resolved most of the major issues and hurdles in the talks and there should be no problem in the ongoing session,” said the Taliban leader.

Pleading anonymity, he said the Taliban shura, headed by their supreme leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, and their Qatar-based Political Commission, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, spoke in detail and discussed all matters related to the peace talks.

“Our negotiation team is well prepared and they have the authority to make decisions. But the question remains whether the US officials would make unrealistic demands,” he said.

According to Taliban sources, US officials were willing to announce the withdrawal plan of their forces from Afghanistan but in return they wanted Taliban to declare a ceasefire across the country. Taliban rejected this demand. </s> Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered recognition of Taliban insurgents as a legitimate political group on Wednesday as part of a proposed political process that could lead to talks aimed at ending more than 16 years of war.

The offer, made at the start of an international conference aimed at creating a platform for peace talks, adds to a series of signals from both the Western-backed government and the Taliban suggesting a greater willingness to consider dialogue.

Ghani proposed a ceasefire and a release of prisoners. He also said he would be ready to accept a review of the constitution as part of a pact with the Taliban, who have so far refused to accept direct talks with the government in Kabul.

“The government offers peace negotiations to the Taliban without any conditions,” Ghani said in opening remarks to the conference attended by officials from around 25 countries involved in the so-called Kabul Process.

"The Taliban are expected to give input to the peace-making process, the goal of which is to draw the Taliban, as an organisation, to peace talks," he said, adding that he would not "pre-judge" any group seeking peace.

The comments represented a significant shift for Ghani, who in the past has regularly called the Taliban “terrorists” and “rebels” although he has also offered to talk with parts of the movement that accepted peace.

The Taliban, fighting to restore Islamic rule after their 2001 ouster by U.S.-led troops, have offered to begin talks with the United States but have so far refused direct talks with Kabul. It was unclear whether they would be prepared to shift their stance, despite growing international pressure.

Ghani said a political framework for peace negotiations should be created with a ceasefire and the Taliban recognised as a legitimate political group with an official political office. In return, the movement would have to recognise the Afghan government and respect the rule of law.

In addition, Taliban prisoners could be released and their names removed from international blacklists, while security arrangements could be made for Taliban agreeing to join a process of reconciliation. Former fighters and refugees could be reintegrated and provided with jobs.

The United States last year stepped up its military assistance to Afghanistan, notably through a sharp increase in air strikes, with the aim of breaking a stalemate with the insurgents and forcing them to the negotiating table.

While the U.S. military says the strategy has hit the Taliban hard, they still control or contest much of the country and continue to inflict severe casualties on Afghan forces.

They also claimed responsibility for two major attacks in Kabul last month that killed or wounded hundreds of civilians. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said.

That marks a tactical shift by the Trump administration, which has previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involve the Afghan government. The U.S. officials said Monday that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiation remains the goal of any engagement with the militants.

The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity.

The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with Washington. The militants have persisted in that stance despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. With the Taliban continuing to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month.

The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members.

A Taliban official in the small Gulf Arab nation of Qatar told The Associated Press on Monday that no American official or intermediary has been in touch with them to start direct talks, and it had only heard of it in the media. The administration’s willingness to hold direct talks with the Taliban was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday.

The Taliban official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was authorized to speak to journalists, said, “We wait for them to officially inform us.” But he added that if the U.S. is interested in talks, it should take steps to get Taliban leaders off a sanctions blacklist and support the formal opening of the Taliban office in Qatar where its political representatives reside. The official reiterated the Taliban’s call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Asked if the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Monday, the United States “is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government.”

The department added that “any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government.”

Last August, President Donald Trump launched an Afghanistan strategy that centered on boosting the capabilities of Afghan security forces and aiming — with help from Pakistan and other interested nations — to compel the militants to negotiate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan last week to reinforce its support for talks.

“The United States will support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them. We expect that these peace talks will include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces,” Pompeo said after meeting Ghani in Kabul on July 9.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces.

The conflict appears stalemated, with insurgents controlling or contesting more than 40 percent of the country. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Sunday that 1,692 civilians were killed in violence in the first six months of this year, the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is open to holding direct talks with the Taliban to encourage negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government to end 17 years of war, U.S. officials said Monday.

That marks a tactical shift by the Trump administration, which has previously only appeared willing to participate in discussions with the Taliban if those talks also involve the Afghan government. The U.S. officials said that Afghan-to-Afghan negotiation remains the goal of any engagement with the militants.

The officials were not authorized to speak to media and requested anonymity.

The Taliban have long refused direct talks with the Afghan government, demanding instead to negotiate with Washington. The militants have persisted in that stance despite Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's unilateral extension of a holiday cease-fire last month in hopes of encouraging the militants to come to the bargaining table. With the Taliban continuing to mount deadly attacks, Ghani ordered government forces to resume military operations this month.

The unprecedented, three-day cease-fire by both sides had offered a rare glimpse of peace for Afghans during which militants fraternized with security force members.

A Taliban official in the small Gulf Arab nation of Qatar told The Associated Press on Monday that no American official or intermediary has been in touch with them to start direct talks, and it had only heard of it in the media. The administration's willingness to hold direct talks with the Taliban was first reported by The New York Times on Sunday.

The Taliban official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was authorized to speak to journalists, said, "We wait for them to officially inform us." But he added that if the U.S. is interested in talks, it should take steps to get Taliban leaders off a sanctions blacklist and support the formal opening of the Taliban office in Qatar where its political representatives reside. The official reiterated the Taliban's call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Asked if the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Monday, the United States "is exploring all avenues to advance a peace process in close consultation with the Afghan government."

The department added that "any negotiations over the political future of Afghanistan will be between the Taliban and Afghan government."

Last August, President Donald Trump launched an Afghanistan strategy that centered on boosting the capabilities of Afghan security forces and aiming — with help from Pakistan and other interested nations — to compel the militants to negotiate. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Afghanistan last week to reinforce its support for talks.

"The United States will support, facilitate, and participate in these peace discussions, but peace must be decided by the Afghans and settled among them. We expect that these peace talks will include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces," Pompeo said after meeting Ghani in Kabul on July 9.

The U.S. invaded Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and ousted the Taliban government that had hosted al-Qaida. It has about 15,000 troops in Afghanistan, mostly for training government forces.

The conflict appears stalemated, with insurgents controlling or contesting more than 40 percent of the country. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said Sunday that 1,692 civilians were killed in violence in the first six months of this year, the highest six-month death toll since the systematic documentation of civilian casualties started in 2009.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> The latest round of US-Taliban talks ended in Qatar on Thursday, an insurgent spokesman said, after "positive and constructive" negotiations that continued even as the Taliban bombed a US-funded aid group in Kabul.

Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's political spokesman in Doha, tweeted that "some progress" had been made at the sixth round of peace talks and that the foes would meet again for another round of discussions.

"In general, this round was positive and constructive. Both sides listened to each other with care and patience," Shaheen wrote on Twitter.

The US embassy in Kabul did not immediately comment, nor did US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-born former US ambassador to Afghanistan who is leading negotiations for the Americans.

Shaheen told AFP Sunday that peace negotiations were stumbling over the fundamental question of when foreign forces would depart Afghanistan.

Before the US agrees to any withdrawal as part of an eventual deal, it is demanding the Taliban put in place security guarantees, a ceasefire and other commitments including an "intra-Afghan" dialogue with the Kabul government and other Afghan representatives.

The Taliban however insist they won't do any of these things until the US announces a withdrawal timeline.

At the end of a large peace summit in Kabul last week, President Ashraf Ghani offered the Taliban a ceasefire to begin on the first day of Ramadan, but the insurgents refused.

On Wednesday, a Taliban suicide bomber and four gunmen attacked Counterpart International, a non-profit group working with marginalised people in Afghanistan, killing nine people.

"This violent attack is a senseless assault on the noble values that the organisations like Counterpart support, such as service to others, education, and inclusion," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement. </s> KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. and Taliban negotiators wrapped up their sixth round of peace talks on Thursday with “some progress” made on a draft agreement for when foreign troops might withdraw from Afghanistan, a Taliban official said.

The talks, in which the United States has also sought assurances the Taliban will not allow militant groups to use Afghanistan to stage attacks, began on April 30 in Qatar’s capital Doha.

About 17,000 foreign troops are based in Afghanistan as part of a U.S.-led NATO mission to help local forces.

The United States has been pushing the Taliban to agree to a ceasefire and to talk with Afghanistan’s government, which the militant group considers a U.S. puppet regime.

“The 6th round of talks ... ended, with some progress made on the draft agreement prepared in the last round of talks,” tweeted Muhammad Sohail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Doha

“In general, this round was positive and constructive. Both sides listened to each other with care and patience,” he added.

The negotiations included the Taliban’s political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and a U.S. team led by special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

Khalilzad, an Afghan-born veteran U.S. diplomat, had suggested that the warring sides should declare a ceasefire as part of an effort to end the nearly 18-year war.

But the Taliban rejected Khalilzad’s offer and have continued attacks on government buildings and offices of foreign organizations.

On Wednesday, a Taliban attack on a U.S.-based aid group in Kabul killed at least nine people as members of the hardline Islamist group set off a huge explosion and battled security forces for over six hours.

At least 20 civilians were wounded in the attack, which saw several Taliban gunmen storm the Counterpoint International office.
The Taliban reject peace talks with the Afghan government.