Afghan Taliban: Trump administration ‘appears serious’ in talks

The Taliban militant group in Afghanistan says the administration of United States President Donald Trump “appears” to be “serious” in its negotiations with the group on bringing an end to the war in the Asian country.

“An agreement was reached on a principle framework…which, if implemented, and if the Americans take honest steps and stick to it truthfully, then God willing we are hopeful that the Americans will end the occupation of Afghanistan,” a spokesman for the Taliban who goes by the name Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters on Friday.

“It appears that Trump is serious,” the spokesman added.

He claimed a complete foreign troop pullout would pave the way for “the establishment of an Islamic system,” which would be sought through “negotiations with different political sides, even if they have so far been under the umbrella of the invaders.”

Mujahid said that, in the group’s planned system, “all Afghans, including different political sides,” could take part. He denied that the Taliban would want to monopolize power and said that if the Kabul government collaborated, “there will be no need for war and conflict.”

The spokesperson said the next round of the talks with the US would take place in the Qatari capital of Doha on February 25.

Mujahid’s comments came only a day after Trump expressed hope that an eventual agreement with the group could lead to a complete troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Washington and the Taliban ended six days of negotiations in Doha last week, with Kabul saying that the US had assured Afghan officials that the focus of the talks was on finding a way to facilitate peace and ensure foreign troop withdrawal not on the establishment of a government.

A senior US government official told Reuters the talks had made “significant progress.”

Some observers have, however, been less optimistic about the talks.

ME