Biden’s US forces exit could doom Afghan peace talks between Taliban, government

Afghan officials inspect a damaged minibus after a blast in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 15, 2021.                Photo credit Mohammad Ismail/Reuters, FILE

“Making a public announcement is a gamble because the Taliban now knows Washington’s plans. It can just wait the U.S. out and plan to focus its full attention on the fight once the last soldier has departed,” said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the the Wilson Center’s Asian program.

Instead, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tried to inject some urgency into negotiations last month by submitting an eight-page proposal to both sides that called for an interim, power-sharing government, future elections, protection for women’s and minorities’ rights, and an Islamic judicial council to review Afghan laws.

The Istanbul conference was where both sides were going to come negotiate that proposal, armed with their own ideas. April 24 was already a delay from the planned start this Friday, pushed back after the Taliban said that they wouldn’t participate in meetings this week.

That delay was another example of the militant group stalling as it seeks a full withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO troops, according to Afghan officials, and most likely a return to power — through force.

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