TALIBAN SUICIDE BOMBING DEPITE PEACE AGREEMENT
TALIBAN jihadists today defended a suicide
bomb attack on an international compound in Afghanistan that killed at least 16
people, just hours after a peace deal with the United States was announced. More
than 100 people were injured by the bomb blast in the capital Kabul, which
occurred after a US spokesman had announced that there was a deal “in
principle” to bring an end to 17 years of war.
Civilian homes were
destroyed in the attack and many angry residents clambered over the wall and
set fire to the compound, which is a frequent target for jihadists. Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid sought to justify the attack, saying: “We
understand that peace talks are going on … but they must also understand that
we are not weak and if we enter into talks … we enter from a strong position.”
Nine rounds of
discussions have taken place with Taliban representatives in the Qatari capital
Doha over the past year. According to US chief negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad,
almost 5,000 troops will withdraw from Afghanistan and five bases will close
within 135 days. But the Taliban has continued its deadly bombing campaign
throughout the discussions, demanding the withdrawal of all US troops. The
Kabul attack was the latest in a series of Taliban operations intended to show
the movement’s strength as the talks continue.
The Interior Ministry
confirmed that four civilians and two members of the security forces had been
killed in an attack on Puli Khumri, the capital of Baghlan province, on Sunday.
On Saturday, hundreds of Taliban jihadists took control of large parts of
Kunduz, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities, causing thousands to flee as gun
battles raged. Mr Khalilzad claimed to have raised the Kunduz attack during the
negotiations, telling Taliban representatives that “violence like this must
stop.”
The deal requires
approval by President Donald Trump, who insisted last week that the US “will
always have a presence in the country.” Around 14,000 US troops and 17,000
others from 39 Nato countries and partners are on the ground in Afghanistan in
a supposedly non-combat role. It is understood that the phased withdrawal
agreement is contingent on the Taliban ensuring that Afghanistan does not
become a new base for Isis or al-Qaida. “In principle, we have got there,” Mr
Khalilzad said. “The document is closed.” He presented it to Afghan President
Ashraf Ghani on Monday, with the hope that the deal could pave the way for
talks between the Taliban and the Kabul government.
Source: Morning Star Online – 03 September 2019
By: Steve Sweeney
By: Steve Sweeney
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