Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 11 March 2020
U.S. starts troop pullout, seeks end to Afghan leaders' feud

By KATHY GANNON and cials spoke on condition of
RAHIM FAIEZ anonymity because they
Associated Press weren't authorized to talk
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — to the media.
The United States began Sohail Shaheen the Tal-
withdrawing troops from Af- iban's spokesman in Doha
ghanistan, the U.S. military where the insurgent group
said Tuesday, taking a step maintains an office, tweet-
forward on its peace deal ed Tuesday the names of
with the Taliban while also the 5,000 prisoners are with
praising Afghan President an "American delegation
Ashraf Ghani's promise to and the list cannot be ma-
start releasing Taliban pris- nipulated," without elabo-
oners after he had delayed rating.
for over a week. In his tweet, Shaheen said
The U.S.-Taliban deal any prisoners handed over
signed Feb. 29 was touted will be verified before be-
as Washington's effort to ing accepted. The Associ-
end 18 years of war in Af- ated Press contacted a
ghanistan. The next crucial Taliban prisoner in Afghani-
step was to be intra-Afghan stan's Pul-e-Charkhi Jail on
talks in which all factions in- the outskirts of Kabul who
cluding the Taliban would In this Monday, March 9, 2020, photo, Afghanistan's Abdullah Abdullah, front left, greets his said four Taliban had been
negotiate a road map for supporters after being sworn in as president in Kabul, Afghanistan. released Monday and an-
their country's future. Associated Press other three Tuesday. The
But Ghani and his main po- seven had completed
litical rival, Abdullah Abdul- Washington's peace envoy 135 days." Ghani promised Monday their sentence, said Maulvi
lah, were each sworn in as Zalmay Khalilzad as he tries Currently the U.S. has about to announce a decree to Niaz Mohammad in a tele-
president in separate cer- to get Afghanistan's bicker- 13,000 soldiers in Afghani- free the prisoners after the phone interview.
emonies Monday. Abdal- ing leadership to come to- stan — 8,000 of whom are U.S. and a number of for- They were not part of the
lah and the elections com- gether. In an early Tuesday involved in training and eign dignitaries appeared 5,000 on the Taliban pris-
plaints commission had tweet, Khalilzad said he advising Afghanistan's Na- to back his claim to the oner list, he said. Moham-
charged fraud in last year's hoped the two leaders can tional Security Forces, while presidency by sending their mad, who had also been
vote. The dueling inaugu- "come to an agreement on about 5,000 are involved in representatives to his inau- interviewed by The AP in
rations have thrown plans an inclusive and broadly anti-terror operations and guration. the prison in December, is
for talks with the Taliban accepted government. militarily supporting the Af- Taliban officials said late in telephone contact with
into chaos, although Ghani We will continue to assist." ghan army when they are Monday that a flurry of the Taliban's Prisoners Com-
said Tuesday that he'd start U.S. military spokesman in requested. biometric identifications mission, which is headed by
putting together a negoti- Afghanistan Sonny Leggett Ghani had been drag- were being conducted on Maulvi Nooruddin Turani, a
ating team. said in a statement Tuesday ging his feet on releasing Taliban prisoners, hinting former Taliban justice min-
The disarray on the Afghan the military had begun its some 5,000 Taliban prison- at a mass release, accord- ister and a violent enforcer
government side is indica- "conditions-based reduc- ers, something agreed to ing to prisoners currently of the Taliban's strict code
tive of the uphill task facing tion of forces to 8,600 over in the U.S.-Taliban deal. in lockup. The Taliban offi- of conduct.q

Employee of U.S.-owned hemp farm in Myanmar gets 20 years jail

By PYAE SONE WIN that the plants are hemp, earlier this month ordered
Associated Press a non-intoxicating form of that his bail of 325 million
YANGON (AP) — A court in cannabis that can be pro- kyats ($243,000) be forfeit-
Myanmar on Tuesday sen- cessed into CBD — canna- ed because he had failed
tenced a local employee bidiol — a compound that to turn up for several court
of an American-owned many believe has health appearances.
hemp farm to 20 years in benefits. Todoroki's lawyers have
prison for violating drug Marijuana is another form been quoted in the Myan-
laws concerning marijua- of cannabis and is also a mar press as saying they
na. source of CBD. But it has lost touch with their client
Shein Latt was one of three psychoactive effects, last November.
people arrested last April causing a high. Myanmar A story about Todoroki pub-
when police raided the 20- law does not clearly distin- lished last month in the on-
acre (8-hectare) planta- guish it from hemp. line publication GEN said
tion on an industrial estate The company also said it he had fled to the United
in central Myanmar. In the May 7, 2019, file photo, Myanmar national Shein Latt, left, had permits from the re- States.
Police deemed the opera- and his boss U.S. national John Fredric Todoroki leave a local gional government in Man- The third arrested person,
tion illegal because the court after being arrested for operating a marijuana plantation dalay, where the farm was Shunlei Myat Noe, a young
in Ngazun Township, Mandalay region, central Myanmar.
farm was growing canna- Associated Press located, to cultivate hemp. Myanmar woman who
bis, which is against Myan- The company's main own- briefly acted as a translator
mar law. Shein Latt said he lieve that he didn't do any- will carry out an appeal as er, American entrepreneur at the farm, was freed last
was responsible for install- thing wrong," Thein Than soon as possible." John Todoroki, was re- month. A court dismissed
ing the farm's irrigation sys- Oo, a lawyer representing The company behind the leased on bail last July for her case after ruling that
tem. Shein Latt, said by phone enterprise, III M Global Nu- medical reasons. she bore no responsibility
"I want to say I strongly be- after the sentencing. "We traceutical, contended The court handling his case for the farm's operation.q