Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 12 July 2018

Peace in Afghanistan more elusive as Taliban shrug off talks

By RAHIM FAIEZ
Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)
— With the Taliban shrug-
ging off the Afghan gov-
ernment’s latest offers of
a cease-fire and negotia-
tions, peace seems as elu-
sive as it has been for de-
cades in this war-battered
country, both for troops on
the front lines and for civil-
ians facing frequent at-
tacks.
The Taliban have been
gaining more ground in
their annual spring offen-
sive, ignoring President
Ashraf Ghani’s calls for
talks. Hoping to end the
nearly 17-year war, he had
offered unprecedented
incentives, including pass-
ports for insurgents and
their families.
Ghani had also offered
to work toward remov-
ing international sanctions
against the group’s leaders
and allowing the Taliban to
open official headquarters In this June 16, 2018 file photo, Taliban fighters gather with residents to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday
in the capital, Kabul. Eid al-Fitr, in Nangarhar, Afghanistan.
But for that to happen, he Associated Press
stressed, a cease-fire must an ambulance packed ple. or SIGAR, says more than The request, which came
first be agreed on and the with explosives through a Though that attack was half of Afghanistan is either at the end of the 57-na-
Taliban have to become a Kabul checkpoint, killing claimed by the Islamic under direct Taliban con- tions’ two-day meeting
political group rather than more than 100 people and State affiliate in Afghani- trol or under their influence. Wednesday, had already
an armed insurgency. wounding as many as 235. stan, the Taliban issued a The U.S. and NATO have been dismissed by the Tal-
In June, the Taliban ac- The Taliban claimed that statement denouncing the steadily drawn down forc- iban.
cepted a three-day cease- attack, as well as another, conference and others like es in recent years from a NATO leaders will be dis-
fire over the Eid al-Fitr holi- a week earlier, in which mili- it as an “American pro- peak of nearly 150,000, cussing Afghanistan on
day that caps the Muslim tants stormed a luxury hotel cess” and urged clerics to and in 2014 they shifted to Thursday at their summit in
fasting month of Ramadan, in Kabul, killing 22 people, reject such gatherings. a support and counterter- Brussels during which the al-
a first for the group, but re- including 14 foreigners, and The Taliban have mean- rorism role. Afghan secu- liance is expected to make
jected a subsequent gov- setting off a 13-hour gun- while expanded their rity forces, which number a commitment to keep
ernment call to extend it. battle with security forces. reach in the countryside. 195,000 soldiers and more funding the Afghan army
They maintain the only On Wednesday, two sui- According to Mujahid, they than 150,000 police, have and its training mission.
talks they would take part cide bombers stormed an now control 54 out of 388 struggled to combat the in- But many rank-and-file Af-
in would be with the Unit- education department districts across the country, surgency. ghan troops are bitter at
ed States on their key de- building in eastern Nangar- with five districts seized in The pressure is on to get the dim peace prospects.
mand: the withdrawal of har province, killing at least this year’s spring offensive. some sort of peace process “The president gave them
all American forces from 10 people. It was not imme- At least seven out of 14 off the ground. (Taliban) a chance and
Afghanistan. diately clear who was be- districts in the southern U.S. Secretary of State Mike announced a cease-fire,
Taliban spokesman Zabihul- hind the attack, but both Helmand province are Pompeo used an unan- but despite this they at-
lah Mujahid recently reiter- the Taliban and an Islamic completely under Taliban nounced trip to Afghani- tacked our checkpoints,
ated the insurgents’ stand- State affiliate are active in control. Analysts say about stan on Monday to step up ambushed our forces and
ing line that “the Ameri- the province. 80 percent of Helmand the Trump administration’s nothing changed,” says
cans are the ones continu- At a June gathering in Ka- — prized for its vast opium calls for peace talks. Mohammad Din, a 27-year-
ing the war, supporting our bul, the Afghan Ulema poppy fields — has been “The region and the world old policeman in northern
enemies and bombing our Council — an organiza- under Taliban control since are all tired of what is tak- Kunduz province who has
country.” tion of Muslim clerics and 2004, though urban centers ing place here in the same been in uniform for the past
“So, if there are talks, they scholars — issued an edict had remained under gov- way that the Afghan peo- seven years.
should be with them (Amer- against suicide attacks, ernment control. ple are no longer interest- Abdul Agha, 33, lost his
icans),” Mujahid told The saying they are “haram,” Interior Ministry spokesman ed in seeing war,” Pompeo right arm and both eyes
Associated Press over the forbidden under Islamic Najib Danish denies the Tal- said. in eastern Logar province
phone. “Otherwise they law. iban’s claim, saying they Meanwhile, a conference when his convoy hit a road-
won’t have any results.” As the gathering wrapped control just 11 districts in the of religious scholars orga- side bomb three years ago.
Since the start of the year, up and the clerics were entire country. nized by the Saudi-based The former policeman said
the Taliban have intensi- about to disband, another But even Washington’s own Organization of Islamic Co- he has not been able to
fied their attacks. On Jan. suicide bomber struck near Special Inspector General operation called for a new see his two daughters, born
27, a suicide bomber drove the site, killing seven peo- for Afghan Reconstruction, cease-fire in Afghanistan. after the attack.q