Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 21 February 2019

Powerful political leader warns against squandering peace

By KATHY GANNON Islamic law from 1996 until
Associated Press the U.S.-led invasion follow-
HERAT, Afghanistan (AP) — ing the Sept. 11 attacks.
A prominent Afghan politi- Many fear that a peace
cal leader who once had agreement with the Tal-
the support of some offi- iban will erode the faltering
cials to lead Afghanistan’s progress made since their
negotiating team with the ouster.
Taliban, warned the presi- One contentious red line for
dent Wednesday against President Ghani has been
squandering the best op- the holding of presidential
portunity at peace in more elections in July. Daudzai
than 17 years of war. said July presidential polls
In an interview with The were non-negotiable. Yet
Associated Press, former even Khalilzad has ex-
Cabinet minister Ismail pressed reservations about
Khan said “the Taliban are elections as all sides seek to
ready to find a solution that find a way toward peace.
is good for every Afghan,” Khan outright rejected
but they steadfastly refuse elections, saying polls held
to talk with the Afghan as peace talks are under-
government alone, saying way will undermine nego-
the government is a U.S. tiations ensuring it would be
“puppet.” Former Afghan Cabinet Minister Ismail Khan, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press impossible for the Taliban
Suhail Shaheen, a spokes- in Herat province, western of, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. to participate.
man for the Taliban’s office Associated Press Instead, Khan supported
in the Middle Eastern state the Taliban, rejected a would allow the U.S. to envoy Omer Daudzai on an interim set up, which
of Qatar, said the Taliban meeting between the Tal- withdraw its forces, said Wednesday sought to reas- the religious movement has
negotiation team will hold iban and a large gather- Khan, who spoke to the AP sure a gathering of women also reportedly supported
its next round of talks with ing of prominent Afghan from Afghanistan’s western and human rights activists in talks with Khalilzad. Khan
Washington’s peace en- figures, including former city of Herat. in the Afghan capital Ka- said an interim government
voy Zalmay Khalilzad on President Hamid Karzai and Khan, who served in Karzai’s bul with a promise to hold could govern for six months
Monday. The Taliban have Khan, in Moscow earlier this government, was a jihadi a Loya Jirga, or gathering to one year while the coun-
been negotiating with the month. leader during the 1980s of political and tribal lead- try prepares for polls.
U.S. to end America’s lon- “Afghan mujahedeen, Af- U.S.-backed war against ers, in mid-March to lay out Meanwhile, Daudzai said
gest war, which has cost it ghan intellectuals, elders the former Soviet Union. He lines in the sand the Afghan the Americans and the Tal-
more than $1 trillion. and politicians, including was among those mujahe- government won’t cross iban had agreed in prin-
Afghan President Ashraf the Afghan government deen leaders who became when it eventually enters ciple on the withdrawal of
Ghani, who has been de- should start talks with the politicians after the Taliban talks with the Taliban. U.S. troops, but only after a
manding his government Taliban,” to find a negoti- took control of the country. The Taliban ruled Afghani- peace deal is reached with
lead all peace talks with ated end to the war that Meanwhile, Ghani’s peace stan under a harsh form of popular support.q

Moroccan police crackdown on protesting teachers

movement that awakened an average of 400 euros strations to tackle challeng-
a spirit of activism in this ($454) a month. They are es from water shortages in
North African kingdom. also angry over temporary neglected provinces to
Teachers’ unions held a government contracts that sexual violence and police
protest outside the Educa- do not cover health care abuse. Some participants
tion Ministry in Rabat, the or pensions. “We are do- in the February 20 move-
capital, and then tried to ing a peaceful march, but ment lament the limited
walk up an alley toward unfortunately the police results of all this action and
the nearby royal palace, are cracking down on us. the fading promise of the
prompting a crackdown. Teachers are falling to the 2011 protests. Some also
Police officers beat several ground. Teachers are be- worry about a return to
protesters to the ground. ing insulted. Our message heavy-handed police re-
Associated Press report- is education. Stop the injus- sponse to demonstrations.
ers saw multiple teach- tice,” cried out demonstra- “I thought that we were
ers injured, and several tor Naima Kalaii, who came going out to protest and
Protesting teachers chant slogans during a demonstration in who fainted. Ambulances from eastern Morocco to by doing that alone things
Rabat, Morocco, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. and police cars filled the join the protest. would change,” said Sara
Associated Press neighborhood. The thou- At that time, tens of thou- Soujar, one of the move-
By AMIRA EL-MASAITI cheons amid demonstra- sands of protesters, many sands took to the streets ment’s young women pro-
Associated Press tions around the capital wearing white teachers’ across Morocco demand- test leaders. Soujar reflect-
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Wednesday. robes, came from across ing democratic reforms ed on the movement in her
Moroccan police fired wa- Several demonstrations Morocco to Rabat to seek and social justice. Moroc- Casablanca living room,
ter cannons at protesting were held Wednesday, salary raises and promo- cans didn’t bring down a looking at photos and
teachers who were march- marking exactly eight years tions and protest the lim- dictator like counterparts in newspaper articles about
ing toward a royal palace after the birth of a Moroc- ited opportunities for low- Tunisia and Egypt, but they her activism, their colors al-
and beat people with trun- can Arab Spring protest ranking teachers, who earn now regularly hold demon- ready fading.q