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US Lawmakers Want Answers From Khalilzad About Deal With Taliban
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has called on the Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad to brief the lawmakers on details of the peace deal he negotiated with the Taliban in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The Committee’s Chairman Eliot Engel in a letter to Khalilzad on Thursday called on him to testify in September on the proposed peace plan with the Taliban on U.S. troop pullout from Afghanistan.
“I am calling this hearing so that Congress and the American people will have the long-overdue opportunity to understand the contours of your negotiations with the Taliban and the potential risks and opportunities that may result,” Engel said the letter.
Engel added that the U.S. Envoy’s agreement with the Taliban has “been disseminated among officials in the Trump Administration and shared with President Ghani’s government.”
The letter further said the Americans and Afghan people deserve to know what the U.S. diplomatic “strategy is for Afghanistan,” adding that the U.S. wants to make sure that it is “negotiating a peace and not simply a withdrawal.”
“Given the challenges this Committee has faced in getting information from the Trump Administration on this issue, I want to be clear: I do not consider your testimony at this hearing optional,” Engel wrote. “If this letter is insufficient to secure your attendance, I will consider other options that would ensure this hearing takes place in a timely manner.”
It is been the third time that the committee is requesting Khalilzad to appear at the U.S. House of Representatives for the questioning.
Engel and ranking member Representative Michael McCaul issued an invitation in February and Democrat members of the committee had also asked Khalilzad to appear in April.
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate, held a telephone conversation with Asaad Hassan al- Shaibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, regarding the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Interior, both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening relations between Afghanistan and Syria.
During the discussion, the two sides also talked about the latest regional developments.
Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, held separate phone calls with senior officials from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, focusing on the recent escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In his call with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Muttaqi said Afghanistan’s recent security actions were aimed at protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity. Qatar expressed support for reducing tensions and said it is ready to play a constructive role.
During his call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Muttaqi praised Riyadh’s diplomatic efforts and reaffirmed Afghanistan’s desire for positive relations based on mutual respect. Saudi Arabia stressed de-escalation, dialogue, and respect for sovereignty as essential for resolving disputes.
Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia agreed to maintain ongoing contact and support diplomatic approaches to regional stability.
The Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan has announced that Afghan forces carried out fresh airstrikes on military targets in Miranshah and Spinwam, in Pakistan.
The strikes took place last night around 12:00 AM, according to the Ministry. In its statement, the Ministry said the Miranshah and Spinwam military bases were destroyed, resulting in heavy casualties.
The statement added that these “successful strikes were carried out in response to repeated air incursions by the Pakistani military regime.”
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