Report to Congress states Taliban has reneged on deal, still supporting al-Qaeda

The United States’ Department of Defense Office of Inspector General made public its quarterly report to Congress on Operation Freedom Sentinel Tuesday and stated the Taliban had not upheld its commitment to distancing itself from terrorist organizations in Afghanistan as per the Doha agreement. 

The agreement, reached in February in Doha between the US and the Taliban, called for the United States to reduce its forces in Afghanistan to 8,600 in the first step towards total withdrawal. 

In the Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel quarterly report summary, the US said: “The United States reduced its troop level in Afghanistan to 8,600 by mid-June, a month ahead of schedule.

“The Taliban was not honoring its commitment to cut ties with al-Qaeda and conducted operations alongside al-Qaeda members.

“The USCENTCOM commander said in June that ‘conditions have not been fully met’ for the United States to withdraw all its remaining forces.”

The report also stated that Taliban violence had increased “further threatening peace process.”

The US stated that although the Taliban had stopped attacks against US and coalition forces, the group had increased operations against Afghan security forces.

The report also stated that Afghan government officials had questioned whether the Taliban was serious about entering into peace negotiations.

In addition, it pointed out that US funding for the Afghan Local Police would end after September 30. 

This, the US said, could result in ALP members being left vulnerable to recruitment by militias and the Taliban – especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the country’s economy. 

The report stated the United States had also committed to act as a facilitator in pursuing the release of prisoners held by the Afghan government but that the “Taliban and the Afghan government failed to reach consensus on the release of prisoners during the (first) quarter.”

The US stated that the increased violence and dispute over prisoner releases “were significant barriers to the Afghan government and Taliban beginning peace negotiations.”

The release of this report comes amid rising concerns over when intra-Afghan negotiations will start as the peace talks process appears to have stalled.

Despite President Ashraf Ghani’s decree last week on the release of the remaining 400 prisoners, only 80 of them have so far been freed. 

The Taliban in turn have also not freed all Afghans they are holding captive.