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Taliban urges complete withdrawal in open letter to Americans
Taliban Deputy Leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar says that there is no military solution to the long-term conflict in Afghanistan.
In an open letter to the people of the United States, Mullah Baradar stated: “The past nineteen years have proven beyond any doubt that the Afghan issue cannot be resolved through the use of force or by alternating military strategies and generals.”
Baradar emphasized that the people of Afghanistan are dealing with an “imposed war.”
“It is the responsibility and in the interest of all to bring an end to this war and the implementation of the Doha agreement is the most effective way of ending it,” the letter read.
The US and the Taliban signed an agreement on February 29, 2020, aimed at bringing peace to Afghanistan.
According to the deal, the US committed to withdrawing all its forces within the 14 months of the agreement. In exchange, the Taliban pledged to cut ties with terrorist groups including Al-Qaeda, and begin negotiations with the government of Afghanistan.
Mullah Baradar stated that the US-Taliban deal “with the aim that all foreign military forces along with their non-diplomatic personnel, private contractors, advisors, trainers and service providers withdraw from Afghanistan within a 14-month timeframe, while the Islamic Emirate [Taliban] would reciprocate by committing itself to prevent all threats to the security of other nations from Afghanistan.”
As per the Doha deal, the US needed to reduce its troop levels to 2,500 by December 2020 and direct talks needed to start between the Afghan government and the Taliban negotiating teams – which happened in September 2020.
Although the two sides held several meetings, they did not reach an agreement over the agenda of the intra-Afghan talks. The negotiations have since stalled and some members of the Republic’s peace team have returned to Kabul.
Meanwhile, some politicians believe that the peace talks’ failure could plunge the country into a new crisis.
“We are at a milestone, if we consider it, it is possible to reach a desirable solution. Otherwise, there would not be a war but we would witness a bigger crisis. Because both sides could use all their forces,” Ali Ahmad Osmani, a former cabinet member said.
Hundreds of former U.S. officials are calling on Washington to cancel a reported plan to relocate Afghan refugees from Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In an open letter addressed to the U.S. State Department, more than 600 former civilian and military officials, along with around 100 organizations, urged the administration to stop the proposed transfer. The letter was sent to Marco Rubio.
The signatories argue that the Afghan nationals in question were brought to Qatar by the United States to complete legal immigration procedures after undergoing extensive security vetting. The letter states that while the individuals were cleared for resettlement in the United States, they are now being considered for relocation to Congo, a country for which they were never screened.
“Those individuals were vetted and approved for the United States, not for the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the letter reads.
According to the report, more than 1,100 Afghan allies and their family members are currently being held at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar under U.S. supervision. Around 800 of them have already completed all security checks and received authorization to travel to the United States. More than half are women and children, and many have remained in transit limbo for over 15 months.
The situation has drawn criticism from former officials and policy observers, who describe the proposed relocation as a betrayal of Afghan allies who supported U.S. missions and risked their lives during the war in Afghanistan. Critics also warn that the move could damage U.S. credibility with future partners.
Several members of the U.S. Congress had previously expressed opposition to the proposal, cautioning that it could significantly undermine trust in the United States among its allies.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, has said that no country should interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, stressing that it is up to Afghans themselves to bring about any change in their country.
In a post on X, Durrani said Afghans should be “left to their own devices” and that they would eventually “find the way out” of their challenges.
However, he warned that instability inside Afghanistan could have negative consequences for neighbouring countries, adding that Afghan leaders and their supporters should take responsibility to address such risks.
Durrani described his remarks as a simple expression of goodwill and best wishes for the Afghan people and their future.
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Uzbekistan and Japan discuss joint projects for Afghanistan’s socio-economic development
The Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, has met with Tetsuya Yamada, Director General of the South Asia Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to discuss cooperation on Afghanistan-related development projects.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides focused on the implementation of joint initiatives aimed at supporting the socio-economic development of Afghanistan.
During the meeting, the Japanese side praised Uzbekistan’s “pragmatic approach” toward Afghanistan, as well as the infrastructure developed in the border city of Termez.
Japan also expressed interest in utilizing the Termez facilities for future humanitarian and development projects in Afghanistan, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, private sector development, and counter-narcotics efforts.
Both sides emphasized that such cooperation is aimed at improving the living conditions and overall well-being of the Afghan people.
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