US special envoy says dialogue with IEA has been ‘honest and productive’

US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West has said discussions with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) have been productive and that talks on ISIS (Daesh) have been more candid.

Speaking at the US Institute for Peace, West described discussions with the IEA as “relatively honest and productive” and that conversations regarding counterterrorism and Daesh have “become more honest and more candid”.

“I believe that the Taliban (IEA) are sincere in their efforts to contain [ISIS-Khorasan Province],” West said.

West also stated that “the Taliban (IEA) has no interest in co-operating with the United States when it comes to fulfilment of their commitments to the Doha agreement”, which required the group to cut ties with Al Qaeda.

In addition, he acknowledged “positive statements from Taliban (IEA) leaders about a readiness to see the enrolment of women and girls at all levels across large swaths of the country after [the holiday of] Nowruz” next month. However he cautioned that “statements are not enough”.

Still, he said it is “encouraging that the Taliban (IEA) have said they will support an independent verification mechanism” to ensure girls and women are actually enrolled in educational institutions in the country.

“The Taliban (IEA) will make the decision to enrol women and girls at all levels not out of a response to international pressure at all,” said West adding that “this is a genuine domestic Afghan demand and a basic human right that we hear from across the country.”

West also said he had discussed the issue of the frozen reserves and US President Joe Biden’s decision with several Afghan economists as well as officials who had served in the central bank and finance ministry under the defunct US-backed government.

“The consistent opinion that I hear is that it would be not a good use of these resources to channel them through the United Nations and for humanitarian assistance,” said West.

“Rather, this $3.5bn represents the potential recapitalization of a future central bank, and that is recognized, and the future recapitalization of the financial system.”

He noted the Taliban (IEA) will have no input in deciding how to use the money, but said “professional Afghans” would be involved in the decision-making process.

The freeze on federal reserves has prompted Afghan banks to limit withdrawals, further compounding the cash crisis and driving up the cost of food and consumer goods amid a drought.