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Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - Nato has urged the Taliban to cease its violent campaign to allow a peaceful solution to the decades long war after carrying out its commitment to troop reductions.
As American forces continue to withdraw troops and close bases there has been a spike in Taliban violence as part of a tactic to strongarm the government into releasing prisoners.
Given the impact of coronavirus on civilians the alliance urged the Taliban to “agree to a humanitarian ceasefire”.
Despite the terrorism, President Donald Trump has continued to reduce troops numbers which are now down to 8,600 from a high of more than 100,000 in 2010. He wishes to fulfil an election pledge to bring America’s “endless war” to an end.
A day before the base closure the Taliban blew up a government facility killing 11 security forces troops and wounding 63 civilians, including children.
In its formal statement Nato called for a “political resolution” to bring “sustainable peace to the Afghan people” and condemned the ongoing Taliban attacks.
“The current level of violence – driven especially by Taliban attacks against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, remains unacceptably high, causing instability and undermining confidence in the peace process.”
Nato said it would adjust its force levels if the Taliban fulfilled their commitments to an agreement signed four months ago in return for US force reduction but added Afghanistan should never again “become a safe haven for terrorists”.
The Nato statement added it had a long standing commitment to Afghanistan and concluded: “It is time for all parties to seize this moment for peace.”
The United States said its landmark deal with the Taliban has entered the "next phase" while urging the militants to reduce rising violence even as the insurgents accused US forces of violating the accord Tuesday.
The two sides signed an agreement in February that saw Washington pledge to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by the middle of next year, in return for the insurgents promising to hold negotiations with the Afghan government to end the long-running conflict.
US special representative on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, who negotiated the deal for Washington, tweeted that both sides had reached a "key milestone".
"The US has worked hard to carry out 1st phase of its commitments under the agreement, including to reduce troops & depart five bases," he said Monday.
As the deal entered its "next phase", Washington's approach would be based on certain conditions, Mr Khalilzad warned.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the leader of the Taliban delegation, signs an agreement with Zalmay Khalilzad, US envoy for peace in Afghanistan, at a signing agreement ceremony between members of Afghanistan's Taliban and the US in Doha, Qatar February 29, 2020. Reuters
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo walks ahead of the signing of an agreement between members of Afghanistan's Taliban delegation and the US government in Doha, Qatar. Reuters
Members of Afghanistan's Taliban delegation speak to the media ahead of an agreement signing between them and US officials in Doha, Qatar. Reuters
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu walks ahead of the signing of an agreement between members of Afghanistan's Taliban delegation and the US government in Doha, Qatar. Reuters
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a joint press conference with Afghan President Ghani and US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper on the declaration of a peace deal to be signed between the US and the Taliban, at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. EPA
US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper attends a joint press conference with Afghan President Ghani and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg on the declaration of a peace deal to be signed between the US and the Taliban, at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. EPA
Members of the Taliban delegation gather ahead of an agreement signing between them and US officials in Doha, Qatar. Reuters
"We will press for completion of prisoner releases, reduction of violence... & start of & progress in intra-Afghan negotiations," he said.
The Taliban on Tuesday welcomed the cut in US forces, but claimed that American troops had frequently carried out bombings in non-combat zones and "offensives" in support of the Kabul government.
It also accused US pilots of carrying out air strikes against civilians, the Taliban and public infrastructure in the past 10 days.
"These all are blatant violations of the agreement and deliberate attempt at provoking the mujahideen towards large-scale attacks," the Taliban said.
'Violence has been high'
Since the deal, the Taliban have stepped up attacks killing hundreds, officials say.
Khalilzad condemned the attacks, saying "large numbers" of Afghans continued to die without a reason, while acknowledging that no American had been killed since the deal.
"Violence has been high, especially in recent days and weeks," Khalilzad said, condemning a Taliban attack on Monday on a rural office of Afghanistan's intelligence agency that killed 11 security personnel.
"The Taliban's attack... contradicts their commitment to reduce violence until a permanent ceasefire is reached in intra-Afghan talks."
Washington's top diplomat in Kabul, Ross Wilson, also slammed the Taliban for Monday's attack in the northern city of Aybak.
"This attack in a provincial capital is an escalation that violates the understanding in our agreement with the Taliban to reduce violence and minimize civilian casualties," he wrote on Twitter.
Afghanistan's intelligence agency warned of "retaliatory attacks" against the Taliban and said they were not fulfilling their obligations under the US deal.
"The group plans and carries out attacks with the cooperation of foreign terrorist groups, including the Al-Qaeda network," the National Directorate of Security said on Tuesday.
Under the US-Taliban deal, the insurgents agreed to stop Al-Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a safe haven to plot attacks.
But in the months since, the Taliban have continued to work with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), a Pentagon report said earlier this month.
Civilian casualties
US President Donald Trump, who is running for re-election in November, has said repeatedly that he wants to end America's longest war as soon as possible.
Peace talks between the Taliban and Kabul hinge on a nearly-completed prisoner exchange agreed in the deal with US.
The government has so far released more than 4,000 Taliban inmates, while the insurgents have freed more than 600 Afghan security personnel.
Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission, meanwhile, said in a report on Tuesday that in the first six months of this year, 1,213 civilians were killed and another 1,744 wounded in 880 incidents across the country.
It said the figures showed a drop of 11 percent as compared to the first half of 2019.
Updated: July 15, 2020 12:03 AM
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