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تصویر بندانگشتی

US, Russia: 'Will Not Support' an 'Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan

The United States and Russia, in a joint statement made "on the occasion of the February 29 US-Taliban Deal," but posted by the US State Department on Saturday, welcomed the US-Taliban commitment to the peace process in Afghanistan but said the "international community will not accept or support the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.” 

This was echoed by the Russian President’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, who said on March 3 that Russia has reiterated to the Taliban it will never accept any monopoly of power in Afghanistan:

“We have told the Taliban straight more than once that we accept no monopoly and [are opposed to] the Taliban’s return to power,” Kabulov said as quoted by TASS news agency. “We are not the only ones to say it. Afghanistan’s neighbors — Pakistan and Iran — and also the United States and China share this position,” Kabulov said, as quoted by TASS.

However, on Friday US President Donald Trump told reporters that the Taliban could “possibly” overrun the Afghan government after foreign troops withdraw from the country. And also that "countries have to take care of themselves" because "you can only hold someone's hand for so long."

But the deal-related statement says that the US and Russia Federation issued welcomed the Taliban's commitment to "joining a political process and their prospective role in a new post-settlement Afghan Islamic government as determined by the intra-Afghan negotiations."

The two nations also appreciated the February 22-28 reduction of violence and urged all sides to further decrease violence in order to create an environment conducive to intra-Afghan negotiations.

Further, the US and Russian envoys called on the Taliban and other Afghan violent groups to take concrete steps to ensure that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used by al-Qaeda, Daesh, or other international terrorist groups to threaten or attack other countries.

They also called on all Afghans “to begin discussions immediately on issues of mutual concern, such as prisoner releases and a ceasefire," and expressed readiness "upon the commencement of the intra-Afghan negotiations to review the status of sanctions designations in order to support the peace process."

This comes as an NBC News report on Saturday claimed the US government had collected “persuasive intelligence” that the Taliban "do not intend to honor the promises they have made in the recently signed deal with the US," citing conversations with American officials who are unnamed in the report.

“They have no intention of abiding by their agreement,” NBC News quoted one official who was briefed on the intelligence, which two others described as "explicit evidence shedding light on the Taliban's intentions."

But on Saturday, a Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen tweeted a response to the report, denying its claims: 

“We categorically reject allegations by US intel officials to NBC News that the Islamic Emirate has no intention of abiding by the agreement. The agreement implementation process is going good so far & such comments by US officials cannot be justified,” said Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen.

US, Russia: 'Will Not Support' an 'Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan

But Trump said the Taliban could “possibly” overrun the Afghan government after foreign troops withdraw.

تصویر بندانگشتی

The United States and Russia, in a joint statement made "on the occasion of the February 29 US-Taliban Deal," but posted by the US State Department on Saturday, welcomed the US-Taliban commitment to the peace process in Afghanistan but said the "international community will not accept or support the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.” 

This was echoed by the Russian President’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, who said on March 3 that Russia has reiterated to the Taliban it will never accept any monopoly of power in Afghanistan:

“We have told the Taliban straight more than once that we accept no monopoly and [are opposed to] the Taliban’s return to power,” Kabulov said as quoted by TASS news agency. “We are not the only ones to say it. Afghanistan’s neighbors — Pakistan and Iran — and also the United States and China share this position,” Kabulov said, as quoted by TASS.

However, on Friday US President Donald Trump told reporters that the Taliban could “possibly” overrun the Afghan government after foreign troops withdraw from the country. And also that "countries have to take care of themselves" because "you can only hold someone's hand for so long."

But the deal-related statement says that the US and Russia Federation issued welcomed the Taliban's commitment to "joining a political process and their prospective role in a new post-settlement Afghan Islamic government as determined by the intra-Afghan negotiations."

The two nations also appreciated the February 22-28 reduction of violence and urged all sides to further decrease violence in order to create an environment conducive to intra-Afghan negotiations.

Further, the US and Russian envoys called on the Taliban and other Afghan violent groups to take concrete steps to ensure that the territory of Afghanistan should not be used by al-Qaeda, Daesh, or other international terrorist groups to threaten or attack other countries.

They also called on all Afghans “to begin discussions immediately on issues of mutual concern, such as prisoner releases and a ceasefire," and expressed readiness "upon the commencement of the intra-Afghan negotiations to review the status of sanctions designations in order to support the peace process."

This comes as an NBC News report on Saturday claimed the US government had collected “persuasive intelligence” that the Taliban "do not intend to honor the promises they have made in the recently signed deal with the US," citing conversations with American officials who are unnamed in the report.

“They have no intention of abiding by their agreement,” NBC News quoted one official who was briefed on the intelligence, which two others described as "explicit evidence shedding light on the Taliban's intentions."

But on Saturday, a Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen tweeted a response to the report, denying its claims: 

“We categorically reject allegations by US intel officials to NBC News that the Islamic Emirate has no intention of abiding by the agreement. The agreement implementation process is going good so far & such comments by US officials cannot be justified,” said Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen.

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