|
Taliban propose potential Afghan talks timeline as violence soars
[Al Ahram] The Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men...are prepared to hold peace talks with the Afghan government next month straight after the Moslem holiday of Eid al-Adha ...a major Moslem holiday, marked by animal sacrifice and ritual rioting... , the holy warriors said Thursday, provided an ongoing prisoner swap has been completed. The conditional offer marks the first occasion a talks timeline has been floated since warring parties blew past a March 10 deadline to begin negotiations. The development comes amid soaring violence that has threatened to derail US-backed efforts to bring Kabul and the Taliban to the negotiating table and seek an end to Afghanistan's nearly 19-year-old war. The Taliban are "likely ... ready to begin intra-Afghan negotiations immediately after Eid in case the process of the release of the prisoners is completed," the bad boys' political front man Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter. He added that the Taliban were ready to release the remaining Afghan security force prisoners in their custody, as long as Kabul freed all bad boy inmates "as per our list already delivered" to authorities. There was no immediate response from the Kabul government. Posted by: Fred 2020-07-24 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=577794 |