Kabul: U.S. President Joe Biden s announced pullout of troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11 has jeopardised Washington s push for peace with Taliban Islamists and increased the chances of an upsurge in violence, sources say.
Biden announced the withdrawal, pushed back from a May 1 deadline agreed with the Taliban, without buy-in from the insurgents, sources involved in the discussions told Reuters.
The decision was signalled just hours after Turkey announced dates for a crucial peace summit on April 24, which the Taliban had also not yet agreed on.
The Taliban then announced they were shunning the summit while troops remained, throwing the process into disarray.
“Biden s announcement decreases any leverage the international community has left over them, and helps the Taliban justify refusing to attend,” said Ashley Jackson of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).
One official whose country is involved in the peace process said the Taliban s negotiating position had become much stronger and chances of progress were slim.
“What do the Taliban get out of the Turkey summit? They need something tangible,” he said. “It s difficult to bring them to a negotiation table where they know they will have to make painful compromises.”
Tribal elders and Taliban members in Afghanistan s Taliban-controlled areas described jubilation at the U.S. announcement.
“Of course we won and America lost the long…war,” said Quraishi, a Taliban commander in eastern Logar province. “There is no bigger happiness than hearing that the invaders are packing their bags.”
In recent weeks, Washington raced to get agreement on a ceasefire and an interim government, and to get the Taliban onboard with a deadline extension, officials said.
Biden s decision on the extension and the Taliban s reaction have sparked more frantic behind-the-scenes negotiations.
The sources said Washington was urging Qatar and Pakistan, which have long-standing ties within the Taliban, to pressure the militants to come back to the table. Reuters
