KABUL (SW) – Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi has blamed the Taliban's ragging onslaughts is the main reasons hindering progress in the peace process.
In a series of tweets on Thursday, Sediqqi stressed that the government is committed to take necessary steps to take the peace process forward.
Earlier this week, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the peace process in Afghanistan is not going as quickly as expected, with the Taliban failing to reduce violence in the war-torn country.
"It's behind schedule," Esper said at a Brookings Institute event on Monday. "We continue to talk to both sides about what they need to do to fully implement the agreement." He said there has not been a reduction in violence from the Taliban side. "On the other hand, they have not attacked us or attacked major metropolitan areas."
The comments come as U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) astounded reporters Monday with a statement that its Air Force component would no longer be providing regular updates on the number of airstrikes in the Middle East theater, to include Afghanistan.
Cmdr. Zachary Harrell, a CENTCOM spokesman, said the change was due to "diplomatic relational concerns, including how the report could adversely impact ongoing discussions with the Taliban regarding Afghanistan peace talks."
"Until such time that this product is determined not be a risk at possibly jeopardizing current relations, the Air Power Summary will not be published," added Harrell, according to the VoA.
The command's Air Force component has posted monthly airpower updates online since at least 2013.
The updates have included monthly sortie and strike totals for coalition aircraft in Iraq and Syria since Operation Inherent Resolve began against Islamic State in 2014. That, too, will no longer be provided due to the change.
The last summary of Iraq and Syria strike numbers was posted in February, which was the same month that the U.S. and Taliban peace deal was signed.
The quarterly Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) recently sounded the alarm on the lack of transparency from the U.S.-led international mission in Afghanistan, stating in its report last week that Resolute Support was no longer providing the number of Taliban-initiated attacks.
SIGAR called the Taliban attack numbers "one of the last remaining metrics" of stability and security.
ENDS
