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KABUL (SW) – The U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, John R. Bass, has said the Taliban are spreading misinformation and the propaganda about the discussions held in Doha.
Speaking to a group of journalists at the U.S. Embassy, he said the goal behind talks with the Taliban is a settlement to the conflict that is worthy of the sacrifices and that also protects, preserves many of the gains of the last 17 years so that this society on the other side of a settlement can continue to move forward and build on progress rather than going backwards.
He added Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, is executing policy and directives from the President of the United States and the Secretary of State as a professional diplomat.
He said the Taliban propaganda is aimed at distracting attention from the heavy losses that they have been suffering in engagement with Afghan Security Forces. “They will continue to suffer those losses if they choose to keep fighting, and unfortunately, there will continue to be bloodshed and suffering if the fighting continues. This is another reason why we believe it is so important to make progress towards a settlement so we can all work to ease the suffering of the Afghan people”.
Ambassador Bass clarified the U.S. in Doha is not substituting for the Afghan government or the Afghan people in talking to the Taliban about issues that only representatives of wider Afghan society can properly discuss and decide. “We are only talking to the Taliban about two interconnected issues that directly affect U.S. forces and U.S. policy concerns about the prospect of Afghanistan continuing to be a safe haven for international terrorist organizations. That is all we’re talking to the Taliban about”.
He added the U.S. is not talking to the Taliban about interim governments, about issues related to the current Afghan Constitution and the current structure of government. “So again, we’re not talking about anything in Doha with the Taliban that we are not also discussing with the Afghan government. And hopefully, once an inter-Afghan dialogue is underway properly, and addressing the many issues that will need to be discussed in that dialogue, then the discussions that we’ve had with the Taliban and the discussions that we’ve had with the Afghan government on a range of security issues, that work will inform the discussion that the Taliban and wider society in the government have together about how to address these issues on the other side of a settlement”.
Quoting Ambassador Khalilzad, he said that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. “What that means in this context is that whatever progress we’ve made in Doha would not be implemented until and unless there is progress on the other two key components — a genuine inter-Afghan dialogue to address those issues that must be addressed between Afghans, and a comprehensive ceasefire so that the Afghan people quickly see the benefits of less violence and the ability to focus on the many other challenges that they face in their lives. And we will continue to adhere to this principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”.
ENDS
