MONITORING (SW) – The Taliban have announced not to attend forthcoming Istanbul conference on peace in Afghanistan.
“Until all foreign forces completely withdraw from our homeland (Afghanistan), the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) will not participate in any conference that shall make decisions about Afghanistan”, said the group’s spokesman Mohammad Naeem.
Earlier, reports suggest US President Joe Biden has ordered the full withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan by no later than Sept. 11. An official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of Biden’s formal announcement expected on Wednesday, said the president is firm on bringing US forces to zero by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“This is not conditions-based. The president has judged that a conditions-based approach, which has been the approach of the past two decades, is a recipe for staying in Afghanistan forever,” the official said. “He has reached the conclusion that the United States will complete its drawdown, will remove its forces from Afghanistan before Sept. 11.”
While Sept. 11 has been marked as the end-day of Biden’s timeline, the withdrawal may be completed “well in advance” of September, the official added.
Meanwhile, Waheed Umer, director general, Office of Public and Strategic Affairs, has said the US troop withdrawal has been discussed between the US and Afghan governments repeatedly in the past. “President Biden is expected to talk to President Ghani in the near future to officially share details of the new withdrawal plan. Till then, we will not comment on the details”, he tweeted.
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