WASHINGTON: Some elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan are showing passion in peace talks, the highest US commander in Kabul said Wednesday, bringing up "off stage" contacts involving what he described as mid- and high-level leaders of the insurgency.
"A number of channels of dialogue have opened up between the various stakeholders in the peace process," Nicholson advised journalists on the Pentagon. Speaking from his place of business in Kabul, Nicholson said he may just not name names because the contacts are being pursued confidentially to enhance the probabilities of advancing toward precise peace talks.
"What you're seeing right now is a lot of the diplomatic activity and dialogue is occurring off the stage, and it's occurring at multiple levels," he said. "So you see mid-level, senior-level Taliban leaders engaging with Afghans." He added that unspecified world organizations, overseas governments and other interested events also are involved.
US officers have talked up the possibilities for peace time and again over the course of the 17-year battle in Afghanistan, most effective to be disappointed. When President Donald Trump introduced final August that he used to be committing to winning the battle with a made over strategy, he said the function used to be to compel the Taliban _ with lend a hand from Pakistan and other interested international locations _ to seek peace. However, a US govt watchdog company recently reported that it noticed few indicators that this strategy used to be working, whilst acknowledging that the Afghan security forces are getting higher coaching.
Inside the Taliban, Nicholson said, there's a "robust dialogue" underway with reference to whether and how you can end the battle. He asserted there are "many points of intersection" between Taliban and Afghan proposals for pursuing peace.
"This is what, you know, leads me to the conclusion that there's tremendous potential to advance the reconciliation dialogue," he said. "And, again, I don't want to go any further. My diplomatic colleagues are the ones that are involved in this, and their ability to be successful depends in part upon the confidentiality of the process."
Nicholson, who has commanded US and coalition forces in Afghanistan since March 2016, is due to leave his post this summer time. The Pentagon on Tuesday introduced that Trump nominated Army Lt. Gen. Scott Miller to prevail Nicholson.
While talking confidently of peace possibilities, Nicholson additionally advised journalists that US rocket artillery struck a gathering of Taliban commanders on May 24 in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province, killing "dozens." His spokesman, Lt. Col. Martin O'Donnell, said earlier that greater than 50 had been killed however that an exact depend has not but been established.
Nicholson said the Taliban commanders had assembled upon getting back from the western province of Farah, the place their warring parties had attacked a couple of security checkpoints and briefly taken regulate of the provincial town of the same name. Nicholson said 50 of these commanders have been tracked to Musa Qala and targeted through US rocket artillery.
While announcing america assault had disrupted the Taliban network in Helmand province, including its drug trafficking, Nicholson stopped wanting announcing the killing of dozens of insurgent commanders would have a decisive have an effect on at the battle.
"I would not call it strategic significance, but it definitely has a significant local significance in terms of the fight in southern Afghanistan," he said.
"A number of channels of dialogue have opened up between the various stakeholders in the peace process," Nicholson advised journalists on the Pentagon. Speaking from his place of business in Kabul, Nicholson said he may just not name names because the contacts are being pursued confidentially to enhance the probabilities of advancing toward precise peace talks.
"What you're seeing right now is a lot of the diplomatic activity and dialogue is occurring off the stage, and it's occurring at multiple levels," he said. "So you see mid-level, senior-level Taliban leaders engaging with Afghans." He added that unspecified world organizations, overseas governments and other interested events also are involved.
US officers have talked up the possibilities for peace time and again over the course of the 17-year battle in Afghanistan, most effective to be disappointed. When President Donald Trump introduced final August that he used to be committing to winning the battle with a made over strategy, he said the function used to be to compel the Taliban _ with lend a hand from Pakistan and other interested international locations _ to seek peace. However, a US govt watchdog company recently reported that it noticed few indicators that this strategy used to be working, whilst acknowledging that the Afghan security forces are getting higher coaching.
Inside the Taliban, Nicholson said, there's a "robust dialogue" underway with reference to whether and how you can end the battle. He asserted there are "many points of intersection" between Taliban and Afghan proposals for pursuing peace.
"This is what, you know, leads me to the conclusion that there's tremendous potential to advance the reconciliation dialogue," he said. "And, again, I don't want to go any further. My diplomatic colleagues are the ones that are involved in this, and their ability to be successful depends in part upon the confidentiality of the process."
Nicholson, who has commanded US and coalition forces in Afghanistan since March 2016, is due to leave his post this summer time. The Pentagon on Tuesday introduced that Trump nominated Army Lt. Gen. Scott Miller to prevail Nicholson.
While talking confidently of peace possibilities, Nicholson additionally advised journalists that US rocket artillery struck a gathering of Taliban commanders on May 24 in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province, killing "dozens." His spokesman, Lt. Col. Martin O'Donnell, said earlier that greater than 50 had been killed however that an exact depend has not but been established.
Nicholson said the Taliban commanders had assembled upon getting back from the western province of Farah, the place their warring parties had attacked a couple of security checkpoints and briefly taken regulate of the provincial town of the same name. Nicholson said 50 of these commanders have been tracked to Musa Qala and targeted through US rocket artillery.
While announcing america assault had disrupted the Taliban network in Helmand province, including its drug trafficking, Nicholson stopped wanting announcing the killing of dozens of insurgent commanders would have a decisive have an effect on at the battle.
"I would not call it strategic significance, but it definitely has a significant local significance in terms of the fight in southern Afghanistan," he said.
US general says some Taliban interested in peace
![US general says some Taliban interested in peace]()
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May 31, 2018
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