Although peace talks between the Taliban and United States have been officially stalled for over a month now, both sides seem to be willing to restart the negotiations. The likelihood of resumption of talks after US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalid’s meeting with Taliban leaders in Islamabad has elevated. After a relatively long hiatus, Khalilzad has met with US Army Gen. Mark Milley, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and discussed the Afghan peace process with him.
He has insisted that a political settlement that safeguards the US from terrorist threats, allows it to reduce the burden of war and protects two decades of progress in Afghanistan was in American national interest. This is the first time the special envoy comments on Afghanistan’s peace process following Trump’s cancellation of the Doha peace negotiations with Taliban.
In addition to Trump’s impatience to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, something he needs to sell to the American public by taking credit for bringing an end to the US involvement in the nearly 18-year-old war in order to boost his re-election bid for The White House, the intensity of violence also creates a sense of urgency for peace talks. The recent several months have seen an unprecedented spike in violence throughout the country, leaving behind heavy casualties not only among the warring sides but also among the civilians. The higher the level of violence, the greater the need for peace.
Looking at the sheer intensity of violence, the possibility of restarting the peace talks between the US and Taliban cannot be ruled out, but the past mistakes should not be repeated. The Taliban and US need to remain committed to their agreements, and avoid providing grounds for each other to pull out of the talks. This round of talks should focus primarily on paving the ground for intra-Afghan negotiations. Afghan sides should hold direct talks as soon as possible to clear the path for a ceasefire. The Taliban are not ready to declare a ceasefire even after striking a deal with Americans, thus intra-Afghan talks have to start as early as possible to reach a nationwide, sustainable ceasefire. This is the only way that can stop the ongoing violence and bloodshed, and allow all those who are seeking to rule the country to discuss the nature of future government and power-sharing arrangement.
There is no chance for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations before a US-Taliban deal, so the Afghan sides should not exult over the failure of US-Taliban talks. All Afghan sides, apart from the Taliban, should encourage the US to resume peace talks the soonest, thereby not only allowing for a responsible US troop pullout from Afghanistan but also encouraging Afghans to agree on the future of their country.
