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The Biden administration has decided to review the Doha deal the Trump administration had signed with the Taliban in February 2020. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington’s 18-year war in the country. The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001.
“I don’t want to prejudge the outcome of that review,” Blinken told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee during a Congressional hearing on Wednesday.
“There haven’t been any decisions made yet on force posture when it comes to May 1 but as we are doing the review we are also pressing ahead with the diplomatic effort to try to drive the two parties to negotiate and to put in place agreements that would be the foundation for a just and durable peace in Afghanistan,” Blinken said.
“That of course is a very tall order but one that we are working on and especially enlisting others into the effort because as we were discussing a little bit earlier neighbouring countries have a huge stake in Afghanistan not being a terrain for civil war that spills over the borders and they have influence with various parties,” he said in response to a question.
“So we are engaging them, we are engaging the UN and others to try to move the parties to a meaningful negotiation even as we are looking very hard at the obligations the Taliban has made in the agreement that you reference particularly with regard to not supporting terrorist groups that could strike the US and reducing violence,” he said.
US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday and they discussed the latest developments pertaining to the Afghan peace talks.
India, a major stakeholder in Afghanistan, has been keenly following the evolving political situation after the US signed a peace deal with the Taliban.
India has extended developmental assistance to tune of around USD 3 billion in the last few years to Afghanistan.
The US, Blinken said, has boosted diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan, ahead of the May 1 deadline for a final withdrawal of US troops. The president’s goal is very clear, he said.
“It’s to bring our troops home. And it’s to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a haven for terrorism and an ongoing threat to the United States,” he said.
“We are engaged in a diplomatic effort right now to try to drive the two parties to negotiate and to move forward on commitments that the Taliban made to the US a year ago to negotiate meaningfully on a peaceful future for Afghanistan. Not only are we doing that, as important, we’re enlisting other countries, the United Nations, in that effort. Many of Afghanistan’s neighbours have a real stake in its future and influence with the parties,” Blinken said.
While the diplomatic effort is ongoing, the US is reviewing its own troop posture, including the May 1 deadline, he said.
“We haven’t made any decisions yet about that, and we went to see where this effort goes to actually get the parties to engage in a meaningful way. The Taliban made other commitments when it comes to reducing violence, when it comes to non-harbouring or supporting terrorists. We want to see them make good on those obligations,” Blinken said.
The Biden administration on Tuesday said the US is working closely with Afghan parties to encourage progress on a political settlement and a comprehensive ceasefire, asserting that any durable outcome has to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, and it is not for the US to dictate the deals.
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