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Why are Kabul and Washington Not Participating in Moscow-led Taliban Talks?

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08.25.2018 at 04:06am

Why are Kabul and Washington Not Participating in Moscow-led Taliban Talks?Deutsche Welle Interview w/ Michael Kugelman

In an interview with DW, South Asia expert Michael Kugelman explains why Kabul and Washington turned down Moscow’s invitation to participate in an Afghanistan peace conference next month.

Michael Kugelman is a senior associate for South and Southeast Asia at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars.

“… I certainly wouldn’t even try to make an argument that peace is just around the corner and that stable days will be upon us anytime soon. We may be closer to launching a peace process, but we’re still a long way from concluding one. At the end of the day, the Taliban has little incentive to stop fighting given that it’s doing so well on the battlefield. It will need some really generous concessions in order to seriously consider laying down its arms.”

“The question is if the Afghans and Americans, and other key stakeholders, would be willing to offer those concessions, which may have to involve permanently ceding to the Taliban the territory that they now control.”

Read the entire interview.

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