U.S. Envoy Discusses Draft of Deal With Afghan Leader
Voice of America
Afghan officials say U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Monday in Kabul to share details of a draft U.S.-Taliban peace agreement, but did not hand a copy of the deal to the president.
Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told reporters that Khalilzad shared all the important details in the document and that the government will discuss it internally. Further discussions with Khalilzad's team are expected to continue.
Khalilzad announced Sunday via Twitter he had concluded the ninth round of peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar and was leaving for Kabul to brief Afghan leaders in his discussions with the insurgents.
Members of Khalilzad team remained in Doha and some technician level talks took place on Sunday, said Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen.
"We are at the threshold of an agreement that will reduce violence and open the door for Afghans to sit together to negotiate an honorable & sustainable peace and a unified, sovereign Afghanistan that does not threaten the United States, its allies, or any other country," Khalilzad tweeted.
In the midst of the negotiations, the Taliban continued to launch attacks.
On Sunday, the insurgents attacked its second city in two days.
Officials in Baghlan province said the insurgents were on the outskirts of the capital.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said its fighters stormed Afghan security posts around Pul-e-Khumri and were inside the provincial capital. "The governor house is under siege and enemy has sustained heavy losses," said Mujahid.
Saturday the Taliban staged a "large-scale" predawn attack on Kunduz,the capital of the province with the same name, from several different directions, triggering an intense day of gun battles with Afghan government forces.