Egypt's CBE issues EGP5b FRN T-bonds    EHA launches national telemedicine platform with support from Egyptian doctors abroad    Madbouly reviews strategy to localize pharmaceutical industry, ensure drug supply    Egypt's real estate market faces resale slowdown amid payment pressures    Al-Mashat tells S&P that Egypt working to reduce external debt, empower private sector    Cairo's real estate market shows resilient growth as economy stabilizes: JLL    Egypt's Foreign Minister, Pakistani counterpart meet in Doha    Egypt condemns terrorist attack in northwest Pakistan    Emergency summit in Doha as Gaza toll rises, Israel targets Qatar    Egypt renews call for Middle East free of nuclear weapons، ahead of IAEA conference    Egypt's EDA, Korean pharma firms explore investment opportunities    Egypt's FM heads to Doha for talks on Israel escalation    Egypt advances plans to upgrade historic Cairo with Azbakeya, Ataba projects    Egyptian pound ends week lower against US dollar – CBE    Egypt hosts G20 meeting for 1st time outside member states    Lebanese Prime Minister visits Egypt's Grand Egyptian Museum    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Egypt seeks Indian expertise to boost pharmaceutical industry    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



US envoy forges ahead with troubled Taliban peace deal
Published in Ahram Online on 04 - 07 - 2020

Washington's envoy to Afghanistan stressed Saturday the economic benefits of the peace deal with the Taliban, forging ahead with an agreement that has run into new political obstacles both in the U.S. and regionally.
Zalmay Khalilzad was wrapping up a week-long trip that included stops in Uzbekistan, Pakistan and the Gulf state of Qatar, where the Taliban negotiators are headquartered.
The U.S. signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February to end 19 years of war in Afghanistan.
Khalilzad has sought to stress the economic benefits of the peace deal throughout his tour. In a series of tweets early Saturday, the U.S. envoy said he had met with the Qatar Investment Authority and the Taliban's chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani, in the tiny Gulf state's capital of Doha.
``We agreed development plans in support of peace can never start too early,'' Khalilzad tweeted.
However, Washington has recently become embroiled in a controversy over intelligence reports that Russia was paying money to insurgents with links to the Taliban to kill American and NATO soldiers.
The identity of the insurgents who took the bounty money is still vague but the payments have been traced to an Afghan drug lord Rahmatullah Azizi, who is living in Moscow, according to Afghan officials who spoke with The Associated Press.
The officials said the money was delivered through Azizi's brother Wahidullah, who was the go-between for those facilitating the attacks on U.S. troops.
The New York Times first reported the U.S. intelligence claiming the payment of bounties as well as Azizi's involvement.
Added to the uncertainty and delays swirling around the U.S-Taliban peace deal, the Pentagon released a report on Wednesday that questioned the Taliban's commitment to end its ties with Al-Qaida. The peace deal calls for the Taliban to fight against terrorist organizations and ensure Afghanistan would not be used again to attack U.S. interests or its allies. Critics of the deal say the militants can't be trusted.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied contacts with Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent, saying the insurgents were committed to the peace deal.
Khalizad embarked on his tour of the region last weekend, even as the rate of coronavirus infections in the United States soared and countries worldwide struggled with the dangers of re-opening. He did not travel to Afghanistan citing the dangers of the pandemic and instead held video conference calls with both Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his government partner, Abdullah Abdullah.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tested positive for COVID 19, just 48 after meeting with with Khalilzad. Both had been pictured wearing masks during their meeting on Wednesday in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad
Qureshi said he developed a fever on Friday and tested positive to the virus. But he promised to ``carry on'' his official duties from home.
Even as Khalilzad winds up his latest diplomatic mission, there was no date for crucial intra-Afghan negotiations that bring the Taliban together with the Afghan government and other local actors. Khalilzad called for a quick resolution of outstanding issues so those negotiations could begin.
Until now the biggest hurdle has been the release of prisoners. The peace deal called for the Afghan government to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners, in exchange for the Taliban releasing 1,000 government personnel. So far the government has freed 3,500 and the Taliban around 700.
Ghani earlier this week suggested that his government had a problem with some of the names on the Taliban's list of prisoners to be released and said alternative names would be given.
It seems unlikely that the Taliban will accept anyone not on the list agreed upon during negotiations with the U.S.
Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's political spokesman in Doha, called the Afghan government reasons for delaying prisoner releases ``phony excuses`` and the reason for the delay in beginning intra-Afghan talks.
As of Saturday, Afghanistan recorded 32,600 coronavirus infections, but international NGOs say the rate is much higher and have warned that the country's war-ravaged healthcare system risks collapsing.
Seemingly indicative of the lack of healthcare facilities in Afghanistan to deal with the virus, Ghani's special envoy for economic development, Yosuf Ghaznafar, went to Turkey when he became ill with COVID-19. On Friday he died of the disease, according to a statement from the presidency. Ghaznafar is the senior most Afghan official to die of the virus.
Afghanistan has so far recorded 826 deaths from the virus.


Clic here to read the story from its source.