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Taliban Denounce Trump's Move to Call off Peace Talks, Claim US Will Return
to Negotiate

Ayesha Tanzeem

   ISLAMABAD - The Afghan Taliban have denounced President Donald Trump's
   decision to call off peace talks with the insurgent group, claiming
   American interlocuters were happy with a deal both sides had negotiated
   in Doha, and that September 23 had been decided as a date to move to
   the next step--the start of negotiations with other Afghan factions.

   In a Pashto language statement Sunday, the insurgent group also claimed
   it will not give up its fight and that the U.S. will be forced to
   return to negotiations eventually.

   Trump called off the peace deal with the Taliban in a series of Tweets,
   blaming "an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great
   soldiers, and 11 other people."

     ....an attack in Kabul that killed one of our great great soldiers,
     and 11 other people. I immediately cancelled the meeting and called
     off peace negotiations. What kind of people would kill so many in
     order to seemingly strengthen their bargaining position? They
     didn't, they....
     -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) [1]September 7, 2019

   The announcement shocked the region that was expecting to see the
   formalization of a recently finalized draft peace agreement between
   Taliban and U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.

References

   1. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1170469619154530305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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