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Taliban Look to US for Prisoner Release After Calling Off Talks With Kabul

Ayesha Tanzeem

   ISLAMABAD - The Afghan Taliban said Tuesday they will now approach the
   Americans to resolve the prisoner release issue, after telling its
   technical team in Kabul to stop participating in what they called
   "fruitless meetings" with representatives of Afghan government.
   The release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners was among the promises in
   the landmark agreement signed between the U.S. and the Taliban in
   February.
   "We will talk to the Americans and remind them that they made a promise
   that they need to fulfill. If they fulfill it, this process (of
   starting negotiations with other Afghans) will move forward. If they
   don't, the process will not move forward," Suhail Shaheen, the
   spokesman for Taliban's Doha-based political team told VOA.
   He announced the decision to call off talks with the Afghan government
   early Tuesday morning in a series of tweets.

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