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US-Taliban Deal Hits First Speedbump

Ayesha Tanzeem

   Less than 24 hours after the United States signed a landmark agreement
   with the Afghan Taliban in Doha, its implementation has already hit its
   first speedbump.

   Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced in Kabul Sunday that his
   government has made no commitment to release thousands of Taliban
   prisoners, a precondition to the start of talks between Taliban and
   other Afghan factions.
   "The release of prisoners is not the United States authority, but it is
   the authority of the government of Afghanistan," Ghani said.

   The U.S.-Taliban deal sealed on Saturday requires Afghan parties to the
   conflict to open direct negotiations on or around March 10 to agree on
   a nationwide permanent cease-fire and future power-sharing.

   However, some of the steps required to be taken in the run-up to the
   dialogue include the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners from
   Afghan jails and of 1,000 government security forces, who are held by
   the insurgents.

   The Taliban have so far refused to acknowledge the Ghani administration
   as a legitimate government or to engage with it directly. As far they
   are concerned, they say they have settled the prisoner release issue
   with the Americans.
   "We have decided the issue of our 5,000 prisoners with the Americans.
   They have promised in the agreement that those prisoners will be
   released before the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations. For us,
   this issue is settled," said Khairullah Khairkhwah, a senior member of
   the Taliban negotiation team.

   An Afghan delegation from Kabul arrived in Doha ahead of the signing
   ceremony to discuss prisoner releases and other issues with the Taliban
   but members of the insurgent group refused to meet them.

   "We have not decided yet whether we are going to meet them," Khairkhwah
   said after the deal signing Saturday. "We don't know yet who they are
   and why they are here."

   Meanwhile, officials of the host country Qatar say they could
   facilitate the discussion without the two sides having to sit together.
   "Negotiation sometimes does not mean you interact directly and face to
   face. There's something which is called shuttle diplomacy. So, we can
   do this, as an option, to facilitate these talks without physically. .
   . facing, seeing, watching, and touching each other. Maybe this is
   something to start with," said Mutlaq bin Majed Al-Qahtani, Special
   Envoy of the Qatari Foreign Minister for Counter Terrorism and
   Mediation of Conflict Resolution.

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