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US-Taliban Afghan Peace Deal Suffers Early Blows

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - The Afghan Taliban on Monday urged the United States to
   fulfill its obligations under a newly-signed agreement and secure the
   release of 5,000 insurgent prisoners from the custody of the Afghan
   government.

   The insurgent comment came after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's
   announcement on Sunday that his government had made no commitment to
   free Taliban detainees and would not bow to pressure to do so.

   Ghani's assertions dealt an early blow to the landmark deal U.S. and
   Taliban officials signed in Qatar on Saturday with a goal to end the
   more than 18-year-old Afghan war, America's longest.

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