Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Afghan Government Postpones Prisoner Release, Endangering Deal

Associated Press

   KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - The Afghan government Saturday postponed the
   release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners, an Afghan official said, a decision
   that could sabotage a peace deal signed last month between the Taliban
   and the United States.

   Jawed Faisal, spokesman for the Afghan National Security Adviser's
   office, said the releases were being delayed because more time was
   needed to review the list of prisoners. The move came despite President
   Ashraf Ghani's decree earlier this week promising the start of the
   releases Saturday as a goodwill gesture to get intra-Afghan
   negotiations started.

   The U.S.-Taliban deal was touted at the time as the best chance at
   ending Afghanistan's wars and bringing U.S. troops home after nearly 19
   years.

   There was no immediate response from the Taliban to the delayed
   prisoner release.

   Faisal said Ghani's government wanted more time to review the list of
   prisoners. The U.S.-Taliban deal called for the release of up to 5,000
   Taliban as well as 1,000 Afghan government captives ahead of
   intra-Afghan negotiations, considered a critical next step to reaching
   a lasting peace in Afghanistan.

   Ghani's decree promised the release of 100 prisoners a day beginning
   Saturday until 1,500 prisoners were released. He would then release the
   remaining 3,500 after intra-Afghan talks began and those releases would
   be staggered and would go ahead only if talks progressed and Taliban
   reduced violence.

   Although Ghani's decree differs from the U.S.-Taliban deal, Faisal
   insisted Ghani was committed to releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners.

.