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US, Taliban to 'Reset' to Commitments Under Afghan Deal to Reduce Violence

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - The United States says it has agreed with the Taliban "to
   reset actions by strictly adhering to" the terms of an agreement
   reached between the two adversaries earlier this year to close the war
   in Afghanistan.

   "We will do our part and will monitor implementation actively. All
   parties must deliver on their responsibilities," Zalmay Khalilzad, the
   U.S. special envoy to the war-torn country, tweeted Thursday about the
   "reset" deal with the Afghan insurgent group.

   Khalilzad said the understanding stemmed from several meetings he and
   General Scott Miller, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, had
   held with insurgent leaders in Qatar.

   "We agreed to reset actions by strictly adhering to implementation of
   all elements of the U.S.-Taliban agreement and all commitments made,"
   he noted.

   "This means reduced numbers of operations. At present too many Afghans
   are dying. With the reset, we expect that number to drop
   significantly," Khalilzad explained.

   The envoy did not offer details on any steps the U.S. or the Taliban
   would take to reduce the level of Afghan violence.

   The Feb. 29 U.S.-Taliban agreement required the insurgent group to
   sever links with al-Qaida and other terrorist groups and negotiate a
   political arrangement with Afghan rivals to end the 19-year-old
   conflict to enable thousands of remaining U.S. troops to leave the
   country by May 2021.

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