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US Blames Taliban for Plotting Afghan Assassinations

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - The United States has directly accused the Taliban of being
   behind a recent wave of high-profile assassinations in Afghanistan,
   urging the insurgent group to stop the violence "for peace to succeed."
   Monday's U.S. charges came hours after the Taliban accused American
   forces of launching airstrikes against insurgent-held areas in
   violation of their 2020 bilateral agreement aimed at ending the
   long-running Afghan war.
   The controversy erupts as insurgent leaders and representatives of the
   U.S.-backed Afghan government are due to reconvene in Qatar Tuesday for
   a next round of peace negotiations.
   A spokesman for American forces in Afghanistan rejected as "false"
   allegations they violated the agreement with the Taliban.
   Colonel Sonny Leggett stressed in a statement Monday the U.S. military
   has been "clear and consistent" in its resolve to defend Afghan
   security forces against Taliban attacks.
   "We renew our call for all sides to reduce violence," Leggett said on
   Twitter. "The Taliban's campaign of unclaimed attacks & targeted
   killings of government officials, civil society leaders & journalists
   must also cease for peace to succeed."

     The Taliban's accusations the US violated the US-TB agreement are
     false. US Forces have been clear & consistent: We will defend Afghan
     forces against TB attacks. We renew our call for all sides to reduce
     violence. [1]@Zabehulah_M33 1/2
     -- USFOR-A Spokesman Col Sonny Leggett (@USFOR_A) [2]January 4, 2021

   This is the first time Washington has blamed the Taliban for weeks of
   largely unclaimed attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and elsewhere
   in the conflict-torn South Asian nation.
   The violence has over the past two months claimed lives of at least
   five journalists, a provincial deputy governor, civilian society
   activists and a renowned election observer.
   Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for some of the
   attacks, though the Afghan government has accused the Taliban of being
   behind all of them.
   For their part, insurgents have denied involvement and instead alleged
   the violence is the work of so-called 'spoilers" within Afghan security
   institutions to subvert the U.S.-initiated peace process.
   Earlier Monday, the Taliban issued a statement accusing U.S. troops of
   repeatedly carrying out airstrikes on insurgent-held areas in Kandahar,
   Nangarhar and Helmand provinces "over the past few days" in support of
   Afghan security forces.
   Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid insisted the airstrikes have hit
   targets in "non-military zones" in violations of their February 29,
   2020, agreement with the U.S.

     US airstrikes against Mujahideen in Nangarhar, Kandahar and Helmand
     violate agreement[3]https://t.co/7ldXB9a5VD
     [4]pic.twitter.com/id5cJP5Xoi
     -- Zabihullah (..ذبÙÙÙÙÙÛØ Ø§ÙÙÙ Ù ) (@Zabehulah_M33) [5]January
     4, 2021

   Mujahid demanded the U.S. military immediately halt the air raids and
   warned the Taliban "will be forced to respond seriously and all
   responsibility shall fall squarely on American shoulders."
   The U.S.-Taliban agreement has stopped insurgent attacks against
   American and NATO-led allied troops in Afghanistan. It has also
   initiated direct peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government
   in September.
   The so-called intra-Afghan negotiations will resume Tuesday in the
   Qatari capital of Doha, where the Taliban maintains its political
   office.

References

   1. https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   2. https://twitter.com/USFOR_A/status/1345984998860533760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. https://t.co/7ldXB9a5VD
   4. https://t.co/id5cJP5Xoi
   5. https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1345966066271473667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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