Afghanistan’s Taliban will negotiate with the central government in Kabul only after the United States agrees to leave the country, according to a senior Russian diplomat.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, announced the Taliban’s demands on Monday after hosting an international summit on the country’s crisis that was attended by other members of a security bloc led by Russia and China. The Taliban want the United States to undertake a number of “confidence-building measures,” starting with a deadline for a full withdrawal from the country.
“[They] said they will be ready to speak with the Afghan government only after fixing a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan with the U.S.,” Kabulov said, per TASS, a state-run outlet. “As confidence-building measures under a preliminary plan, the Taliban demand that all political prisoners be freed and anti-Taliban sanctions, which were imposed back in 1997, be lifted.”
That ultimatum followed an international conference in Moscow, the first in which the Taliban has participated. The United States attended in an observer capacity, while the Kabul sent members of a government-appointed Peace Council.
“With participation in the meeting, the international status of the Islamic Emirate will be strengthened even further,” the Taliban said, per Voice of America, using the name for the government overthrown when the United States invaded after the 2001 terrorist attacks. “Such diplomatic efforts of the Islamic Emirate showcase the active, clear, and independent diplomacy and policy of the Islamic Emirate in the political field.”
The summit was also attended by leading regional countries such as China, Iran, India, and Pakistan — a meeting of U.S. adversaries, enemies, budding partners, and flagging allies — to discuss the prospects for a country that could an arena for cooperation or rivalry.
“It’s unacceptable to try to turn Afghanistan into a field of competition for outside players, as it makes for bad consequences,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
And yet, U.S. officials see Russia and Iran as doing just that, even though all sides should see a common interest in repressing the threat of terrorism emanating from the country.
“Russia is not helping at all. … Iran is not helping at all,” Ambassador Kay Bailey Hutchison told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a U.S.-backed outlet. “We hear this when we’re in Afghanistan, and we hear from the military leaders. They talk about the enablers — those who have the money and the capacity to be helpful, but instead are really propping up the terrorist networks that are killing innocent people.”
The State Department believes that Russia and Iran are “hedging their bets” by backing the Taliban on the side, even as American forces fight the ousted regime while looking for a breakthrough for potential peace settlements. As the instability continues, an affiliate of the Islamic State has sought a foothold.
“ISIS has grown stronger over the last couple of years, despite a really withering military campaign, principally from U.S. forces, but with strong support as well from Afghan forces,” a U.S official told the Washington Examiner in June, on condition of anonymity.
