US Taliban Peace Agreement negotiation

US Taliban Peace Agreement negotiation

Issue:

• Currently US and Taliban are engaged in Doha rounds of talk for negotiation of peace agreement

Broad Contours of Framework for peace agreement between US and Taliban:

• Afghanistan should not be used as ground for terrorist attack on US and its allies
• Direct talk between Afghan Government and Taliban
• Comprehensive Ceasefire between Afghan Government and Taliban
• Settlement of post conflict political arrangements and nature of post conflict arrangements in Kabul
• Potential changes in constitution of Afghanistan
• Mechanisms for peaceful transition to new political order
• US withdrawal of forces from Afghanistan

Issues in US-Taliban Doha Talks:

• US says troops withdrawal depends on agreement on other issues and Taliban says no progress on other conditions till US withdraw its troops
• Against India’s stand of any peace negotiation should be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled
• Terms of cooperation and extent of influence of Pakistan in ongoing talks

US objectives in Afghanistan:

According to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, US objectives are:

• to bring peace in Afghanistan
• prevent the nation from re-emerging as a haven for terrorists
• bring the American forces back home after 17 long years in Afghanistan.

US wants to “strengthen Afghan sovereignty, independence and prosperity”

Challenges before Zalmay Khalilzad US special representative:

• US President losing patience with Taliban long steadily growing war. US President under consideration to significantly reduce number of troops from current of 14000 troops
• Taliban’s double game of fighting with Afghan security forces and at same time negotiating peace agreement with US Before Doha talk deadly attack in Wardak killing more than hundred afghan security forces
• Pakistan geography makes Pakistan critical for either war or peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s double game of providing military troops for fighting Taliban and at same time support to Taliban

India’s Afghanistan policy:

• India advocate any peace negotiation should be afghan-led, afghan-owned and afghan-controlled
• India has earned strong goodwill among all Afghanistan ethnic groups due to development aid of $3bn which includes mainly social infrastructure projects

Way Forwards:

• Peace Agreement should be quick but with prudence (Afghan President Ashraf Ghani)
• According to Rand Corporation-US based security think tank, final agreements should have following elements:

1. An 18-month transitional government that will oversee power sharing between Afghan government and Taliban
2. Extension of US assistance to Afghanistan; Amnesty
3. Creation of a high Ulema council which along with the interim government would discuss changes to the Constitution

4.Taliban’s renunciation of links with terrorist organizations

5. Release of prisoners and formation of an impartial team to implement the draft deal

• India need strong and active diplomacy engagement with Afghanistan both officially and non- officially and should be strong partner in any peace negotiations and in developmental process