Afghan President Has a Team Ready To Hold Peace Talks with the Taliban

FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

Afghan President Has a Team Ready To Hold Peace Talks with the Taliban

Nov. 29, 2018 (EIRNS)—Addressing the Nov. 28-29 UN Conference on Afghanistan in Geneva, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said:

“I’m pleased to announce today, that after several months of intensive consultation with our citizens across the country, we have formulated a road map for peace negotiations. The constitutional rights and obligations of all citizens, especially women, should be ensured.”

He also said his 12-member negotiating team will be led by Presidential Chief of Staff Abdul Salam Rahimi, and will include men and women with the “necessary credentials to deal with the key challenges of peace negotiations,” Al Jazeera reported on Nov. 28.

It is evident that a lot of efforts are now afoot to get a peace process going with the Taliban. U.S. Special Envoy and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has met negotiators from two different Taliban groups, including a representative of Mullah Yaqub, the son of the late Taliban founder Mullah Omar. Mullah Yaqub is very high up in the main Taliban faction led by Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada.