Afghanistan: US withdrawal report draws mixed response

KABUL, Afghanistan

The media report about likely withdrawal of some 5,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan amid fragile peace process on Friday drew a mixed response of cautious optimism and anxious concerns.

As the U.S. and Taliban brace for a potential final phase of the marathon round of peace negotiations in Qatar, the Washington Post on Thursday reported that the proposed agreement, which would require the Taliban to begin negotiating a larger peace deal directly with the Afghan government, could cut the number of American troops in the country from roughly 14,000 to between 8,000 and 9,000. That number would be nearly the same as when President Trump took office.

Additional cuts to U.S. forces would be negotiated as part of discussions involving the Taliban and the Afghan government, the report said.

Afghan officials at the presidency were not available for comments, but President Ashraf Ghani's top aide announced on Saturday that the much-awaited face-to-face talks with the Taliban will start within the next two weeks and will be held in a European nation.

State Minister for Peace Affairs Abdul Salam Rahimi -- a close aide to Ghani -- said in a statement that a 15-member team including religious scholars, women and civil society members representing Kabul at these proposed talks has been finalized. Rahimi has also called for immediate reduction in violence across the country.

The talks would be held in Germany, the local Salam Afghanistan radio reported earlier this week. Germany jointly hosted with Qatar an intra-Afghan dialogue for peace in Doha attended by Afghan civil society representatives, the Taliban and Afghan officials in personal capacity. Berlin has not commented on recent developments.

“We pray to Allah on this holy day that peace prevails and the peace talks prove successful,” Wali Totakhail, an elder in the eastern Ahmad Shah Maina neighborhood, told Anadolu Agency.

Intezar Khadem, a political commentator, said the country’s constitution has held the Islamic principles supreme and the Taliban realize they cannot revive their so-called Emirate, which they had nearly two decades ago.

He said compromises on all sides could result in a ceasefire and launch of critical and eventual intra-Afghan peace talks.