
Moscow talks with Afghan politicians 'very successful'
The absence of Afghan government representatives at the talks have underscored the Taliban's hostility toward Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's increasingly marginalised administration in Kabul.
Mr Stanikzai, who until recently was the head of the Taliban's political office in Qatar and remains a leading figure in the group, was giving his first interview to the global media while attending a meeting in Moscow with senior Afghan opposition politicians.
Khalilzad and his team are due to meet with the Taliban again in Qatar on February 25 for more discussions.
That's less true for the current government's leadership, which has been condemning the talks for not including President Ghani.
"The Americans told us that they will withdraw half of their forces from Afghanistan from first of February until end of April", said Hanafi.
The Taliban routinely exaggerates its attacks and details of other engagements, and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Afghan officials deny the claims.
Hanafi said both the US and the Taliban would create technical committees that "will work on a timetable for the withdrawal of remaining troops".
Russian government has publicly distanced itself from the talks, but according to reports Russian envoy to Kabul Zamir Kabulov is behind the initiative.
Spurs' Kane to step up EPL ankle recovery
Kane is joined on the sidelines by another high-profile injury victim Dele Alli and they, along with Ben Davies, will miss Saturday's visit of Newcastle .
A USA official said in December that Trump was planning to withdraw more than 5,000, or more than a third, of the 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. USA forces in 2001 toppled the country's hardline Taliban leaders for harboring the al Qaeda militants responsible for the September 11 attacks. "Until now we did not agree", the Taliban official said.
Taliban is making "nice statements" in Moscow but back home schools for girls are closed in majority of Taliban-controlled areas Fawzia Koofi, a member of Afghan parliament and one of the two women participating in ongoing "inter-Afghan" talks in Moscow, told TRT World.
Even as the US has pursued diplomacy with the Taliban vis-à-vis the Qataris, Russia has been conducting its own diplomatic overtures, putting together a diplomatic conference in Moscow in November 2018 that brought together members of the Afghan government's High Peace Council, as well as Taliban delegates, and representatives from regional power brokers, including Islamabad, Tehran and Beijing.
Only two women are present at the talks between Taliban representatives and Afghan politicians, warlords and other powerbrokers in Moscow.
USA and Taliban negotiators are scheduled to meet again on February 25 in Doha, weeks after Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, said a framework peace agreement had been reached with the militants. It is in the interests of the Afghan people as a whole that they should be included and heard, and their fundamental rights recognised.
"A more involved role for Moscow has surprised many, mostly due to Russia's bloody history in Afghanistan", said The Soufan Center, a nonprofit security analysis group. "Let hundreds of such meetings be held, but these would only be paper (agreements) unless there is an agreement by the Afghan government; Afghanistan's national assembly and Afghanistan's legal institutions", he stressed.
"Rest assured that no one can push us aside", he said.
The Taliban have been staging near-daily attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the embattled Afghan army and security forces. In a lengthy interview with the privately owned ToloNews TV, Ghani denounced the ongoing Moscow meeting, arguing the attendees did not have the executive power to translate decisions into action.
Related news
-
Hawks, Magic Have Expressed Interest In Markelle Fultz
He had from the same injury and was forced to sit for much of his rookie season a year ago , appearing in just 14 games. Who knows, but that's no longer the Philadelphia 76ers problem.Hakeem al-Araibi: Thailand blames Australia for refugee footballer's plight
Laying out the main argument at Wednesday's news conference, it said that "Thailand does not gain anything from holding Mr. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has in recent weeks has spoken out strongly on behalf of al-Araibi's freedom.Frozen Cat Thawed out After Being Found Unresponsive in Montana Snow Bank
Looking at the photo of what she looked like when she arrived at the local vet in Kalispell , I mean that is one frozen meow . She had to be thawed out after getting buried in the snow. "I suspect that something traumatic happened", Clark said. -
Meghan Markle's Friends: Her Dad Thomas Is in the Wrong | Personal Space
She's so genuine in her love to connect with people and feels so grateful to be able to do that. The friends also reveal the Duchess has not changed since joining the British royal family.Feuding UK politicians seek elusive unity as Brexit looms
The free flow of people and goods across the near-invisible border today underpins both the local economy and Northern Ireland's peace process.Washington State Reports More Measles Cases
At the same time, World Health Organization says measles vaccination prevented an estimated 21.1 million deaths from 2000 to 2017. A person with measles will themselves be most infectious to others in the period four days before and after the rash appears. -
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Accuses 'National Enquirer' Of Extortion Over Personal Photos
President Donald Trump , who has attacked Bezos , Amazon and the newspaper he owns privately, the Washington Post , on Twitter. The tech magnate also said that AMI's ties to President Donald Trump suggest that the publisher has political motivations.Trump Sends Out Another Tweet on Border Wall
That prompted Pelosi to send another letter to the president, this time more forceful in her language. President Trump took to Twitter Tuesday morning and slammed Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.Winter weather advisory issued for McHenry County
Environment Canada has issued a Freezing Rain Warning for London and surrounding areas as a system moves in Tuesday night. We see a break from precipitation much of Wednesday before the next approaching area of low pressure arrives Thursday . -
US Senate Opposes Plans For Abrupt Withdrawal Of Troops
Iraq's government plays a delicate balancing act between its two main allies, Washington and Tehran. That is hardly a way to secure Democratic support for a more humble US foreign policy.Trump mixes calls for unity with combative jabs
One of the more memorable moments of the night came when the president took credit for an increase of women in the workforce. On Tuesday, President Trump delivered his speech but his eagerness may have gotten the better of him .Flood-hit Australians urged to watch out for crocodiles in 'unexpected places'
More than 1,100 people had been rescued from their homes on Sunday night and evacuation efforts were continuing Monday. On Sunday, the figure was between 400 and 500. "At some point the empty space behind the dam wall builds up", he said.
Top Stories
Twitter extremely disappointed by Maroon 5's Super Bowl halftime show
However, one of them, high profile Hollywood director, Ava DuVernay , will not be one of them. "I got to sacrifice a lot of money to perform".
India's central bank rate cut is likely to please Modi
What all this means is that if inflation doesn't surprise on the upside, there will be more rate cuts going ahead. The MPC has also chose to change the monetary policy stance from "calibrated tightening" to "neutral".
Kate Middleton's stunning high-heeled lace-up boots are in the sale
The funding will help more than 1,500 schools with students who are not getting the mental health help that they require, reports Crain's Detroit Business .
The new climate "gold standard" for Democratic presidential hopefuls
The government can take an equity stake in Green New Deal projects "so the public gets a return on its investment", she added. President Donald Trump has scrapped Obama's plan, which imposed emissions limits on coal-fired power plants, as a job-killer.
The Oscars ceremony will not have a celebrity host this year
In recent years, several other hosts have also come under criticism. "We have a phenomenal music show if we just wanted to put that on".
Trump says to meet North Korea's Kim in Vietnam in late February
Kim Jong Un's move could therefore help him consolidate bilateral relations and also learn from Vietnam's economic transformation. Moments after threatening a nuclear arms race with Russia, Trump explained how he believes his 2016 election saved the world.
Sixers land forward Harris from Clippers in six-player trade
The full trade, first outlined by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski , kept coming clearer as supporting reports trickled in. The Pistons and Bucks are reportedly "finalising" the trade ahead of Thursday's (Friday AEDT) deadline.
Russia plans new missile systems to counter U.S. by 2021
Japan was the target of USA atomic bombs at the end of World War II but now stands under that country's nuclear umbrella. It bans the development and deployment of ground-launched nuclear missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers.
New addition Porzingis practices with Mavericks
Just another in a long line of Knicks fans' Phil Jackson laments. "We have a great relationship", Porzingis said of Doncic. Secondly, all four of the Bucks' starters outside of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo are pending unrestricted free agents.
Instagram's world record mystery egg creator revealed
Eugene was first posted on Instagram on January 4 as part of an experiment to set a new world record for its number of likes. The viral egg is now promising some sort of "big reveal" during this year's Super Bowl , with Hulu sharing similar teasers.