KABUL - Washington is talking to the Taliban without any preconditions, America’s special advisor on Afghanistan says, hinting at a shift in policy toward the militant group.
Previously, the US told the Taliban to accept the Afghan constitution, renounce violence and break ties with foreign terrorist groups if they wanted to engage in discussions on joining Afghanistan’s mainstream.
Those preconditions have become more in-conditions that at the end of the talk we would like them to commit themselves in a way that we can be certain...
"That's significant," Zalmay Khalilzad said of the recent policy change in an interview with National Public Radio on Friday. He called terrorism a critical issue for the Americans.
"Yes, we are about values, everyone knows what we stand for and we want to see a settlement worthy of the seventeen years of blood and treasure that the US and others sacrificed," he remarked
About Pakistan’s cooperation, the veteran diplomat said: "It's not about trust; we are talking about international politics. Pakistan now says it wants to turn a new page and help the US with this objective..."
In terms of security, the situation in Afghanistan was more difficult and Taliban were stronger, he admitted. His mission, therefore, was to facilitate a reconciliation agreement between the government and the Taliban.
The Taliban and other Afghans should work to bring about conditions that did not necessitate the US military presence in that country, Khalilzad said, calling for the elimination of terrorism and extremism. (Pajhwok)