Tag: Afghan

The talks, which Mr. Karzai and the other politicians say could build trust and clarify how the Taliban see their future political role, come at a delicate time. Besides Mr. Karzai, who made no real progress on peace talks with the Taliban during his 13-year presidency, the Afghan delegation includes about three dozen former officials, representatives of political parties and members of Parliament. Both sides said they had agreed, in principle, to a framework on two issues: a Taliban guarantee that Afghan soil would never again be used by terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, and a pledge from the United States to withdraw its troops. The insurgents have refused to meet with anyone from Mr. Ghani’s administration, instead reaching out to other political figures and parties. Many Afghans are concerned that the Americans might be too eager to strike a deal, given that the Taliban have not clarified their views on fundamental issues — including the future of Afghan women, who were denied rights and a role in public life when the Taliban held power before the American invasion in 2001. In a statement released before the Moscow meeting, a group of Afghan women objected to the domination of the peace process so far by men and by non-Afghans. They said Afghan women had been marginalized in talks about a future in which they had more to lose than anyone. “Afghan women would not accept peace bought at the cost of their hard-gained freedoms,” the statement said. “Which Afghan will accept that the resources of the forces, built on blood, will again be sold as scrap metal?” Ostensibly, the talks in Moscow are being organized by an Afghan diaspora group. While Russia supported the American mission against Al Qaeda and the Taliban after the Sept. 11 attacks, in recent years President Vladimir Putin’s government has grown more skeptical and hedged its bets by supporting elements of the Taliban.

ISIS growing stronger in Afghanistan and remains focused on attacks against the West. Benjamin Hall reports. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number…

He is stepping out from the shadowy world of espionage that shaped him from a young age, and into the messy field of Afghan politics in the hopes of becoming president. In recent weeks, he marshaled crowds of mostly young supporters at a rally in Kabul, the Afghan capital, and in Khost, in the southeast, to mark the creation of a political party that he hopes can become a factor in the presidential election next spring. The incumbent, Mr. Ghani, has declared that he will seek re-election, but his struggle on every front, from deteriorating security to the disintegration of the coalition that got him elected, has given hope to his potential opponents. But many members of Mr. Ghani’s coalition are already positioning to rally behind others or throw their own hats in the ring. Several of the potential first-time contenders are, like Mr. Khalid, former security ministers. “In the provinces, the governor is the overall in charge,” Mr. Khalid said. “Man,” Mr. Khalid asked with a smile, “if Mr. Karzai comes, then what will be left for you and me?” Mr. Khalid is a product of Afghanistan’s history of turmoil over the past four decades, thrust into a life of weapons, money and secretive missions from a young age. Soon after his release, Mr. Khalid joined the Islamist resistance, which operated out of Pakistan. In the early 1990s, after the mujahedeen overran the Communist government and took charge in Kabul, Mr. Khalid had a brief taste of normalcy. Mr. Khalid is aware that his years working with Mr. Sayyaf are a legacy that must be overcome, if he is to seek office.