US, Taliban Not Agreed on Reduction of Violence: Sources

Sources said the US and the Taliban have not reached an agreement on key issues. 

Sources close to the Doha talks said the United States and the Taliban negotiators—on their third day of negotiations--have yet to agree on the terms of a reduction of violence, ceasefire and intra-Afghan negotiations.

Sources said the Taliban consider agreement on a ceasefire a premature decision and that they have only agreed on signing the agreement with the US. Also, the sources said that based on this agreement, if signed, the Taliban will agree not to attack US bases within a distance of 10 kilometers.

The talks began on December 7 and are being carried out behind closed doors.

“The Taliban is insisting on an Islamic government and they are not negotiating with the government of Afghanistan--as a government--and they are not ready to announce a ceasefire at this stage,” freelance journalist Sami Yousufzai said.

A government official said the two sides will discuss a reduction of violence, a ceasefire and an intra-Afghan negotiation in order to reach agreement on a peace deal.

Sources close to the Taliban said they hope the talks will yield a result.

“The agreement is almost final. Only a few issues remain that the two sides are discussing and ceasefire is one of them,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander. “Let’s see if there will be an agreement on the reduction of violence, ceasefire and intra-Afghan negotiations," he said.

A spokesman for Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah’s Office Mujib Rahman Rahimi said Kabul and Washington have coordinated on the peace talks.

“The reduction of violence, agreeing to a ceasefire, forming an inclusive delegation for negotiations and starting intra-Afghan negotiations are the common demands of us and our allies,” Rahimi said.