The Islamic militant organization Taliban’s rapid gains have continued as Pul-e-Alam, a province 70 km from Kabul has fallen. Amid the violence and seizure by the rebels, President Ghani addressed the nation. The Afghanistan President’s address was his first speech to his countrymen since the Taliban started making gains in the landlocked country.
Details
On August 14, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani addressed his country and said he was in talks with local Afghanistan leaders and international Afghanistan partners. The Afghani president also said that his top priority is to prevent further instability in the country and remobilization of the Afghanistan armed forces.
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Afghan President’s First Address After Insurgency
In his short-televised address, President Ghani said-
“As your President, my focus is on preventing further instability, violence, and displacement of my people.”
This was the President’s first address to his nation since the rebels started making rapid gains in his landlocked country.
The Afghan President, who made a verbal attack on Pakistan Prime Minister a couple of weeks back also added-
“I’ll not allow imposed war on Afghans to bring further killings, loss of the gains of the last 20 years, destruction of public property.”
Nowhere in Ghani’s address did he indicate any sign of his resignation that Taliban has demanded or any talks with the organization. He also avoided indicating anything close to a political settlement and just added-
“re-integration of the security and defence forces is our priority, and serious measures are being taken in this regard.”
Taliban Nears Afghanistan Capital Kabul
Ghani’s address to his nation came on the day when Pul-e-Alam, a province that’s just 70 km of Afghanistan capital Kabul also fell and was taken under control by the Taliban. The Taliban has been making rapid gains and the control of Pul-e-Alam comes just one day after it took over Afghanistan’s second and third-largest cities.
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Conditions for Peace Negotiation by Taliban
With global pressure building on Afghanistan to convince the antagonistic force of Taliban bring on negotiation table, there have been reports that Pakistan is brokering a peace deal between the two sides.
Taliban has already denied negotiations with the Afghanistan President Ghani, and in his place, the name of Mirwais Khan, son of former Afghanistan king is being rumoured. This is not to say that Taliban is not interested in breaking a deal with Afghanistan. However, the war-torn country will find it difficult to agree to Taliban’s conditions for a peace negotiation.
Here are the conditions
1) Taliban prisoners in Afghanistan jails should be freed unconditionally.
2) Afghanistan should pull strings and have Taliban delisted as UN’s terrorist group list.
3) The President, Defence Minister, Interior Minister, Army Chief, Spy agency chief should be from the Taliban.
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US, UK Sends Troops to Bring Citizens, Embassy Personnel Home
As chaos unfurls its true form, US has sent its troops back to Kabul to help the country with evacuation of its embassy employees and civilians. According to a Reuters report, the Pentagon has sent 2 Marines battalions and 1 infantry battalion. These battalions will involve as many as 3,000 troops and will land in Kabul sometime by August 15 evening.
One brigade team is also sent by the US which will move from North Carolina to Kuwait to act as a quick reaction deployment force for Kabul’s security when and if needed. As more and more countries fall under the Rebels’ force, troops from several countries are being sent to evacuate its citizens and embassy personnel, including United Kingdom.