American forces have started pulling out of two bases inAfghanistan, a US official said Tuesday, the day peace talks between Kabul andthe Taliban were due to start despite widespread violence and a politicalcrisis.
The United States is keen to end its longest-ever conflict,and under the terms of a deal signed in Doha last month has said all foreignforces will quit Afghanistan within 14 months — provided the Taliban stick totheir security commitments.
Under the accord, the US is initially supposed to cut itstroop presence from about 12,000 currently to 8,600 by mid-July, and close fiveof its roughly 20 bases across the country.
Troops have started leaving one base in Lashkar Gah, thecapital of Helmand province in the south, and another base in Herat in thewest, a US official told AFP on the condition of anonymity.
Even with the drawdown, US forces retain “all themilitary means and authorities to accomplish our objectives”, ColonelSonny Leggett, spokesman for US Forces-Afghanistan, said Monday, referring toAmerican counterterrorism operations and support for Afghan forces.
Helmand, which along with neighbouring Kandahar province isconsidered a Taliban stronghold, is where US and British forces fought some ofthe bloodiest campaigns of the 18-year war.
Omar Zwak, spokesman for Helmand’s governor, told AFP that”20 to 30″ foreigners had left Lashkar Gah since the weekend.
The initial drawdown comes as the Taliban, which seethemselves as having achieved “victory” over America, test thePentagon’s resolve to protect local partners by conducting dozens of low-levelattacks against Afghan forces.
The US has only responded to a few of these attacks.
Under the terms of the withdrawal deal, the Taliban aresupposed to tackle jihadists such as the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, aswell as hold talks with the Afghan government that were due to start Tuesday.
But Kabul is in disarray and appears unable to present aunified front to negotiate with the Taliban.
On Monday, President Ashraf Ghani was inaugurated for asecond term following an election that was marred by fraud allegations whilehis rival, former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, also declared himselfwinner and swore himself in as premier in a parallel ceremony.
Washington has denounced Abdullah’s self-inauguration,urging unity in Kabul ahead of negotiations with the Taliban.
“Prioritising an inclusive government and unifiedAfghanistan is paramount for the future of the country and particularly for thecause of peace,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday.
Peace talks were supposed to start Tuesday but have beenthrown into limbo by a dispute over the release of Taliban prisoners —something the insurgents have demanded as a prerequisite ahead of negotiations,but which Ghani has so far refused to do.
Ghani was expected later Tuesday to announce a decree on theissue and reveal details of the negotiating team.
A member of the Taliban’s leadership council — the QuettaShura — told AFP the insurgents had delivered a list of the 5,000 captivesthey wanted freed to the Afghan government.
But he accused Kabul of acting in bad faith, alleging that”the government (planned) to release only those prisoners who are elderly,very ill, or those whose sentences have expired”.
The Taliban’s political spokesman Suhail Shaheen tweetedTuesday that any prisoners “handed over to us … will be accepted (only)after verification by our delegation”.
“They should be the people whose names are in thelist,” Shaheen wrote.