On May 2, 2020, Colonel Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for the NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, responded back to the Taliban’s spokesman in a tweet, declaring that “Reducing violence is an absolute necessity, and this is up to the leaders of the Afghan security forces, the Taliban fighters and the coalition forces.” He also added that “Attacks generate attacks, while restraint produces restraint.” In response, the Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, calling for clarification of Commander General of the US Forces in Afghanistan, Scott Miller’s stance, he tweeted that, “The path to resolution lies in the implementation of the Doha agreement. Do not harm the current environment with pointless and provocative statements.” (Ref: BBC Persian)

Comment:

As for the time being, it must have been explicated to all Afghan factions and the public that the main goal of the US agreement with the Taliban was to cease the Taliban’s attacks on the US and NATO forces, not to end war in Afghanistan, whereas, the US was able to achieve this end by signing the agreement. We understand that the Taliban’s spokesman conveyed the Taliban’s stance in a tweet, “We are committed to our end, honor your own obligations.” In response to that, the US Forces declared in a statement that Gen. Miller is committed to the terms of agreement, which is why the US forces have not conducted a single offensive strike or operation after the start of a one-week (February 22-28) reduction in violence period.

At the same time, through the peace process, the US has sought a lot to absolve itself from responsibility of continuing war in Afghanistan by trying to suggest the public as if it were the Afghans themselves who kept the war inflaming in the battlefronts. The reality is that the US was able to easily achieve this aim because the factions involved in the war failed to realize the prevailing political realities and the sinister intentions of the US. According to Reuters, the Taliban has mounted more than 4500 attacks on government outposts since the signing of the US-Taliban agreement. Correspondingly, according to a recent statement by Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the Afghan National Security Council, 309 Taliban fighters have been killed and 210 wounded only in the past one week.

In the aftermath of this agreement, the US has been able to help the Afghans turn over their guns from Americans and its NATO forces against that of their own brothers, whose entire losses and casualties will return to the Afghans themselves. According to the Afghan National Security Council, around 789 civilians have been killed and wounded in the attacks conducted by the Taliban since the agreement was signed.

Therefore, we have repeatedly emphasized that the US peace process was not meant to cease hostilities in Afghanistan, but rather to weaken, disintegrate and finally engross the Taliban into the current political order of Afghanistan. Thus, the commitment to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, the start of inter-Afghan talks, and the settlement of permanent ceasefire have witnessed a serious impasse by the Kabul puppet administration backed by the green light of the US.

On the other hand, the US has gravely reduced the Taliban’s reputation in the eyes of the public, which was previously stemmed in their Jihad against the US and NATO forces, by having them stop their Jihad against the US and NATO while continuing war against the Afghan forces. In fact, the US has entangled the Taliban in an extremely flimsy trap; therefore, the Taliban could easily-and-completely get rid of such filthy plots only if they come to slightly reflect based on what Islam has really instructed.

As a result, this agreement once again proved that the US does not only abide by its commitments at all, but also runs its own game to meet on its own interests. So, the Taliban must realize the consecutive threats of this agreement, and get united with other Muslims and Afghan factions against the occupation by abandoning this deceitful accord as soon as possible. At a time when both the Coronavirus and the economic crisis have unprecedentedly shattered the US and the West, the Taliban must seize the opportunity to work together with sincere and dedicated Mujahedeen to hit a strong and firm punch on the face of the tyrant of the time. Finally yet importantly, by putting an end to the American occupation and Western colonization, the Muslims will be able to start a new chapter of glory and the splendid time of their life.

Saifullah Mustanir

Director of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Wilayah Afghanistan