US defense chief in Kabul to ‘assess’ the way ahead
KABUL, Oct 20, (Agencies): US Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrived Sunday in Afghanistan, where stalled peace talks with the Taleban and persistent violent attacks by the insurgent group and Islamic State militants have complicated the Trump administration’s pledged to withdraw more than 5,000 American troops.
Esper told reporters traveling with him that he believes the US can reduce its force in Afghanistan to 8,600 without hurting the counterterrorism fight against al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. But he said any withdrawal would happen as part of a peace agreement with the Taleban.
The US has about 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan as part of the American-led coalition. US forces are training and advising Afghan forces and conducting counterterrorism operations against extremists. President Donald Trump had ordered a troop withdrawal in conjunction with the peace talks that would have left about 8,600 American forces in the country.
US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad had a preliminary peace deal with the Taleban, but a surge in Taleban violence and the death of an American soldier last month prompted Trump to cancel a secret Camp David meeting where the peace deal would have been finalized. He declared the tentative agreement dead.
“The aim is to still get a peace agreement at some point, that’s the best way forward,” said Esper, who was making his first trip to Afghanistan as defense secretary. He visited Afghanistan in his previous job as US Army secretary.
He would not say how long he believes it may be before a new peace accord could be achieved.
A month after the peace agreement collapsed, Zalmay met with Taleban in early October in Islamabad, Pakistan, but it was not clear what progress, if any, was being made.
Esper’s arrival in Kabul came as Afghan government leaders delayed the planned announcement of preliminary results of last month’s presidential election. Esper said he plans to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Current
Both Ghani and his current partner in the unity government, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, have said they believe they had enough votes to win. The Sept 28 vote was marred by widespread misconduct and accusations of fraud.
Officials said the announcement of preliminary results has been delayed due to problems with the transparency of the process, delays in transferring ballot papers and delays in transferring data from a biometric system into the main server.
Esper planned to meet with his top commanders in Afghanistan as the US works to determine the way ahead in the 18-year war.
Trump, since his 2016 presidential campaign, has spoken of a need to withdraw US troops from the “endless war” in Afghanistan. He has complained that the US has been serving as policemen in Afghanistan, and says that’s not the American military’s job.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday Washington remained committed to peace and stability in Afghanistan as police searched for bodies in the rubble of a mosque in eastern Nangarhar province where bomb blasts killed at least 69 people.
The explosives that went off during Friday prayers were placed inside the mosque in the Jawdara area of the Haska Mena district. On Friday, local officials had reported the number of dead at 62 and around 50 wounded.
“The United States remains committed to peace and stability in Afghanistan, and will continue to fight against terrorism,” Pompeo said in a statement. “We stand by the people of Afghanistan who only want peace and a future free from these abhorrent acts of violence.”
Sohrab Qaderi, a member of Nangarhar’s provincial council, said the mosque, with a capacity of more than 150 worshippers at a time, was full of people when the bombs exploded.
“Bodies of 69 people, including children and elders, have been handed to their relatives,” Qaderi said, adding that more bodies could be lying under the rubble.
Claimed
No group has claimed responsibility but the government blamed Taleban insurgents, who are fighting to reimpose strict Islamic law after they were ousted from power in 2001 by US-led forces.
Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taleban, denied the group was responsible. In a tweet, he said that witnesses to the attack said it was a mortar attack by government forces.
One of the wounded, Gulabistan, 45, said the mosque was full when the explosion happened.
“Mullah already started prayers and reciting verses of Holy Quran, when a huge boom happened, then all around me it got dark, the only thing I remember is females’ voices and then I found myself in the hospital,” Gulabistan said.
He said he had been told his son was among the dead while his brother and two nephews had been wounded and were in hospital.
A Reuters reporter saw 67 freshly excavated graves for the victims in Jawdara village.
The European Union said the attack aimed to undermine hopes for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.
The Taleban and Islamic State fighters are actively operating in parts of Nangarhar, which shares a border with Pakistan in the east.
A United Nations report this week said 4,313 civilians were killed and wounded in Afghanistan’s war between July and September.
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KABUL: An Afghan official says the planned announcement of preliminary results of last month’s presidential election has been delayed.
Aziz Ibrahimi, spokesman for the Independent Election Commission, says Saturday that reasons for the delay include problems with the transparency of the process, delays in transferring ballot papers and delays in transferring data from a biometric system into the main server.
Ibrahimi said restoring people’s confidence in the election process is important and taking more time to get it right is necessary.
Afghans voted Sept 28 despite Taleban threats and violence. However, the polling was marred by widespread misconduct and accusations of fraud, as well as controversy over an apparently low voter turnout on election day.