Envoy spotlights Taliban deal
Khalilzad on tour stresses economic benefits for Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD — Washington’s envoy to Afghanistan on Saturday emphasized the economic benefits of the peace deal with the Taliban, forging ahead with an agreement that has run into political obstacles in the U.S. and the region.
Zalmay Khalilzad was wrapping up a weeklong trip that included stops in Uzbekistan, Pakistan and the Gulf state of Qatar, where Taliban negotiators are headquartered.
Accompanying Khalilzad for the first time was an economic team led by U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Chief Executive Officer Adam Boehler.
Khalilzad offered no details about the kinds of economic projects being envisioned to jump-start an economy battered by corruption and 75 percent funded by international donations. But he hinted at joint economic projects involving Qatar and Pakistan, possibly on infrastructure and trade.
The U.S. signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February to end 19 years of war in Afghanistan. Khalilzad has sought to stress the economic benefits of the peace deal throughout his tour. In a series of tweets Saturday, the U.S. envoy said he met with the Qatar Investment Authority and the Taliban’s chief negotiator, Mullah Abdul Ghani, in the Gulf state’s capital of Doha.
“We agreed development plans in support of peace can never start too early,” Khalilzad tweeted.
Added to the uncertainty and delays swirling around the U.s.taliban peace deal, the Pentagon released a report Wednesday that questioned the Taliban’s commitment to end its ties with al-qaida. The peace deal calls for the Taliban to fight against terrorist organizations and ensure Afghanistan would not be used again to attack U.S. interests or its allies. Critics of the deal say the militants can’t be trusted.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied contacts with al-qaida in the Indian subcontinent, saying the insurgents were committed to the peace deal.
Khalilzad embarked on his tour of the region last weekend, even as the rate of coronavirus infections in the United States soared and countries worldwide struggled with the dangers of re-opening.
He did not travel to Afghanistan, citing the dangers of the pandemic, and held videoconference calls with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his government partner, Abdullah Abdullah.