Taliban claim U.S. violates accord

But American military says airstrikes in defense of Afghans

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban, facing Afghan and international condemnation for a 10-day assault near the capital of southern Helmand province, are accusing the U.S. military of violating their February accord by carrying out “excessive” aerial attacks and bombings in recent days.

In a statement Sunday, the insurgents played down their own attack on areas around Helmand’s provincial capital, which has forced thousands of villagers to flee their homes and left scores hospitalized.

The attacks have aroused public alarm and anger, leading many Afghans to question why the government is holding peace talks with the Taliban, especially as the insurgents are hardening their negotiating position after President Donald Trump said he wanted to withdraw all U.S. troops by year’s end.

The Taliban delegates to the talks in Doha welcomed Trump’s announcement and publicly wished for his reelection — and then turned on their American interlocutors with their accusations.

“All contents of the U.S.-Islamic Emirate accord are unambiguous, but the other side has violated its commitments on numerous occasions, engaging in provocative actions and bombing noncombat zones,” spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said in the statement. “All responsibility and consequences … shall fall squarely on the American side.”

The U.S. military spokesman in Kabul responded that the strikes were “consistent” with both the U.S.-Taliban agreement and a joint declaration between Afghan and U.S. officials.

“We categorically reject the Taliban’s claim that the United States has violated the U.S.-Taliban agreement,” Col. William Leggett tweeted. He said U.S. airstrikes in both Helmand and Farah provinces were “solely in defense of” Afghan military forces as they are being attacked by the Taliban.

The withdrawal announcement by Trump on Oct. 7 has been viewed as a major concession to the Taliban, who have long demanded that U.S. forces leave the country. The insurgents agreed in February to reduce violence, cut ties with extremist groups and refrain from attacking U.S. forces in return for the gradual withdrawal of all U.S. troops by May.

It was soon after Trump’s announcement that the Taliban launched an assault in Helmand, triggering charges that they had violated the U.S. accord and jeopardized the entire peace process. Last week, U.S. officials appealed to the Taliban to stop, then met with their leaders in Qatar to try to salvage the deal they had spent 18 months negotiating.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy to the talks, tweeted Saturday that both sides had agreed on a “reset” that would reduce violence. He did not provide details.

Meanwhile, the main peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban remained mired in disputes over procedural rules, as they have been ever since the talks started Sept. 12. The two sides have yet to touch on the critical issues at stake: how to end the country’s 19-year civil conflict and how to combine two starkly different visions of a future government into one.

In recent days, Afghan delegates to the talks said the Taliban were doubling down on their initial demands over the rules and terms to govern substantive discussions. They have insisted that all talks be strictly conducted under the terms of the U.S.-Taliban pact, which did not include any Afghans, and under the authority of Sunni Muslim law, although Afghanistan has a sizable non-Sunni minority.

On Saturday, a Taliban spokesman in Doha said the group wants to keep negotiating and has actually reduced its attacks in recent months. That was a day before Sunday’s statement slamming the United States was released.

Afghan delegates said they too will continue to participate, but expect the talks to languish until after the Nov. 3 U.S. election.

Additionally on Sunday, a suicide car bombing killed at least 13 people and wounded about 120 others in Afghanistan’s western Ghor province, officials said.

The head of a hospital in Ghor, Mohammad Omer Lalzad, said emergency staffers were treating dozens of people with both serious and light injuries from the bombing. He expected the death toll to rise.

Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Aran said the car bombing struck near the entrance of the provincial police chief’s office and other nearby government buildings in the area.

Arif Aber, spokesman for the provincial governor in Ghor, said the blast was so strong that its sound could be heard across Feroz Koh, the capital city of the province.