US Taliban deal: Afghan Government clarify its position
US Taliban deal appears to become a test of political acumen of President Ashraf Ghani on foreign affairs
Less than 24 hours after the deal was signed in Doha, the Afghan president told reporters in Kabul: “The reduction in violence will continue with a goal to reach a full ceasefire.”
But he added: “There is no commitment to releasing 5,000 prisoners.
“This is the right and the self-will of the people of Afghanistan. It could be included in the agenda of the intra-Afghan talks, but cannot be a prerequisite for talks.”
Any prisoner release, he added, was “not in the authority of the US” but “in the authority of the Afghan government”.
An estimated 10,000 captured Taliban are being held in Afghanistan.
