Taliban Won’t Participate in QCG
KABUL: (MEP) Taliban insurgents say until foreign troops exist in Afghanistan, they will not participate in direct negotiations with the government.
In a statement Taliban said, “With the American troops remaining in the country conducting air strikes and special operations raids in support of the government in which hundreds of civilians leave their homes, which the group called a propaganda, therefore Taliban would not participate in talks.”
Following a meeting of the so-called Quadrilateral Coordination Group made up of representatives of the four countries in Kabul in February, officials said they expected direct peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban to begin in early March.
“This is just public bargaining on the part of the Taliban,” said an official close to President Ashraf Ghani, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the subject is a delicate one. “They did it last time, too. They put out a statement of denial, and then they showed up to talks.”
The official said the Pakistan military leader, Gen. Raheel Sharif, who visited Kabul last week, had assured Afghan leaders that talks would go ahead.
